Her introduction to music, as with most fellow blues legends, started in the Baptist church. The daughter of a minister, she and her six siblings began to sing at a very early age. While still a child, Willie Mae taught herself to play the drums and harmonica, and by the age of 14, she had run away from home to make her career in secular music.
She joined Sammy Green's "Hot Harlem Revue" and toured throughout the South in the 1940's, first beginning her musical career in 1947. While touring Texas in 1948, Thornton left the Revue in favor of the state's growing club scene, which she immersed herself in. It was during this time that she was discovered by Don Robey, a black entrepreneur who owned several clubs and record stores in the Houston, TX area. Impressed by her massive size (6 ft, 350+ lb),formidable multi-instrument abilities, and fiery stage presence, Robey signed her to his Peacock Records label, where he began the task of translating the forceful belter's energy onto record.
Her big hit came, not from Robey's capable pen, but from the young songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was "Hound Dog," which she recorded in 1952 with the Johnny Otis band and released in February 1953. Big Mama Thornton always claimed to have written the song herself (a claim which may actually hold some validity), and her ferocious rendition of it ( complete with Big Mama's growl and a nasty guitar line by Pete Lewis) held the #1 spot in the Billboard rhythm and blues charts for nine weeks. Unfortunately for Thornton, Elvis Presley's smoother and bowdlerized version was a major pop hit in 1956 and successfully eclipsed her biggest claim to fame.
Thornton continued to tour the "chitlin' circuit" as fans began to favour newer R&B sounds over blues. For some years, Big Mama suffered in obscurity like most of her fellow bluesmen. Her name gained wider prominence and her career enjoyed a significant resurgence as her song "Ball and Chain" was covered by Janis Joplin, making it a regular number in her repertoire. From that point onward, Thornton would remain a headliner at blues festivals, colleges, and clubs throughout the country and even in Europe. She began recording again, and released albums for the Arhoolie, Mercury, and Vanguard labels. Years of hard drinking and living began to take their toll, however, and by the late 1970s her health (and her trademark girth) had declined greatly. She nevertheless performed until her death at the age of 57 on July 25, 1984 in Los Angeles, where she was found dead from natural causes in the boarding house room in which she had been living. Johnny Otis conducted her funeral services, and she was laid to rest in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
School Boy
Big Mama Thornton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah-hey
I'm a little school girl
And I want those boys
Want those boys
Take me out, yeah
And I want my little school boy
Show me what it′s all about
I told my mama
Told my mama
That he was a school boy
He was my friend
Yeah-hey
And told my mom and my brother that he was no kin
Talking bout my school boy
And I'm a little school girl
I want him to teach me the golden rule
Hey hey
That's my school boy
Hey hey I′m a school girl too (talking bought my school boy)
Hey school boy!
Want everybody
Clap your hands
We getting married
Don′t you understand?
No more school girl
No more play
All I do is hang around the house all day
Now I'm a school girl
He′s my school boy
Talking bout my baby
Fly on over
Gonna fly on over
Gonna fly on over
Gonna fly on over
Ooh yeah
Now listen
Gonna buy me an airplane
Gonna buy me an airplane
Fly all over
Fly all over this town
Well If see my little old school boy
Gonna set this airplane down
Fly
Flying
I'm flying
I′m having a good time
Bring me a hammer
Color's greens
Black eyed peas
Hey hey
A little corn bread
A little crackling bread
Sauerkraut
A little will do
A hamburger
Ooooh
Fish and chips
Sardines
Hamburgers
How bout a little salami
How bout a cracker
A piece of bread
Cup of coffee
Oooh
Talking bout my school days
Talking bout my school days
Talking bout my school days
I had a wonderful time
Ohhh-ohhh
The lyrics to "School Boy" by Big Mama Thornton tell the story of a school girl who is infatuated with a boy from school. She wants him to take her out and show her what it's all about, indicating her desire to learn about life and love from him. She tells her mother and brother about him and emphasizes that he is just a school boy and not related to her. The chorus repeats that she is a little school girl who wants a little school boy to teach her the golden rule.
She then announces that they are getting married and there will be no more school girl or play for her. She proclaims that she is now a school girl to his school boy, implying that she wants to be his equal and partner in life. The song ends with an unexpected shift in subject matter, as she talks about buying an airplane and flying all over the town, looking for her school boy.
Overall, "School Boy" is a playful and flirtatious song that speaks to the innocence and excitement of young love. Thornton's high-pitched, bluesy voice and the upbeat tempo add to the joyful energy of the song. While some may argue that the lyrics are slightly outdated in their gender roles and expectations, the song remains a classic example of early rock and roll and rhythm and blues.
Line by Line Meaning
I′m a little school girl
I am young and innocent
And I want those boys
I desire the company of boys
Take me out, yeah
I want to go out on a date
And I want my little school boy
I want to be with a boy who goes to the same school as me
Show me what it′s all about
Teach me about love and romance
Talking bout my school boy
Speaking about that boy from my school
I want him to teach me the golden rule
I want him to teach me how to behave in love
We getting married
We are going to get married
No more school girl
I will no longer be seen as a young, innocent girl
Now I'm a school girl
Even though I was a school girl before, now I am that girl in love with a school boy
He′s my school boy
The boy I love goes to the same school as me
Talking bout my baby
Talking about the boy I love
Gonna fly on over
I will go anywhere to be with him
Gonna buy me an airplane
I will do whatever it takes to be with him
Fly
I will fly to be with him
Color's greens
I want to cook greens for him
A little corn bread
I want to bake corn bread for him
How bout a cracker
I want to share a cracker with him
Talking bout my school days
Remembering our time together at school
I had a wonderful time
Our time together was special and happy
Writer(s): Fred Mcdowell, Willie Mae Thornton, Mae Thornton
Contributed by Violet Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lilrolter BigBluesMama
This is so a great true blues !!! wonderful Big Mama Thornton feat. Mississippi Fred McDowell ... thank you for your work MyMoppet52 ... very appreciated! thanks, thanks, thanks!!!! ♪ BigBluesMama ♪♫
MyMoppet52
lilrolter BigBluesMama You are very welcome. The 3 songs she does on this album with Mississippi Fred McDowell are my favorites. He is brilliant on these tracks, and she is always wonderful!
I hope that this isn't a duplicate. I looked back to make sure. Sometimes I miss the songs, though.
Mike Oak
I can hear what good time they're having while doing this!
MyMoppet52
The album, "In Europe" was recorded in London in October 1965, while on the American Folk Blues Festival Revue. This is "School Boy" & it was written by Mississippi Fred McDowell & Willie Mae Thornton. Enjoy...
MyMoppet52
The album, "In Europe" was recorded in London in October 1965, while on the American Folk Blues Festival Revue. This is "School Boy" & it was written by Mississippi Fred McDowell & Willie Mae Thornton. Enjoy...
MyMoppet52
Dan Vicary
Hi, guy. Hope you are able to get out & enjoy this weather. It's nice here. Good to see you, Barbara :)
MyMoppet52
Dan Vicary
I am so sorry. I can say that I DO know how you feel. It's been bad for almost 2 months now (my breathing). I'm getting better, but it's slow going...from the meds, I think. I hope you can get rid of it soon! If you cut grass, wear a mask...Please take care of yourself. I've missed talking with you.