Big Mama Thornton (Willie Mae Thornton, December 11, 1926, Ariton, AL - Jul… Read Full Bio ↴Big Mama Thornton (Willie Mae Thornton, December 11, 1926, Ariton, AL - July 25, 1984, Los Angeles, CA) was an American blues musician.

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.

Sweet Little Angel
Big Mama Thornton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got a sweet little angel
And I love the way she spreads her wings
Yes, I got a sweet little angel
And I love the way she spreads her wings
Yes, when she spreads her wings around me
You know I get joy in everything

I asked my baby for a nickel

And she gave me a twenty dollar bill
Yes, asked my baby for a nickel
And she gave me a twenty dollar bill
I asked her for a little drink of liquor
My baby gave me a whiskey still

Yes, if my baby should quit me
Lord, I do believe I would die
Yes, if my baby my baby should quit me
I do believe I would die
Yes, if you done love me little angel

Please, please tell me the reason why
I just got to have a little more

Overall Meaning

Sweet Little Angel is a soulful blues song by Big Mama Thornton. The lyrics revolve around the singer's love for her partner, who she describes as her sweet little angel. She loves the way her partner spreads her wings and how her lover brings joy to her life. She is so in love with her angel that she says she would die if she left her.

The second verse talks about how the singer asked her lover for a nickel but received a twenty-dollar bill instead. She continues to ask for a little drink of liquor and her lover gives her a whiskey still. These verses suggest that her partner is generous and caring towards her. The last verse pleads with her lover not to leave her and asks why she would even think of leaving her.

Overall, the song expresses the depth of love that the singer feels for her partner and the fear of losing them. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and Big Mama's unique and soulful voice adds a lot of emotion to the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got a sweet little angel
I have a wonderful woman in my life

And I love the way she spreads her wings
I love how she expresses herself freely

Yes, I got a sweet little angel
Yes, I am lucky to have her

And I love the way she spreads her wings
I appreciate her individuality and spirit

Yes, when she spreads her wings around me
Yes, when she shows her true self with me

You know I get joy in everything
I find happiness in everything she does

I asked my baby for a nickel
I asked my partner for a small favor

And she gave me a twenty dollar bill
And she surprised me with an extravagant gift

Yes, asked my baby for a nickel
Yes, I only asked for a little favor

And she gave me a twenty dollar bill
But she went above and beyond to show her love and support

I asked her for a little drink of liquor
I asked her for a small pleasure

My baby gave me a whiskey still
But she provided me with even more than I asked for

Yes, if my baby should quit me
Yes, if she were to leave me

Lord, I do believe I would die
I think I would be unable to go on without her

Yes, if my baby my baby should quit me
Yes, even the thought of losing her is unbearable

I do believe I would die
I truly mean that I would be devastated

Yes, if you done love me little angel
Yes, if she no longer loves me,

Please, please tell me the reason why
I would need to know why she stopped loving me

I just got to have a little more
I desire more love and closeness in our relationship