According to Bob Dylan's autobiographical Chronicles, Woody Guthrie gave his unpublished songs to Dylan but Bob was unable to get them from Guthrie's family (he tells a story about a reluctant babysitter).
Nora Guthrie's liner notes in Mermaid Avenue indicate that it was her intention that the songs be given to a new generation of musicians who would be able to make the songs relevant to a younger generation. She therefore contacted singer-songwriter Billy Bragg in spring 1995 about recording some unreleased songs by her father, folk singer Woody Guthrie. Most of the songs were written late in Guthrie's life when he was unable to record due to the motor impairments of Huntington's disease. By the 1990s, Woody Guthrie had become a "relic" to the MTV generation, and Nora sought to establish a different legacy for the musician. To Nora, Bragg was "the only singer I knew taking on the same issues as Woody." Bragg was concerned, however, that his fans would not realize that the songs were written by Guthrie when he performed them on tour, so he decided to record the album with another band.
Bragg contacted Tweedy and Bennett about co-recording the album while Wilco was on the European segment of their Being There tour. Bragg was particularly fond of Being There because their influences extended farther back than the 1950s. Although Tweedy was indifferent to the offer, Bennett was enthused about recording songs of one of his idols—Bennett's previous band Titanic Love Affair was named after a Billy Bragg lyric. A recording contract between Bragg and Wilco was signed after a show at Shepherd's Bush Empire. Bragg mostly recorded the politically-charged lyrics, while Tweedy preferred to record lyrics that showcased Guthrie as a "freak weirdo." The recording of Mermaid Avenue began on December 12, 1997, and was the topic of BBC's Man in the Sand documentary film.
Tempers flared between Bragg and Wilco after the album was completed. Bennett believed that Bragg was overproducing his songs, a sharp contrast to Wilco's sparser contributions. Bennett called Bragg about the possibility of remixing Bragg's songs, to which Bragg responded with "you make your record, and I'll make mine, fucker." Eventually Bragg sent copies of his recordings to Chicago for Bennett to remix, but Bragg refused to use the new mixes on the album. The two parties were unable to establish a promotional tour and quarreled over royalties and guest musician fees.
Despite these conflicts, the album was released on June 23, 1998, and sold over 277,000 copies. The album received rave reviews from Robert Christgau and Rolling Stone, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It also placed fourth on the Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1998 (right behind Bob Dylan's Live 1966).
Don't You Marry
Billy Bragg & Wilco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put a rake and a shovel right in your hand
Don't you marry no railroad man
When you want him he won't be on hand
So don't go marrying no business man
Got too much monkey business on his hands
Don't go marry no jellybean man
Just take me back
Baby won't you take me back
I won't do one little thing
That you don't like
O' don't you marry no banker man
He'll take all your money from your hand
No, don't you marry no finance man
He'll slap a big mortgage right in your hand
Just take me back
Baby won't you take me back
I won't do one little thing
That you don't like
Don't you marry no travelin' man
Always bummin' off round in foreign lands
Don't you marry no singer man
He's the brokest feller in the band
Just take me back
Baby won't you take me back
I won't do one little thing
That you don't like
Don't marry no soldier nor sailor man
Always sailing off and drinking in a distant land
Don't marry yourself no mariner man
Put the invasion barge right in your hands
The song "Don't You Marry" by Billy Bragg and Wilco is a warning to women about the pitfalls of choosing the wrong man to marry. The lyrics advise against marrying different types of men, including farmers, railroad men, business men, jellybean men, banker men, finance men, traveling men, singer men, soldier or sailor men, and mariner men, due to the potential issues that can arise from their respective professions or lifestyle choices. The song's chorus emphasizes the singer's suitability as a partner, stating that he won't do anything the woman doesn't like and requesting that she take him back.
The lyrics touch on a common theme in many roots and country songs, which is a cautionary message about relationships and marriage. The song's message is practical and straightforward, suggesting that women should choose a steady and reliable partner instead of being swayed by more exciting options that could ultimately lead to disappointment or heartbreak. The song's simple melody and straightforward lyrics create a laid-back, country vibe that is easy to sing along to.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, don't you marry no farming man
Don't marry a farmer as they work hard and can be away from home a lot
Put a rake and a shovel right in your hand
Expect to do a lot of work with a farmer as your partner
Don't you marry no railroad man
Avoid marrying someone who works on the railroad as they can be away from home for long periods of time
When you want him he won't be on hand
You can't rely on a railroad man to be available when you need them
So don't go marrying no business man
Avoid marrying a man who is too occupied and preoccupied with work
Got too much monkey business on his hands
They're too busy with their work/business to spend quality time with you
Don't go marry no jellybean man
Don't marry someone with too many lovers and can't remain faithful
Got too many women on his hands
They're too busy playing around with other women to focus on a healthy relationship with you
Just take me back
Come back to me, please
Baby won't you take me back
Please come back to me, my love
I won't do one little thing
I promise I won't do anything that might upset you
That you don't like
Anything that you don't agree or approve of
O' don't you marry no banker man
Don't marry an individual who makes their living being a banker because they are renowned to be gold-diggers
He'll take all your money from your hand
They would take your money fast because they know how to manage people's financials - this is in their bloodlines, it's a natural tendency to them.
No, don't you marry no finance man
Avoid marrying someone who is too into finance/stocks/markets as they can make you bankrupt too fast
He'll slap a big mortgage right in your hand
They might force you to put a mortgage on a home, in the long run, which could bind you to the bank forever
Don't you marry no travelin' man
Avoid marrying someone who is on the road frequently / a traveler
Always bummin' off round in foreign lands
They travel and don't settle in one place for a long time
Don't you marry no singer man
Avoid marrying someone in the music industry because they're often broke and have unstable lives
He's the brokest feller in the band
They won't have lots of money due to the nature of being a singer/musician.
Don't marry no soldier nor sailor man
Avoid marrying someone in the military or a sailor, expect them to stay away from home for long periods of time, depending on your job's nature within these areas and where you're based.
Always sailing off and drinking in a distant land
They might be on long business trips or have to leave the country for work
Don't marry yourself no mariner man
Avoid marrying someone who works within the navy or ships.
Put the invasion barge right in your hands
They may be in charge of big ships, which could mean that they bring their work-related issues or emotions home with them.
Contributed by Scarlett H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.