In 1959 at almost fifty years of age, he recorded the rustic blues, "Fannie Mae", which featured Brown's harmonica playing and whoops, which went to # 38 in the U.S. Top 40, and to #1 on the R&B chart in April 1960.
The song was written by Morris Levy, Clarence Lewis and Waymon Glasco.
Fanny Mae
Buster Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want somebody, tell me what’s wrong with me
I ain’t misbehaving that I got so much, oh, misery
I can hear your name a ringing on down the line
(Fannie Mae)
I can hear your name ringing on down the line
(Fannie Mae)
Fannie Mae, baby, won’t you please come home?
(Fannie Mae)
Fannie Mae, baby, won’t you please come home?
(Fannie Mae)
Since you left me, baby, I never felt so all alone
I know oh, woah, oh, oh, hold me
(I know, hold me)
I know oh, woah, oh, oh, hold me
(I know, hold me)
I ain’t misbehaving that I got so much, oh, misery
Fannie Mae, baby, won’t you please come home?
Fannie Mae, baby, won’t you please come home?
Since you left me, baby, I never felt so all alone
Ohh, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae, come home, come home
Come home, come home, come on home
Ohh, Fannie Mae, Fannie Mae, come home, come home
Come home, come home, come on home
Come home, come home, come home, come on home
Come home, come home, come home, come on home
The lyrics of Buster Brown's song "Fanny Mae" speaks of a man longing for the presence of his lover Fanny Mae. The first few lines show the man's confusion and eagerness for someone to explain to him what is going wrong with him. His feelings of misery suggest that he is aware that he is not himself, but he is uncertain of the reason for his despair. The succeeding verse describes a situation where he hears Fanny Mae's name on the phone, and although he is hopeful of seeing her, he is also uncertain whether he is wasting his time.
The chorus of the song appeals to Fanny Mae to come back home to the man because since she has left, he has been alone and miserable. The last lines of the song repeat this appeal and emphasize the man's desire for Fanny Mae to come home. Lines such as "I know oh, woah, oh, oh, hold me" and "come on home" show the man's urgency and how much he is missing his lover.
Overall, the lyrics of "Fanny Mae" by Buster Brown express the feelings of a man who is lost without the presence of his lover. He is uncertain, hopeful, and desperate, all at the same time.
Line by Line Meaning
Want somebody, tell me what’s wrong with me
I'm feeling a lot of misery and I need someone to tell me why
I want somebody, tell me what’s wrong with me
I'm in such a bad place and I need someone to help me understand why
I ain’t misbehaving that I got so much, oh, misery
I haven't done anything wrong, but I'm still feeling a lot of pain
I can hear your name a ringing on down the line (Fannie Mae)
I keep hearing your name being mentioned and it's making me think of you
I wanna know if you don't, well, tell me if I'm wasting my time
If you're not interested, please just let me know so I can stop wasting my time
Fannie Mae, baby, won’t you please come home? (Fannie Mae)
Please come back to me, Fannie Mae, I miss you so much
Since you left me, baby, I never felt so all alone
Ever since you left, I've felt so lonely and empty inside
I know oh, woah, oh, oh, hold me (I know, hold me)
I just need someone to hold me and reassure me that things will be okay
I ain’t misbehaving that I got so much, oh, misery
I'm not doing anything wrong, but I'm still feeling a lot of pain
Come home, come home, come home, come on home
Please come back to me, Fannie Mae, I need you in my life
Contributed by Elizabeth N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
John Baringer
I remember playing this song when I was in a band back in the day, great tune, thx 4 posting, still love it 👍😀
Richard Robertson
a song for all ages! fantastic
galoon
Good choice! I love this song--the Chicago blues sound at its best!
F a e r i e B o o t s
.. I played this record over and over....( and I loved the movie) when i was younger .. As i grew into a "teen" got into punk & one of ma all time and still now is the Cramps... ..Then later on in my 20's I was in the "Ska"../ punk / mod scene... I forgot... "a piece" of the puzzle of who I am I'm just realizing that this record as a child was part of the puzzle ( for me) like a forgotten seed... Moment of musical clarity... what a trip...
Joe Davis
I love this song! It's a true classic!
Renee Turner-Herron
OMG, my grandfather used to play this song...may he RIP..wow brings back wonderful memories...
michmich1962
I have the double album of American Graffity and I always considered this song to be the best of them all. Thanks for posting this.
HELEN38
FANNIE MAE, LITTLE DARLIN" SONGS OF MY YOUTH..THEY WILL NEVER GROW OLD TO ME.. I COULD LISTEN TO THE OLD SONGS ALL DAY AND NEVER TIRE.. I HAVE BEEN TAKEN BACK TO THE 50'S AND AMERICAN GRAFFITI AT THE DRIVE-IN...THANK YOU, BRANDON FOR SENDING THESE TO ME AND THANK YOU YOU TUBE FOR PLAYING THEM....HELEN T.
VintageTeenQueen
I don't think it's weird for anyone to like any song. You like what you like :)
SKULLCRUSHER123 Elmerini
good music wish it could still be like this AK47bandit thank u for this!!