Mississippi Boweavil Blues
Charley Patton Lyrics


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Sees a little boll weevil keeps movin' in the, Lordie!
You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a bale, Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where's your native home? Lordie
"A-Louisiana raised in Texas, least is where I was bred and born", Lordie
Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
The next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
Bo weevil left Texas, Lord, he bid me "fare ye well", Lordie
(spoken: Where you goin' now?)
I'm goin' down the Mississippi, gonna give Louisiana hell, Lordie
(spoken: How is that, boy?)
Suck all the blossoms and he leave your hedges square, Lordie
The next time I seed you, you know you had your family there, Lordie
Bo weevil meet his wife, "We can sit down on the hill", Lordie
Bo weevil told his wife, "Let's trade this forty in", Lordie
Bo weevil told his wife, says, "I believe I may go North", Lordie
(spoken: Hold on, I'm gonna tell all about that)
"Let's leave Louisiana, we can go to Arkansas", Lordie
Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
Next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
Bo weevil told the farmer that "I 'tain't got ticket fare", Lordie
Sucks all the blossom and leave your hedges square, Lordie
Bo weevil, bo weevil, where your native home? Lordie
"Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn", Lordie




Bo weevil, bo weevil, "Outta treat me fair", Lordie
The next time I did you had your family there, Lordie

Overall Meaning

The song "Mississippi Boweavil Blues" is a traditional blues tune performed by Charley Patton. The song is about the boll weevil which is a type of beetle that destroyed many cotton crops in the Southern United States during the early 20th century. The boll weevil created serious economic hardships for many farmers in the region, which is reflected in the song's lyrics.


The opening lines of the song describe how the boll weevil keeps moving around, making it difficult for farmers to grow cotton. The chorus of the song asks where the boll weevil comes from, to which it responds that it was raised in Louisiana but born in Texas. The verse that follows describes the boll weevil moving from Texas to Mississippi, where it plans to cause havoc for Louisiana farmers by eating their crops.


The song is both sung and spoken, and the lyrics paint a picture of a sly and cunning boll weevil who is always one step ahead of the farmers. The lyrics are both humorous and poignant, capturing the struggles faced by farmers in the South during the early 20th century.


Line by Line Meaning

Sees a little boll weevil keeps movin' in the, Lordie!
The singer spotted a boll weevil making its way towards the cotton plantation.


You can plant your cotton and you won't get a half a bale, Lordie
The boll weevil infestation has been so bad that the cotton yield is now less than half.


Bo weevil, bo weevil, where's your native home? Lordie
The singer asks the boll weevil where it originally came from.


"A-Louisiana raised in Texas, least is where I was bred and born", Lordie
The boll weevil responds to the singer's question saying it was raised in Louisiana but born and bred in Texas.


Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord, a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
The singer spotted the boll weevil flying in circles in the air.


The next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
The boll weevil had started a family and was seen with them by the singer the next time.


Bo weevil left Texas, Lord, he bid me "fare ye well", Lordie
The boll weevil left Texas, saying goodbye to the singer.


"I'm goin' down the Mississippi, gonna give Louisiana hell", Lordie
The boll weevil is headed south towards Louisiana to destroy the crops there.


Suck all the blossoms and he leave your hedges square, Lordie
The boll weevil sucks the blossoms of cotton plants and leaves the hedges of the fields untouched.


Bo weevil meet his wife, "We can sit down on the hill", Lordie
The boll weevil meets his wife and they make plans to sit together on a hill.


Bo weevil told his wife, "Let's trade this forty in", Lordie
The boll weevil suggests to his wife that they sell their farm.


Bo weevil told his wife, says, "I believe I may go North", Lordie
The boll weevil tells his wife that he's considering moving up to the North.


"Let's leave Louisiana, we can go to Arkansas", Lordie
The boll weevil suggests to his wife that they move from Louisiana to Arkansas.


Well, I saw the bo weevil, Lord a-circle, Lord, in the air, Lordie
The singer once again saw the boll weevil flying in circles in the air.


Next time I seed him, Lord, he had his family there, Lordie
The boll weevil was still seen with his family by the singer the next time.


Bo weevil told the farmer that "I 'tain't got ticket fare", Lordie
The boll weevil tells the farmer that it doesn't have the money to leave.


Bo weevil, bo weevil, where your native home? Lordie
The singer asks the boll weevil where it originally comes from again.


"Most anywhere they raise cotton and corn", Lordie
The boll weevil tells the singer that they can be found anywhere that cotton or corn is grown.


Bo weevil, bo weevil, "Outta treat me fair", Lordie
The boll weevil wants to be treated fairly.


The next time I did you had your family there, Lordie
The boll weevil was still seen with its family by the singer the next time they met.




Contributed by Jeremiah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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