My Mother-In-Law
Etta James Lyrics


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I′m sick and tired of your mother, tellin' me what to do
She′s always stickin' her nose in my business, it seems I married her instead of you
Oh my mother-in-law,
Oh she makes me sick
Oh my mother-in-law,
I got to get away from her quick, now
Got to get away from her quick
I've tried and tried to get along, but nothing I do is right
If she can′t mind her business, I′m telling you what I'm goin′ to do
I'm packing my bags and leaving tonight
Oh my mother-in-law,
Oh she makes me scream
Oh my mother-in-law,
It′s worse than a horrible dream, now
Oh yeah, she's worse than a horrible dream
Wooh...
Somebody has got to go (It won′t be me)
It's either her or me (It won't be me)
I′m sick and tired of your mother, there′s not enough room for us three
Oh, my mother-in-law
Oh, she worries me so
Oh, my mother-in-law, now
You know she's got to go now, yeah, you know she′s got to go




Oh, my mother-in-law
Oh, she worries me so (she drinks all of my booze)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Etta James's song My Mother-In-Law express the artist's frustration and annoyance with her mother-in-law's interference in her life. The first two lines of the song set an angry tone, with Etta proclaiming, "I'm sick and tired of your mother, telling me what to do. She's always sticking her nose in my business, it seems I married her instead of you." These lines encapsulate the artist's feeling of intrusion, as her mother-in-law constantly interferes in her life and makes her feel powerless.


Etta James's frustration with her mother-in-law peaks in the chorus of the song, where she declares, "Oh my mother-in-law, oh she makes me sick. Oh my mother-in-law, I got to get away from her quick, now. Got to get away from her quick." These lines emphasize how much the artist wants to separate herself from her mother-in-law's overbearing presence. Later in the song, Etta James offers a solution to her problem when she sings, "I'm packing my bags and leaving tonight. Oh my mother-in-law, oh she makes me scream. It's worse than a horrible dream, now. Oh yeah, she's worse than a horrible dream." The artist is willing to take drastic measures to get rid of her mother-in-law, as she cannot continue living with her intrusion any longer.


In summary, Etta James's song My Mother-In-Law portrays the artist's constant struggle with her mother-in-law's constant intrusion and meddling in her life. The lyrics express her frustration and her desire to break free from her mother-in-law's overbearing presence.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm sick and tired of your mother, tellin' me what to do
I'm feeling fed up with your mother interfering in my life


She′s always stickin' her nose in my business, it seems I married her instead of you
She's always invading my privacy, it's like I married her instead of you


Oh my mother-in-law, Oh,she makes me sick
Oh,my mother-in-law is making me feel ill


Oh my mother-in-law, I got to get away from her quick, now Got to get away from her quick
I need to flee from my mother-in-law immediately


I've tried and tried to get along, but nothing I do is right If she can′t mind her business, I′m telling you what I'm goin′ to do I'm packing my bags and leaving tonight
I have attempted to have a good relationship with her, but whatever I do, she doesn't approve. If she won't stop interfering, I'll be forced to leave tonight


Oh my mother-in-law, Oh, she makes me scream Oh my mother-in-law, It′s worse than a horrible dream, now Oh yeah, she's worse than a horrible dream Wooh...
I scream because of how bad my mother-in-law is. She's the stuff of nightmares


Somebody has got to go (It won′t be me) It's either her or me (It won't be me) I′m sick and tired of your mother, there′s not enough room for us three Oh, my mother-in-law Oh, she worries me so
One of us needs to depart (and it won't be me). Either she goes, or I do. I'm getting tired of your mother, and there's not enough room in this house for the three of us. My mother-in-law is worrying me greatly


Oh, my mother-in-law, now You know she's got to go now, yeah, you know she′s got to go Oh, my mother-in-law Oh, she worries me so (she drinks all of my booze)
My mother-in-law must leave now; there's no question about it. She's distressing me, and she's even drinking my alcohol




Writer(s): Lee Diamond, George David

Contributed by Kayla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Erik brodland


on I Just Want to Make Love to You

Love this song so much, it makes me think of my son's Beautiful mommy jasmin and her amazing.voice.

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