Furry's style of blues was in many ways typical of the songsters who operated in and around Memphis in the 1920s, for whom the value of a song was the story it told, and who tended to back their words with hypnotic repetitive riffs and subtle slide guitars. Furry Lewis's soft voice and quick slide work were particularly effective in this style. He recorded many successful records in the late '20s including "Kassie Jones",Billy Lyons, Stack-O-Lee and Judge Harsh Blues (later called Good morning judge).
This success was limited to the race records of the time, cheap sides by black musicians for black customers. Furry received neither fame nor fortune for his efforts. In 1962, however, he was recorded by the folklorist Adrian Mitchell and his fortunes began to pick up. Before he died in 1981 Furry opened twice for the Rolling Stones, played on Johnny Carson's Tonight show and had a part in a Burt Reynolds movie, some justice for this great player of the blues and his inimitable slide guitar style.
Joni Mitchell's song, "Furry Sings the Blues" (on her Hejira album), is about Lewis. According to Wikipedia, Lewis despised the Mitchell song and demanded she pay him royalties.
Mean Old Bedbug Blues
Furry Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mean old bedbug sho′ is evil, he don't mean me no good
He thinks I'm a woodpecker and he takes me for a chunk o′ wood
When I lay down at night I wonder how can a poor man sleep
When I lay down at night I wonder how can a poor man sleep
With one hole in your head while the other one in your feet
Bedbug′s big as a jackass, he will bite you, stand and grin
Bedbug's big as a jackass, will bite you and stand and grin
Saw one morn′ in a corner, Lord I tried so hard to see
Saw one morn' in a corner, Lord I tried so hard to see
It was a mother bedbug Lord, prayin′ for some oat to eat
I had to sit up all night long, my feet can't touch the floor
I had to sit up all night long, my feet can′t touch the floor
Cause the mean old bedbug told me I can't live there no more
In "Mean Old Bedbug Blues," Furry Lewis paints a vivid picture of the torment of living with bedbugs. He describes them as evil and unrelenting in their pursuit of their victim. They mistake the singer for a piece of wood and constantly bite him, making it impossible for him to get a good night's sleep. The bedbugs are so large that they are compared to a jackass, and no amount of poison seems to deter them from biting again. The singer is forced to sit up all night, unable to lay down due to the bedbugs' constant harassment. In the end, the bedbugs win, and the singer is forced to leave his home.
Lewis's song is a powerful metaphor for the hardships faced by poor African Americans in the early 1900s in the South. Just as the bedbugs relentlessly attack the singer, poverty and racism were unrelenting in their attacks on black people, making it difficult for them to get ahead in life. The constant struggle to survive and the inability to find peace and rest are themes that are common throughout many blues songs of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Mean old bedbug sho′ is evil, he don't mean me no good
The bedbug is malevolent and intends harm towards me.
He thinks I'm a woodpecker and he takes me for a chunk o′ wood
Bedbugs mistake me for something that they feed on, like a woodpecker on a tree.
When I lay down at night I wonder how can a poor man sleep
I worry about how I will sleep with the painful bedbug bites.
With one hole in your head while the other one in your feet
Bedbugs bite all over your body, leaving painful marks.
Bedbug′s big as a jackass, he will bite you, stand and grin
The bedbugs are enormous in size and take pleasure in biting people with a devious smile.
Drink a bowl of bedbug poison, come back and bite you again
Even after poisoning the bedbugs, they will still come back to bite.
Saw one morn′ in a corner, Lord I tried so hard to see
I saw a bedbug in the corner and struggled to get a clear view of it.
It was a mother bedbug Lord, prayin′ for some oat to eat
The bedbug in the corner was a female, searching for food
I had to sit up all night long, my feet can't touch the floor
I couldn't sleep all night because the bedbugs made it unbearable to lay down.
Cause the mean old bedbug told me I can't live there no more
The bedbugs have driven me away and I can no longer live in my own bed.
Writer(s): Joe Davis, Jack Wood
Contributed by Tristan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.