Harry Richman (10 August 1895–3 November 1972) was an American entertainer… Read Full Bio ↴Harry Richman (10 August 1895–3 November 1972) was an American entertainer. He was a singer, actor, dancer, comedian, pianist, songwriter, bandleader, and night club performer, at his most popular in the 1920s and 1930s.

Richman was born as Harold Reichman in Cincinnati, Ohio. He changed his name to "Harry Richman" at age 18, by which time he was already a professional entertainer in vaudeville. He worked as a piano accompanist to such stars as Mae West and Nora Bayes. With Bayes' act he made his Broadway debut in 1922. He appeared in several editions of the George White's Scandals in the 1920s to acclaim. He appeared in the 1931 Ziegfeld Follies.

He made his feature movie debut in Hollywood in 1930 with the film Puttin' on the Ritz, featuring the Irving Berlin song of the same title, which gave Richman a phonograph record hit that year. His film career was short lived due to his somewhat overpowering personality, and his limited acting skills. (Leonard Maltin wrote of Puttin' on the Ritz: "A songwriter drinks and goes blind - after seeing this you'll want to do the same".) This made little difference to his career as he remained a popular nightclub host and stage performer.

Richman was also an amateur aviator of some accomplishment, being the co-pilot in 1936, with famed flyer Henry Tindall "Dick" Merrill, of the first round-trip Trans-Atlantic flight in his own single-engine Vultee transport. Richman had filled much of the empty space of the aircraft with ping pong balls as a flotation aid in case they were forced down in the Atlantic, and after the successful flight he sold autographed ones until his death. They continue to turn up on eBay to this day.

He also made regular radio broadcasts in the 1930s.

Richman largely retired in the 1940s, although he made irregular appearances, including on television, into the 1950s.

His autobiography A Hell of a Life was published in 1966.

Harry Richman died in Hollywood, California.

Muddy Water
Harry Richman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Dixie moonlight, Swanee shore
Headed homebound just once more
To my Mississippi delta home
Southland's got that grand garden spot
Although you believe or not
I hear those trees are whispering
"Come on back to me"
Muddy water 'round my feet

Muddy water in the street
No, God don't shelter
Down on the delta
Muddy water in my shoes
Reeling and rocking to them lowdown blues
They live in ease and comfort there
I do declare
Been away a year today
To wander and roam
I don't care, it's muddy there
But this is my home
Got my toes turned Dixie way
'Round the delta let me lay
My heart cries out for muddy water
Been away a year today
To wander and roam
I don't care, it's muddy there
But this is my home
Got my toes turned Dixie way

'Round the delta let me lay
My heart cries out for muddy water

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Harry Richman's song "Muddy Water" are a nostalgic tribute to his Mississippi Delta home. The opening lines, "Dixie moonlight, Swanee shore, Headed homebound just once more," signals Richman's returning home after a year of wandering and roaming. He expresses his love for the Mississippi Delta, even though it is muddy and unsheltered. He sings about the comfort and ease of living there and the lowdown blues that he feels when he hears the whispering trees calling him back.

The refrain "Muddy water 'round my feet, Muddy water in the street, No, God don't shelter down on the delta, Muddy water in my shoes, Reeling and rocking to them lowdown blues" is a poignant expression of longing for his home despite its imperfections. He wants to be there regardless of the muddy water, for his heart cries out for it.

The song reflects a yearning for one's roots, family, and land. Muddy Water has a melancholic tone to it and showcases Richman's talent and emotions. Overall, it's a beautiful ode to Mississippi Delta that captures the essence of returning home.

Line by Line Meaning

Dixie moonlight, Swanee shore
In the moonlit night, I'm standing on the banks of the Swanee River.

Headed homebound just once more
I'm going back home after being away for a while.

To my Mississippi delta home
My home is in the Mississippi delta region.

Southland's got that grand garden spot
The Southern region of the US has a beautiful place.

Although you believe or not
Even if you don't believe it.

I hear those trees are whispering
I can hear the trees whispering to me.

"Come on back to me"
They're calling me back to my home.

Muddy water 'round my feet
The water around my feet is muddy.

Muddy water in the street
The street is covered in muddy water.

No, God don't shelter
God doesn't offer protection from the muddy water.

Down on the delta
In the Mississippi delta region.