After leaving home at an early age to travel the country, Segarra eventually settled in New Orleans where they began to perform and record with a revolving cast of musicians. They released two records (2008's It Don't Mean I Don't Love You and 2010's Young Blood Blues) mostly consisting of delicate folk and country songs. In 2011, the UK record label Loose Music (Felice Brothers, Dawes, Deer Tick), released Hurray for the Riff Raff, an album that collected the best songs from those records. The Times of London named Hurray for the Riff Raff one of the Top Ten Albums of 2011. Phil Alexander, the Editor-in-Chief of Mojo Magazine, raved that they “have immense potential and seductive power” and named them second best band at SXSW 2011.
Back in the States, Alynda met up with a young honky-tonk band called the Tumbleweeds, just as they began to expand they musical palette to include rock n roll, pop, and soul. In the tradition of Bob Dylan with Band and Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Alynda recruited the Tumbleweeds to be their touring band, drastically altering the sound of Hurray for the Riff Raff.
Look Out Mama is the result of almost two years of Alynda and the Tumbleweeds criss-crossing the USA, playing over 100 shows in small bars and clubs. Recorded in Nashville by producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes), Look Out Mama is an exploration of classic American music as interpreted by Alynda lee Segarra. From the Swamp Pop of "Little Black Star" to the Classic Country of "Look Out Mama", to the Psychedelia of “Ode to John and Yoko” and even the Surf-Rock of “Lake of Fire”, Look Out Mama covers a wide array of musical ground, with every song unified by Alynda’s soulful vocals and expert songwriting.
Look Out Mama
Hurray For The Riff Raff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look out daddy, Im gonna roll
Right up to, your ever loving door
Hey you can tell, by the way I look
I wont be wandering no more
Im a heavy headed girl
Full of sorrow, dont ask me how
I got this way
But Im getting tired
Going down this road
All by myself,
Hard luck woman, bad luck man
Heading east bound, soon as I care
To you, wont you take me by the hand
And you can lead us
All the way to the promise land
So look out mama, Im coming home
Look out daddy, Im gonna roll
Right up to, your ever loving door
Hey you can tell, by the way I look
I wont be wandering no more
Adioleyihuuu, Adioleyihuuu.
The lyrics to "Look Out Mama" by Hurray For The Riff Raff express a sense of longing and a desire for connection and belonging. The singer addresses her parents, saying she is coming home and wants to be taken by the hand and led to the promised land. She describes herself as a heavy-headed girl, full of sorrow, and says she won't be wandering anymore. The lyrics evoke a feeling of loneliness and a need for comfort, as the singer is tired of going down this road all by herself.
The song seems to be about the universal human experience of searching for a sense of home and belonging. The singer is returning to her parents, seeking the safety and security that only a family can provide. The repeated refrain of "look out mama, Im coming home, look out daddy, Im gonna roll" emphasizes her urgency and determination to find her way back to where she belongs. The line "hey you can tell, by the way I look, I won't be wandering no more" suggests that the singer has been searching for a long time, but now she has found what she was looking for.
Overall, the lyrics to "Look Out Mama" portray a powerful sense of yearning for home and family, and a desire to leave behind the loneliness and pain of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Look out mama, Im coming home
I am returning home and want to be welcomed with open arms by my mother
Look out daddy, Im gonna roll
I am coming back and am ready to face whatever challenges come my way with confidence
Right up to, your ever loving door
I want to come directly to your door where I know I will be loved and accepted
Hey you can tell, by the way I look
By my appearance, you can see that I have changed and am not the same person I was before
I wont be wandering no more
I am done with aimlessly wandering and am ready to settle down in one place
Im a heavy headed girl
I carry a burden on my shoulders that weighs me down
Full of sorrow, dont ask me how
I am filled with deep sadness that is hard to explain
I got this way
I became this way due to my experiences and struggles
Cause its been too long to tell
It has been too much time since my problems began and I cannot fully articulate their origin
But Im getting tired
My struggles are wearing me down and I am becoming exhausted
Going down this road
I have been on this path for a long time and it has not been easy
All by myself
I have been facing my challenges alone without support or companionship
Hard luck woman, bad luck man
I have experienced many misfortunes in life
Heading east bound, soon as I care
I am choosing to go in a new direction and start fresh towards the east
To you, wont you take me by the hand
I am asking for help and guidance from someone I trust
And you can lead us
The person I am asking for help can lead us both to a better future
All the way to the promise land
We can go together towards a brighter, more promising future
Adioleyihuuu, Adioleyihuuu.
This is a joyful expression of hope and positivity, signaling an eagerness to move forward with life
Writer(s): Alynda Segarra Copyright: Wooden Wings Publishing
Contributed by Micah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dream to Awake
Look out mama, Im coming home
Look out daddy, Im gonna roll
Right up to, your ever loving door
Hey you can tell, by the way I look
I wont be wandering no more
Im a heavy headed girl
Full of sorrow, dont ask me how
I got this way
Cause its been too long to tell
But Im getting tired
Going down this road
All by myself,
Hard luck woman, bad luck man
Heading east bound, soon as I care
To you, wont you take me by the hand
And you can lead us
All the way to the promise land
So look out mama, Im coming home
Look out daddy, Im gonna roll
Right up to, your ever loving door
Hey you can tell, by the way I look
I wont be wandering no more
Adioleyihuuu, Adioleyihuuu.
Moon Noggin
My Dearest Darkest Neighbor is the fourth full-length album by New Orleans musical group Hurray for the Riff Raff. It was originally available only as a reward in a Kickstarter campaign to fund their previous album Look Out Mama, and in local record stores. A version of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" was included in the new release. The album was released July 1, 2013 by Mod Mobilian Records and This Is American Music.[1]
Track listing
Delta Momma Blues (Townes Van Zandt) (3:48)
Fine and Mellow (Billie Holiday) (3:37)
My Morphine (Gillian Welch) (4:05)
Black Jack Davey (Traditional) (3:11)
Western Cowboy (Lead Belly) (4:42)
Jealous Guy (John Lennon) (3:27)
Just A Heart (James Hand) (3:34)
Angel Ballad (Alynda Lee Segarra, based on the Gillian Welch composition "Ruination Day") (6:06)
Cuckoo (Alynda Lee Segarra) (3:34)
People Talkin' (Lucinda Williams) (3:52)
River (Joni Mitchell) (4:48)
I'm Goin' Away (Elizabeth Cotten) (2:19)
I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams) (4:34)
My Sweet Lord (George Harrison) (4:00)
Personnel
Alynda Lee Segarra - vocals, guitar
Yosi Perlstein - fiddle, drums, percussion
Sam Doores - drums (#5), piano (#6), guitar (#14)
Dan Cutler - bass (#5, 14)
Zach Setchfield - slide guitar (#14)
Andy Wilhite - organ (#14)
References
Fensterstock, Alison. "A take on John Lennon's 'Jealous Guy' heralds Hurray for the Riff Raff's new cover CD, due July 1". Times-Picayune. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
Categories: 2013 albumsKickstarter-funded albumsCrowdfunded
etplantation
Wow, this is how I remember country music, straight from the heart and soul!!
Curtis K
I like your band... A true American style... It's cool to see people of my generation doin' good music !
navaskin
I love the way I can close my eyes and find myself floating away. My spirit loves this.
jimmyjonjames68
Great to see real music is still being made by beautiful people. I whish I could hang out with these incredible musicians.
Paul Sweeney
Great sound, raw and exciting...great singer, and they all compliment themselves well!
Wychwood Music
This just never gets old. I keep coming back and never watch it just once.
Schy Mark
She's a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx! And proud as hell!! I can't believe I never heard them myself.
Jasmina O'Grady
@Güneş Onur
The wonderful, beautiful Alynda Mariposa Segarra! 🌺
Nancy Vallejo
Ahhhh!! I love it! Bawling!keep it up!!
Zed Dravot
Who cares? Music is music, no matter where it comes from. Experience and talent makes it authentic, not breeding or region. All that matters is the heard and head that produced it, geography and ethnicity are irrelevant.