Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi, in 1925, learning the harmonica and guitar from Eddie Taylor, a close friend. After spending several years busking and performing in the area, Reed moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1943 before being drafted into the US Navy during World War II. In 1945, Reed was discharged and moved back to Mississippi for a brief period, marrying his girlfriend, Mary "Mama" Reed, before moving to Gary, Indiana to work at an Armour & Co. meat packing plant. Mama Reed appears as an uncredited background singer on many of his songs, notably the major hits "Baby What You Want Me to Do", "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City".
By the 1950s, Reed had established himself as a popular musician and joined the "Gary Kings" with John Brim, as well as playing on the street with Willie Joe Duncan. Reed failed to gain a recording contract with Chess Records, but signed with Vee-Jay Records through Brim's drummer, Albert King. At Vee-Jay, Reed began playing again with Eddie Taylor and soon released "You Don't Have to Go", his first hit record. This was followed by a long string of hits.
Reed maintained his reputation despite his rampant alcoholism; sometimes his wife had to help him remember the lyrics to his songs while recording. In 1957, Reed developed epilepsy, though the condition was not correctly diagnosed for a long time, as Reed and doctors assumed it was delirium tremens.
In spite of his numerous hits, Reed's personal problems prevented him from achieving the same level of fame as other popular blues artists of the time, though he had more hit songs than many others. When Vee-Jay Records closed down, Reed's manager signed a contract with the fledgling ABC-Bluesway label, but Reed was never able to score another hit.
In 1968 he toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival.
Jimmy Reed died in Oakland, California in 1976, of respiratory failure, eight days short of his 51st birthday. He is interred in the Lincoln Cemetery in Worth, Illinois.
In 1991 Reed was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rolling Stones have cited Reed as a major influence on their sound, and their early set lists included many of Reed's songs, including tracks like "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", "The Sun is Shining" (also played at the Stones' 1969 Altamont concert), "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Shame, Shame, Shame" ; the B-side of their February 1964 hit single "Not Fade Away" was a pastiche of "Shame, Shame, Shame" entitled "Little by Little". Their first album, The Rolling Stones, (subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers in America), released in April 1964, featured both "Little by Little" and their cover of Reed's "Honest I Do".
The Yardbirds recorded an instrumental dedicated to him entitled "Like Jimmy Reed Again", which was released on the "definitive edition" of their album Having a Rave Up.
Van Morrison's group Them covered "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Baby, What You Want Me To Do", both of which can be found on The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison.
"Big Boss Man" was sung regularly by Ron "Pigpen" McKernan with the Grateful Dead during the 1960s and early 1970s and appears on their live album Skull and Roses. It was revived a few times by Jerry Garcia with the Dead during the 1980s. Bob Weir of the Dead also played it a few times with Kingfish in the mid 70s, and more recently with Ratdog. Phil Lesh also plays it with Phil & Friends. The Grateful Dead have also performed Baby What You Want Me to Do with Brent Mydland on vocals.
Elvis Presley recorded several of Reed's songs, scoring a 1967 hit with "Big Boss Man" and recording several performances of "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" for his 1968 Comeback TV Special. (However, Presley's 1964 hit, "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" is a different song than that recorded by Reed.) The song "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was also covered by Wishbone Ash on their 1972 live album, Live Dates. "Baby What You Want Me to Do" was also frequently performed by Etta James and Hot Tuna. Johnny and Edgar Winter performed the song live in 1975 and included it on Johnny and Edgar Winter Together.
Reed's recordings of "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City" were both voted onto the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Noted Austin, Texas musicians, Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan released an album entitled On the Jimmy Reed Highway as a tribute to Reed.
Bill Cosby covered 4 of Reed's songs – "Bright Lights, Big City", "Big Boss Man", "Hush Hush" and "Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth" – on his 1967 album Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings.
Steve Miller Band covered 5 of Reed's songs – "You're So Fine" on his 1968 album Sailor; "I Wanna Be Loved (But By Only You)", "Big Boss Man", "Caress Me Baby" and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" on his 1986 album Living in the 20th Century.
Neil Young historically plays Reed's music to his audience before his shows.
British punk pioneer Billy Childish and his band Thee Headcoats released an EP of Reed covers entitled The Jimmy Reed Experience on Get Hip Records in 1997.
Pretty Thing
Jimmy Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretty baby say you're mine
Pretty Baby, pretty baby
Pretty baby know you're fine
But you keep me worried
In the blues all the time
I'm gonna leave here walking
I'm gonna leave here walking
Honey might I get a ride
Gonna find another one
And I'll be satisfied
You Keep on knocking baby
Honey knock on my door
You Keep on knocking baby
Honey knock on my door
But you Won't be worried
With the blues anymore
Shame shame baby
Honey run by my door
Shame shame baby
Honey run by my door
But it keep me worried
Where my baby wanna go
Pretty thing pretty thing
Pretty thing stay all night
Pretty baby pretty baby
Pretty babe you're mine
But you keep me worried
With the blues all the time
Tell me baby
Darling when you're comin' home
Tell me baby
Darling when you're comin' back home
But you know I love you
You're the one I have
Good bye baby
Honey knocked at your door
Good bye baby
Honey knocked at your door
But I won't be worried
With the worries blue no more
The lyrics of Jimmy Reed's "Pretty Thing" are a classic example of the blues genre that dominated the music scene in the mid-20th century. The song is ostensibly a love song, with the singer addressing his "pretty baby" and asking her to be his. He expresses fear that she will leave him and says that she keeps him "worried in the blues all the time." He decides to leave and find someone else who will satisfy him, while also suggesting that his lover needs to stop "knocking" and come to him instead. The song ends with the singer saying goodbye and claiming that he will no longer be worried about "the worries blue no more."
Despite the apparent simplicity of the song's lyrics, there are a few interesting elements worth noting. The song was inspired by the traditional folk song "Green Corn," which had been recorded by several blues musicians before Reed. Reed's version, however, stands out for its boogie-woogie piano and driving guitar riff, both of which give the song a distinctive sound. It's also worth noting that Reed was known for his distinctive singing style, which combined a drawling, Southern accent with a unique vocal phrasing that emphasized the downbeat.
Interestingly, "Pretty Thing" was one of several songs that helped establish Reed as a major force in the blues world. He had previously recorded several other songs that had been regional hits in the South, but it wasn't until "Pretty Thing" that he became a chart-topping artist. The song reached #4 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1955, helping to solidify Reed's reputation and pave the way for his later success.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty Baby, pretty baby
The singer is addressing their lover, using repetition to emphasize their affection.
Pretty baby say you're mine
The singer wants to hear their lover confirm their commitment and love.
Pretty Baby, pretty baby
Repetition of the opening line to further emphasize the singer's affection for their lover.
Pretty baby know you're fine
The artist expresses their belief in their lover's beauty.
But you keep me worried
Despite the artist's affections, their lover's behavior causes them anxiety and depression.
In the blues all the time
The singer is suffering from sadness and frustration due to their lover's actions.
I'm gonna leave here walking
The singer is considering leaving their current situation behind, feeling trapped and unhappy.
Honey I might get a ride
The artist is unsure of their ability to travel and find a new situation.
Gonna find another one
The artist is determined to move on to a new lover, hoping for happiness.
And I'll be satisfied
The artist thinks that finding a new lover will bring them the satisfaction they seek.
You Keep on knocking baby
The singer's lover continues to try and communicate with them, but they feel like it's too little too late.
Honey knock on my door
The artist's lover reaches out to them, asking for forgiveness and another chance.
You Won't be worried
The singer accepts their lover's plea for forgiveness and feels a sense of relief from the anxiety their lover caused.
With the blues anymore
The singer is no longer feeling the previous sadness they experienced.
Shame shame baby
The singer expresses disappointment in their lover's earlier behavior.
Honey run by my door
The artist's lover is asking for forgiveness once again but the artists still feels disappointed.
Where my baby wanna go
The artist is uncertain about their lover's intentions.
Pretty thing pretty thing
The singer is addressing their lover in a flirtatious way, using repetition to emphasize their beauty.
Pretty thing stay all night
The singer is expressing their desire for their lover to spend the night with them.
Pretty baby pretty baby
Repetition of the earlier line to further express the artist's affection.
Pretty babe you're mine
The artist asserts their claim to their lover, believing that they belong together.
Tell me baby
The artist is seeking information from their lover.
Darling when you're comin' home
The singer is asking their lover when they will return to them.
But you know I love you
The artist confirms their love for their lover despite their struggles.
You're the one I have
Despite their struggles, the singer is committed to their current relationship.
Good bye baby
The singer is saying goodbye to their lover.
Honey knocked at your door
The singer's lover reaches out to them again, hoping for forgiveness.
But I won't be worried
The artist is not going to let their lover's behavior continue to affect their emotional well-being.
With the worries blue no more
The artist is leaving their previous issues behind, moving on without their lover.
Contributed by Molly P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Linda Long
My favorite Jimmy Reed. This music does take my mind off worries. u can't worry & listen to this music. Blues.
Kenneth Lamb
All Jimmy Reed is Fab.; but I like You've3 got me dizzy
Ray Wino
Linda Long
Marie Floyd
The only thing is that his songs are too short, other than that I love it.😍🤗
Mr Bee
Have been obsessed with Jimmy for last year. I have listened to this one for 8 hr straight 🤪
Marie Floyd
I love his music, it's so simple. I imagine black men and women dancing to this song along with his other music. Everyone is either at the bar or on the dance floor.
Bob Aldo
I still have the 45 of this - perfect condition.
Zack May guitar
nice