Jimmy Rogers was born James A. Lane in Ruleville, Mississippi, and was raised in Memphis. Rogers learned the harmonica alongside his childhood friend Snooky Pryor, and as a teenager took up the guitar and played professionally in East St. Louis, Illinois (where he played with Junior Lockwood), before moving to Chicago in the mid-1940s after serving in the military. By 1946 he'd made his first record as a harmonica player and singer for the local Harlem label, although his name was not included on the label — the record was issued under the names "Memphis Slim and his Houserockers".
Rogers joined Waters the next year, with whom he helped shape the sound of the nascent Chicago Blues style. Although he had several successful releases of his own on Chess Records beginning in 1950 with "That's Alright", he stayed in Waters' band until leaving the band for a solo career in 1954. In the mid 1950s he enjoyed several successful record releases, most notably "Walking By Myself", but as the '50s drew to a close and interest in the blues waned, he gradually withdrew from the music business.
By the 1960s he was working mainly outside of music, until 1971 when fashions made him a reasonable draw in Europe, and he was able to record again, including a 1977 session with Waters. By 1982, Rogers was again a solo artist.
He continued touring and recording albums until his death in 1997, in Chicago.
Jimmy Rogers (1984) - (Compilation album of some pre-1960 songs)
Ludella (1990)
Jimmy Rogers with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters (1991) - Live
Feelin' Good with special guest Rod Piazza (1994) Blind Pig
Sloppy Drunk (1998) - (Compact disc re-issue of original album released in December 1973)
Blue Bird (1994) - Analogue Productions Originals
Blues Blues Blues (1999)
The Complete Chess Recordings(1997)
Chicago Bound
Jimmy Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby begged me: Daddy, please don't go
But I left that town, you know I left that town
When I left out of Georgia, you know I was Memphis bound
Well, I stayed in Memphis in 1939
The woman I loved didn't pay me no mind
So I left that town, you know I left that town
I didn't need no steam heat by my bed
The little girl I had kept it cherry red
Well, I left that town, you know I left that town
When I left St. Louis, you know I was Chicago bound
I'm gonna tell you something that you all should know
Chicago's the best place I ever knowed
I'm-a stay in this town, I'm-a live in this town
I'm gonna live in Chicago, it's the baddest place around
The lyrics of Jimmy Rogers's song ‘Chicago Bound’ speak to the universal theme of migration in America. The song conveys the idea of moving from one city to another in search of better opportunities with the hope of finding a place to call home. Rogers's lyrics capture the reality of this experience, conveying both the excitement of discovery and the melancholy of leaving everything behind.
The song begins with the singer leaving Georgia in 1934. His lover begs him to stay but he leaves anyway, bound for Memphis. In 1939, he arrives in Memphis and falls in love with a woman who doesn't return his affection. Once again, he leaves and heads to St. Louis. He doesn't stay there long before he sets his sights on Chicago, which he declares as the "baddest place around" and the "best place I ever knowed". It's clear that a feeling of restlessness and a desire for something better motivates the singer's constant movement and searching.
The song evokes the sense of adventure and possibility that comes with relocation while also expressing a longing for a sense of stability and belonging. Rogers sings of his need for love and warmth, alluding to the comfort that comes with having someone to come home to. In the end, he finds that comfort in Chicago, a city that has become an emblem of promise and opportunity in the American imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I left out of Georgia 1934
In 1934, I departed from Georgia
My baby begged me: Daddy, please don't go
My partner pleaded with me not to leave them
But I left that town, you know I left that town
Despite my baby's pleas, I still left Georgia
When I left out of Georgia, you know I was Memphis bound
When I left Georgia, my destination was Memphis
Well, I stayed in Memphis in 1939
I resided in Memphis in 1939
The woman I loved didn't pay me no mind
The woman I cared for didn't give me the attention I wanted
So I left that town, you know I left that town
I departed from Memphis as a result
When I left out of Memphis, you know I was St. Louis bound
My next destination after leaving Memphis was St. Louis
I didn't need no steam heat by my bed
I didn't require any heating beside my bed
The little girl I had kept it cherry red
The woman I was with took care of my needs
Well, I left that town, you know I left that town
Despite good treatment, I still left St. Louis
When I left St. Louis, you know I was Chicago bound
I was headed to Chicago from St. Louis
I'm gonna tell you something that you all should know
Listen carefully, I want to share something important
Chicago's the best place I ever knowed
In my experience, Chicago is the greatest place
I'm-a stay in this town, I'm-a live in this town
I'll remain and make Chicago my home
I'm gonna live in Chicago, it's the baddest place around
Chicago is the coolest place to be, and I'm excited to live here
Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.