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)
I Used To Have A Woman
Jimmy Rogers Lyrics
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i tried to please her, everything i did was in vain
she said she didn't love nobody in the whole round world but me
every time i turn my back
she was gone and out with her used to be
The lyrics of Jimmy Rogers's song "I Used To Have A Woman" tell the story of a man who used to have a woman who almost drove him insane. Despite his efforts to please her, everything he did was in vain. The woman claimed that she loved nobody in the world but him, but in reality, she would constantly leave him and go back to her former lover. The man is left feeling jilted and confused by her actions.
These lyrics reveal a story of unrequited love and betrayal. The man is willing to do anything to make the relationship work, but the woman is not willing to commit fully to him. The line "she said she didn't love nobody in the whole round world but me" highlights the woman's manipulative nature, as she tries to keep the man in the relationship by making him believe that he is the only one she loves.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Used To Have A Woman" paint a bleak picture of love and relationships. Despite the man's best efforts, the woman he loves is not willing to commit fully to him, leading him to feel confused and powerless.
Line by Line Meaning
boys i used to have a woman she almost drove me insane
Gentlemen, I once had a lady in my life who nearly caused me to lose my mind
i tried to please her, everything i did was in vain
I made numerous efforts to satisfy her, yet all were fruitless
she said she didn't love nobody in the whole round world but me
She claimed that I was the only person in the entire world whom she loved
every time i turn my back
On numerous occasions when I wasn't looking
she was gone and out with her used to be
She would disappear to be with someone with whom she had a previous romantic relationship
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JAMES A. LANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind