Jimmy Rogers (June 3, 1924–December 19, 1997) was a blues guitarist best kn… Read Full Bio ↴Jimmy Rogers (June 3, 1924–December 19, 1997) was a blues guitarist best known for his work as a member of Muddy Waters' band of the 1950s.

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)

Ludella
Jimmy Rogers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

1st verse:
Now Ludella you know I even painted your house red
I got you everything you need
Now Ludella you done start some side stuff baby
You're runnin' around on me
But Ludella, Ludella
Baby don't you hear me callin' you
Now you know I did all in the world I could Ludella

Baby just tryin' to get along with you

2nd verse:
Now I said goodbye Ludella baby
I declare I'm through with you
You can keep on runnin' around woman, I don't
Care what in the world you do
But Ludella, Ludella
Baby don't you hear me callin' you

Now I did everything in this world
Baby and I can't get along with you

Overall Meaning

The song Ludella by Jimmy Rogers is a classic example of a blues song about a man pleading with his lover to be faithful to him. In the first verse, the singer reminds Ludella of all the things he has done for her, including painting her house red and providing her with everything she needs. He then accuses her of "runnin' around on" him and pleads with her to listen to his calls. According to the singer, he has done everything he can to get along with Ludella, but she continues to betray him.

In the second verse, the frustrated singer declares that he is "through" with Ludella and tells her she can continue to "run around" as much as she likes. But even as he tries to distance himself from her, he can't help but call out to her and ask her to listen to him one last time. The singer's desperation is evident as he notes that he has "done everything in this world" to get along with Ludella, but to no avail.

Overall, Ludella is a powerful blues song about love, betrayal, and heartache. Despite his lover's infidelity, the singer can't help but call out to her and try to reconcile with her. The raw emotion and honesty of the lyrics make Ludella a timeless classic in the blues canon.

Line by Line Meaning

Now Ludella you know I even painted your house red
I deeply cared about you, Ludella, and went out of my way to do things for you, like painting your house red

I got you everything you need
I provided for you and made sure you had everything you needed

Now Ludella you done start some side stuff baby
Ludella, it seems like you've started seeing someone else on the side behind my back

You're runnin' around on me
You're being unfaithful to me and seeing other people

But Ludella, Ludella Baby don't you hear me callin' you
Ludella, please listen to me and try to understand my perspective

Now you know I did all in the world I could Ludella Baby just tryin' to get along with you
I've done everything I possibly could to make this relationship work, Ludella, but it seems like it's not enough

Now I said goodbye Ludella baby
I've decided to end this relationship with you, Ludella

I declare I'm through with you
I'm making a firm decision to move on from you and not look back

You can keep on runnin' around woman, I don't Care what in the world you do
You can continue to see other people, Ludella, because I don't care anymore about what you do

Now I did everything in this world Baby and I can't get along with you
I've given it my all, Ludella, but it seems we just can't make this relationship work no matter how hard we try

Contributed by Jasmine I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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