Born in Baltimore, Turner was first taught piano by his mother when he was five. He moved to New York around 1925 and enjoyed much popularity among musicians in Harlem, working with June Clark (1927-1928), Benny Carter (1929), and Louis Armstrong (1930). He accompanied the singer Adelaide Hall in a piano duo with Alex Hill and then with Francis Carter; he and Carter toured Europe with Hall in 1931. Turner performed as a soloist throughout Europe until 1939, and then in the USA. After working as a member of an army band led by Sy Oliver (1944-1945) and with Rex Stewart (1946) he returned to Europe and played in Hungary (1948) and Switzerland (1949-1962). He then settled in Paris, where from 1962 he held a residency at La Calvados; he also performed in Great Britain, Switzerland, and the USA. Turner was influenced mainly by James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, and Erroll Garner.
Stormy Monday
Joe Turner Lyrics
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They call it stormy Moday, but Tuesday's just as bad
Wednesday's worse, and Thursday's also sad
Yes the eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play
Eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play
Sunday I go to church, then I kneel down and pray
Lord have mercy, my heart's in misery
Crazy about my baby, yes, send her back to me
The lyrics to Joe Turner's song "Stormy Monday" portray a sense of hopelessness and despair. The title of the song represents how the week starts off bad with a “stormy Monday” but the remaining days are just as bleak, with no respite from the gloom. Turner depicts how each day is progressively worse and more disheartening than the previous one. The song is full of sorrow, pain and longing for something or someone that’s no longer there.
The verses convey a sense of escapism, with the singer seeking sanctuary in the eagle that flies away on Friday and in going out to play on Saturday. However, once Sunday arrives, it’s time to face reality and pray for divine intervention to ease the misery in the singer’s heart. The desperation in the lyrics is palpable as he pleads for mercy from the Lord, beseeching him to ease his distress and bring back his beloved. Every verse creates an atmosphere of sadness and despair, painting a bleak picture of the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
They call it stormy Moday, but Tuesday's just as bad
Mondays are unpopular, but Tuesdays are also undesirable
Wednesday's worse, and Thursday's also sad
Middays of the week are challenging
Eagle flies on Friday, and Saturday I go out to play
I love Fridays, and I enjoy Saturdays
Sunday I go to church, then I kneel down and pray
I always go to church on Sundays and offer prayers
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy on me
I'm asking for forgiveness and mercy from God
Lord have mercy, my heart's in misery
I'm in a state of misery and need divine intervention
Crazy about my baby, yes, send her back to me
I'm crazy about my lover and want them back in my life
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, MUSIC ASSET MANAGEMENT (MAM), Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Aaron T-Bone Walker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind