Taylor was born as Cora Walton on a farm just outside Memphis, Tennessee. In 1954, Taylor left Memphis for Chicago with her husband, truck driver Robert "Pops" Taylor. In the late 1950s she began singing in Chicago blues clubs and was spotted by Willie Dixon in 1962, leading to wider performances and her first recording contract. In 1965, Taylor was signed by Chess Records, for which her single Wang Dang Doodle (written by Dixon, and a hit for Howlin' Wolf five years earlier) became a major hit, reaching number four on the R&B charts in 1966 and selling a million copies. Taylor recorded many versions of this Dixon-penned song over the past several decades and added more material, both original and covers, but never repeated that initial chart success.
National touring in the late 1960s and early 1970s improved her fan base, and she became accessible to a wider record-buying public when she signed with Alligator Records in 1975. Recording over a dozen albums for that label (many nominated for Grammy awards), she came to dominate the female blues singer ranks, winning 24 W. C. Handy Awards -- more than any other artist. After her recovery from a near-fatal car crash in 1989, the 1990s found Taylor in movies such as Blues Brothers 2000. She opened a blues club on Division St. in Chicago in 1994, but closed it in 1999. Taylor released a new album in 2007 called "Old School."
Koko Taylor influenced such musicians as Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Janis Joplin, Shannon Curfman, and Susan Tedeschi.
Koko Taylor died on the afternoon of June 3rd 2009 (at the age of 80), while recovering from surgery to repair gastrointestinal bleeding. Koko Taylor is still referred to by fellow blues musicians and her fans as the "Queen of the Blues".
Love You Like A Woman
Koko Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But how can a king rule his castle when he's always gone
(now listen)
I tried to do the things for you that a woman should do
But you take me for granted baby,
You must think I'm some kind of fool
But here's some food for thought
I can love you like a woman,
But oh! also fight you like a man
(did you hear what I said?)
It's allright
You rush out, and take your time coming in
Thats how its always been
You been treating me like I'm a piece of wood
Since I don't know when
But I'm a peaceful woman
I know violence is no good
But I can't demonstrate to you
To be understood
So I'm gonna tell you in plain english
Just as plain as I can
I'm gonna love you like a woman
But oh! also fight you like a man
(did you hear what I said?)
It's allright
Solo
Very first thing you said to me,
I wear the pants
Then you turned around and you started cheating
Showin me you got a trend
But baby your time,
Is very close at hand
I'm gonna love you like a woman
But oh! also fight you like a man
Tell the truth
(and don't think nothin' bout it!)
It's allright
I gonna get you back now baby ,tell the truth
Oh! it's allright...oh yeah
Tell the truth..I'm gonna fight you baby!
It's alright oh!
Tell the truth
Oh yeah
In Koko Taylor's song "Love You Like a Woman," the lyrics express the frustration of a woman who feels underappreciated and taken for granted in her relationship. The first verse sets up the traditional expectation that a man should be the boss of his home, but questions how he can rule his castle if he's never around. The singer then goes on to say that she has been doing things for her partner that a woman should, but he seems to take her efforts for granted and treat her like a fool.
The second verse highlights the conflicting emotions that the singer feels. She wants to be a peaceful person and avoid violence, but she knows that she can't demonstrate her frustration in a way that he'll understand. The chorus then emphasizes the message that the singer wants to convey to her partner: she can both love him like a woman and fight him like a man. The solo that follows serves as a musical representation of the tension building between the two people.
The final verse is a direct confrontation, where the singer tells her partner that his time is up and she's going to fight back. She demands the truth and repeats the message that she can love him and fight him at the same time. Overall, the lyrics of "Love You Like a Woman" explore themes of power dynamics in relationships, emotional labor, and the struggle of communicating effectively with a partner.
Line by Line Meaning
I always thought that a man should be the boss in his home.
I believed in the traditional gender roles, where the man should have the authority in his household.
But how can a king rule his castle when he's always gone
It's impossible for someone in power to control their kingdom when they're absent for extended periods of time.
I tried to do the things for you that a woman should do
I fulfilled my duties as a woman by doing things that I believed I should do for my partner.
But you take me for granted baby,
You must think I'm some kind of fool
You don't appreciate what I do for you and think I'm naïve or foolish for continuing to take care of you.
I can love you like a woman,
But oh! also fight you like a man
I can show you love as a woman would, but also defend myself and fight like a man would if necessary.
You rush out, and take your time coming in
Thats how its always been
You leave quickly and take a long time to return, and this has been a pattern in our relationship.
You been treating me like I'm a piece of wood
Since I don't know when
You've been neglecting me, treating me like an object or piece of furniture, for as long as I can remember.
But I'm a peaceful woman
I know violence is no good
But I can't demonstrate to you
To be understood
I prefer peace and understand that violence isn't the answer, but I am struggling to communicate effectively with you.
I'm gonna love you like a woman
But oh! also fight you like a man
I will continue to love you as a woman, but I also have the ability and willingness to fight like a man if provoked.
Very first thing you said to me,
I wear the pants
Then you turned around and you started cheating
Showin me you got a trend
At the beginning of our relationship, you claimed authority, but then you revealed yourself to be unfaithful and have a pattern of this behavior.
But baby your time,
Is very close at hand
Your time to face the consequences of your actions is getting closer.
I'm gonna love you like a woman
But oh! also fight you like a man
I will continue to show you love as a woman while also defending myself and engaging in conflict like a man would if needed.
Contributed by Max A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.