Koko Taylor (September 28, 1928 - June 3, 2009) was an American blues music… Read Full Bio ↴Koko Taylor (September 28, 1928 - June 3, 2009) was an American blues musician, popularly known as the "Queen of the Blues." She was known primarily for her rough and powerful vocals and traditional blues stylings.

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".

Stop Watching Your Enemies
Koko Taylor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know my baby told me not so very long ago
He said, "I don't love you, baby
And you got to, you got to let me go"
And that was too much, too much for me
That's why I walked the backstreets and cry

You know it hurts me so bad
To hear my baby say

Hear my baby say goodbye

He said another reason that makes me wanna leave
You ain't got enough of nothin' to keep me, keep me [unverified]
That was too much, oh, too much for me
That's why I walked the backstreets, the backstreet and cry
Oh yeah

Oh, it hurts me, it hurts me so bad
Oh, to hear my baby
Hear my baby say goodbye

He said, "You're a good woman, Etta
To treat me like you do"
He said, "You ain't done nothin' to me
I just can't stay here with you"

I stood and watch my baby as far as I could see
You know the men started runnin'
After waiving, waiving goodbye to me
That was too much, too much for me
That's why I walked the backstreets and cry
Oh yeah

You know it hurts me, it hurts me so bad
Oh, to hear my baby
Hear my baby say goodbye
Hear and say goodbye

You know it hurts me so bad
To hear my baby say goodbye
That's why I walked the backstreets
The backstreets and cry

Oh, I said it hurts me, it hurts me so bad
Hear my baby say, so long
Oh, it hurts me, hurts me, hurts me so bad
Hear my baby say, hear my baby say goodbye

Oh baby, oh, oh, it hurts me so bad
Hear my baby say goodbye
That why I walked the backstreets
That why I walked the backstreets and cry

Oh, that why I walked the backstreets and cry
Cry, cry

Overall Meaning

In Koko Taylor's song "Stop Watching Your Enemies," the lyrics depict a heartbroken woman who has had her heart shattered by her partner's decision to leave her. The first verse reveals that her partner had told her he didn't love her and that she needed to let him go, which devastated her. She then proceeds to walk the backstreets crying, unable to deal with the pain. The second verse reveals that her partner had another reason for leaving: she didn't have enough of anything to keep him. The third verse is where the realization hits, her partner tells her that she's a good woman but he just has to leave, resulting in her standing there watching him go and crying.

Throughout the song, the singer highlights her heartache and her deep pain caused by the departure of her partner, which is depicted in the repetition of the lyrics, "Oh, it hurts me so bad, to hear my baby say goodbye." The song's message is a reflection of the struggle in love and relationships, and how the end of a relationship can be deeply painful for those involved.

Line by Line Meaning

You know my baby told me not so very long ago
My significant other recently revealed something to me

He said, "I don't love you, baby
My significant other informed me they no longer have feelings of love for me

And you got to, you got to let me go"
They told me it was time for us to part ways

And that was too much, too much for me
Hearing this news was extremely difficult for me to handle

That's why I walked the backstreets and cry
I resorted to wandering the streets, sobbing in response to this devastating development

You know it hurts me so bad
This situation is causing me immense emotional pain

To hear my baby say
The words spoken by my significant other are causing me great distress

Hear my baby say goodbye
In particular, hearing them say they are leaving me is agonizing

He said another reason that makes me wanna leave
My significant other informed me of something else that led them to want to break up

You ain't got enough of nothin' to keep me, keep me [unverified]
They believe I lack the necessary qualities to sustain the relationship

That was too much, oh, too much for me
Hearing another reason that they want to leave me was overwhelming

That's why I walked the backstreets, the backstreet and cry
I couldn't bear to stay in one place, and cried while walking around outside

Oh, it hurts me, it hurts me so bad
The emotional anguish I'm experiencing is almost unbearable

He said, "You're a good woman, Etta
My significant other had some kind words for me before leaving

To treat me like you do"
They acknowledged that I was good to them despite our current troubles

He said, "You ain't done nothin' to me
They wanted me to know that I didn't cause them to leave

I just can't stay here with you"
Their decision to leave was due to their own personal reasons, not anyone's fault

I stood and watch my baby as far as I could see
I watched my significant other leave as far as my eyes could follow

You know the men started runnin'
As they left, some men nearby started to run after my significant other

After waiving, waiving goodbye to me
The men waved goodbye to me as they went after my significant other

You know it hurts me, it hurts me so bad
Witnessing my significant other leave, coupled with the other troubling things they disclosed, is causing me immense pain

Hear my baby say, so long
Saying goodbye to me with the words "so long" added to my distress

Oh, it hurts me, hurts me, hurts me so bad
The pain is almost unbearable

Hear my baby say, hear my baby say goodbye
The finality of the goodbye is too much for me to handle

Oh baby, oh, oh, it hurts me so bad
I am deeply affected by the situation

That why I walked the backstreets
I took to the streets to deal with my pain

That why I walked the backstreets and cry
While I was walking, I cried from the weight of my emotions

Oh, that why I walked the backstreets and cry
The emotional pain is still too much for me to bear, so I continue to cry

Cry, cry
I am overwhelmed with grief and continue to cry as a result

Lyrics © ALLIGATOR RECRDS/EYEBALL MUSIC
Written by: CORA TAYLOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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