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".
Tired of That
Koko Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By Koko Taylor
Tired Of That (Taylor & Williams)
Run around all over town
Spending money on other women
Soon as you get home you start
And I'm tired of that
Oh, tired of that
When you leave this time
Don′t bother coming back
Cause I'm tired of that
I was looking at you
Kiss a woman right on the street
When you come in this house trying to
Hug and kiss on me
I ain't going for that
Oh, I′m tired of that
When you leave this time
Don′t bother coming back
Cause I'm tired of that
When you get your paycheck
You stay out all night long
I know when you get broke
That′s when you come dragging home
I'm tired of washing your clothes
And cleaning up this house
I want you to get all of your things
And hurry up and get out
Cause I′m tired of that
Oh, tired of that
When you leave this time
Don't bother coming back
Cause I′m tired of that
(Solo)
There's other men out there
Wanna do the things you're supposed to do
But they won′t do nothing
′Til I get rid of you
And I'm tired of that
Oh, tired of that
When you leave this time
Don′t bother coming back
Cause I'm tired of that
Tired of that
Oh, you can go ahead and hit the road, jack
Said I′m tired of that
Ain't gonna take no more of your lowdown treatment
Oh, I′m tired of that
You can go let some other woman ease your aches and pain
Oh, I'm tired of that
Oh, I'm tired of that
Ain′t gonna take it no more, baby
Said I′m tired of that
I'm tired of that
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Koko Taylor's "Tired Of That" is a powerful blues song with a clear message - enough is enough. The lyrics describe a woman who is fed up with her man's lack of respect for her and their relationship. She describes how he spends money on other women, kisses them in public, and stays out all night after receiving his paycheck. The woman tells him that she is tired of doing his laundry and cleaning up after him, and that she wants him to leave and not come back. She is done with his mistreatment and is prepared to move on.
Koko's delivery of the song is impassioned, and she uses her signature growl to emphasize the frustration and anger in the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "I'm tired of that" throughout the song highlights the woman's exhaustion with her man, and her resolve to end the relationship.
Overall, "Tired Of That" is a powerful and relatable blues song about standing up for oneself and setting boundaries in relationships. It's a testament to Koko Taylor's skill as a blues singer, and her ability to convey complex emotions through her music.
Line by Line Meaning
Run around all over town
You have been going everywhere and spending money on other women
Spending money on other women
You have been giving your money away to other women
Soon as you get home you start
As soon as you come home, you begin to
Crying you ain't got a penny
Complaining that you haven't got any money
And I'm tired of that
I have grown weary of this behavior
Oh, tired of that
Oh, I'm exhausted from this
When you leave this time
The next time you walk out
Don't bother coming back
There is no need to return
Cause I'm tired of that
Because I've had enough of that behavior
I was looking at you
I saw you
Kiss a woman right on the street
Kissing a woman publicly
When you come in this house trying to
When you attempt to enter this house trying to
Hug and kiss on me
Hugging and kissing on me
I ain't going for that
I won't put up with that
When you get your paycheck
When you receive your salary
You stay out all night long
You stay out all night
I know when you get broke
I know when you are broke
That's when you come dragging home
That's when you come home, dragging yourself in
I'm tired of washing your clothes
I am weary of washing your garments
And cleaning up this house
And keeping the house clean
I want you to get all of your things
I want you to gather all your belongings
And hurry up and get out
And leave quickly
There's other men out there
There are many other men
Wanna do the things you're supposed to do
Who are willing to do the right things
But they won't do nothing
But they won't act until
Til I get rid of you
Until I've gotten rid of you
Oh, you can go ahead and hit the road, jack
You can go and leave now, Jack
Said I'm tired of that
I repeated myself because I'm fed up
Ain't gonna take no more of your lowdown treatment
I am no longer going to tolerate your mistreatment
You can go let some other woman ease your aches and pain
You can find another woman to soothe your heartache
Ain't gonna take it no more, baby
I am done with it all, baby
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
An exclamation expressing emotions
Writer(s): E. Williams, K. Taylor
Contributed by Tristan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@christartist1992
Thank you, Arthur.
@1Seleeta
Right!!!!!
@sulimanhkhan
sing it brain!
@DuplicatedOnce
Thumbs up for Arthur!
@snowkiss50
never tired of Koko..thank you ,Alex :) RIP KoKo
@cookiemills12345
yes brain!
@TaylorKnightCosplay
Arthur brought me here
@sulimanhkhan
Arthur
@danielbrady5333
Koko knows.