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".

Whatever I Am You Made Me
Koko Taylor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was an innocent child
'Till you taught me your style.
You got me doin' things
That I'd never have done
Don't criticize me, save me
'Cause whatever I am, you made me
Whatever I got, you gave me
Whatever I am, you made me

Whatever I got, you gave me

I'm tryin' to hang on
Because my love is so strong
You got me doin' things
That you know I'd never have done
I say don't criticize me, save me
'Cause whatever I am, you made me
Whatever I got, you gave me

Well, I'm tryin' to be good
Like a woman can be.
But you kept on talking, talk to me
And as soon as I fell, you put me down
And now you got 'em talking 'bout me
All over this town
You know I can't, can't eat a bite
And I can't sleep at night
'Cause you got me doin' things
That you know ain't right
Don't criticize me, save me
Whatever I am, you made me
Whatever I got, you gave me

Whatever I am, you made me
Whatever I got, you gave me

Overall Meaning

The song "Whatever I Am You Made Me" by Koko Taylor is about the power that someone can have over another person, and how that person's actions can shape the other's life. In the first verse, Taylor sings about how she was once innocent until the person in question taught her their ways and got her to do things she never would have done otherwise. The chorus repeats the line, "whatever I am, you made me, whatever I got, you gave me," emphasizing the idea that the person in question has influenced every aspect of Taylor's life.

The second verse shows Taylor trying to hold on to the relationship despite it causing her harm. She still loves the person and is still doing things that she knows are not good for her, but she pleads for them not to criticize her, as they are the ones who made her this way. The final verse reveals how the person has betrayed Taylor's trust and gossips about her, causing her to lose her appetite and her ability to sleep. Despite this, Taylor is still under their influence and unable to break away from them.

The song has a strong theme of control and manipulation, pointing out how a domineering personality can change the life of another. It also highlights the emotional toll that such a relationship can take, with Taylor feeling desperate to be saved from the situation but unable to break free. Overall, the lyrics of "Whatever I Am You Made Me" express the deep emotions and struggles that come from being caught in a toxic relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I was an innocent child
I was a naive and inexperienced person

'Till you taught me your style.
Until you showed me your way of doing things

You got me doin' things
You influenced me to engage in activities

That I'd never have done
That I would not have otherwise done under normal circumstances

Don't criticize me, save me
Don't condemn me, help me instead

'Cause whatever I am, you made me
I am the way I am because of you

Whatever I got, you gave me
Everything I have is because of your influence

I'm tryin' to hang on
I'm doing my best to maintain my situation

Because my love is so strong
Because I care so deeply about you or this situation

Well, I'm tryin' to be good
I'm attempting to act in a morally acceptable way

Like a woman can be.
In a way that society deems appropriate for a woman