Liane Foly (born 1962) is a French pop singer, known as much for her endles… Read Full Bio ↴Liane Foly (born 1962) is a French pop singer, known as much for her endless wardrobe of little black dresses as for her smoky, powerful, and jazz-influenced vocals. She has experimented with a variety of styles, from jazz to pop and beyond. Toward the end of the 1990s she attempted to broaden her appeal beyond France by incorporating funk and R&B influences, a move that reduced her appeal to both the French critics and her fans. Since then she has returned to her roots, and to broad acclaim within France.

Put The Blame On Mame
Liane Foly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When they had the earthquake
In San Francisco, back in nineteen six
They said that old mother nature
Was up to her old tricks
That's the story that
Went around but here's the real low-down
Put the blame on mame boys
Put the blame on mame

One night she started to
Shim and shake
That brought on the Frisco quake

So you can put the blame on mama boys
Put the blame on mame.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Liane Foly's song Put The Blame On Mame refer to the San Francisco earthquake that occurred in 1906. The song suggests that the earthquake was not caused by Mother Nature but rather by a mysterious woman named Mame. The lyrics imply that Mame caused the earthquake through her shimmying and shaking, hinting that she may have been a dancer or performer. The refrain "put the blame on mame" is a call to shift responsibility away from natural disasters and towards human agency.

The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the human tendency to assign blame for disasters and tragedies. Rather than accepting that natural disasters can occur without human intervention, the song suggests that we are always looking for someone or something to blame. The character of Mame represents the scapegoat that we can blame for events that are beyond our control.

Line by Line Meaning

When they had the earthquake
When the earthquake occurred in San Francisco

In San Francisco, back in nineteen six
In the year 1906 in San Francisco

They said that old mother nature
People suggested that Mother Nature

Was up to her old tricks
Was playing her usual games

That's the story that
This is the version that

Went around but here's the real low-down
Was circulating but this is the actual fact

Put the blame on mame boys
Blame it on a woman named Mame, guys.

Put the blame on mame
Scapegoat Mame.

One night she started to
On one fateful evening she began to

Shim and shake
Tremble and shake

That brought on the Frisco quake
Which triggered the San Francisco earthquake