Milton was born James Milton Campbell, Jr., in the Mississippi Delta town of Inverness and raised in Greenville by a farmer and local blues musician.[2] By age twelve he had learned the guitar and was a street musician, chiefly influenced by T-Bone Walker and his blues and rock and roll contemporaries.[2] In 1952, while still a teenager playing in local bars, he caught the attention of Ike Turner, who was at that time a talent scout for Sam Phillips' Sun Records. He signed a contract with the label and recorded a number of singles. None of them broke through onto radio or sold well at record stores, however, and Milton left the Sun label by 1955.[2]
After trying several labels without notable success, including Trumpet Records,[3] Milton set up the St. Louis based Bobbin Records label, which ultimately scored a distribution deal with Leonard Chess' Chess Records.[2] As a record producer, Milton helped bring artists such as Albert King and Fontella Bass to fame, while experiencing his own success for the first time.[2] After a number of small format and regional hits, his 1962 single, "So Mean to Me," broke onto the Billboard R&B chart, eventually peaking at #14.
Following a short break to tour, managing other acts, and spending time recording new material, he returned to music in 1965 with a more polished sound, similar to that of B.B. King. After the ill-received "Blind Man" (R&B: #86), he released back-to-back hit singles. The first, "We're Gonna Make It," a blues-infused soul song, topped the R&B chart and broke through onto Top 40 radio, a format then dominated largely by white artists. He followed the song with #4 R&B hit "Who's Cheating Who?" All three songs were featured on his album, We're Gonna Make It, released that summer.
Throughout the late 1960s Milton released a number of moderately successful singles, but did not issue a further album until 1969, with Grits Ain't Groceries featuring his hit of the same name, as well as "Just a Little Bit" and "Baby, I Love You". With the death of Leonard Chess the same year, Milton's distributor, Checker Records fell into disarray, and Milton joined the Stax label two years later.[2] Adding complex orchestration to his works, Milton scored hits with "That's What Love Will Make You Do" and "What It Is" from his live album, What It Is: Live at Montreux. He appeared in the documentary film, Wattstax, which was released in 1973.[4] Stax, however, had been losing money since late in the previous decade and was forced into bankruptcy in 1975.[2]
After leaving Stax, Milton struggled to maintain a career, moving first to Evidence, then the MCA imprint Mobile Fidelity Records, before finding a home at the independent record label, Malaco Records, where he remained for much of the remainder of his career.[2] His last hit single, "Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number," was released in 1983 from the album of the same name.[2] In 1988, Little Milton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and won a W.C. Handy Award.[2] His most final album, Think of Me, was released in May 2005 on the Telarc imprint, and included writing and guitar on three songs by Peter Shoulder of the UK-based blues-rock trio Winterville.
The name 'Little Milton' was reused for Gerald Bostock, the fictional boy poet central to Jethro Tull's 1972 record Thick as a Brick.
Milton died on August 4, 2005 from complications following a stroke.
Walking The Backstreets And Crying
Little Milton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
He said another reason that makes me wanna leave
You ain't got enough of nothin' to keep me, keep me
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
The lyrics of "Walking The Backstreets And Crying" by Little Milton speak of the pain and heartbreak experienced by the singer after a breakup with his lover. The song is about his lover leaving him because he feels that she cannot provide him with enough material things. The first stanza explains how the singer's lover told him that he didn't love him and that he needed to let him go. The singer is devastated by this and has been walking the backstreets, crying ever since. He cannot comprehend or come to terms with the fact that his lover no longer loves him.
The second stanza reveals the reason why the singer's lover left him. He feels that the singer does not have enough money or material possessions to keep him, and he wants to leave to find someone who can provide for him. The singer cannot handle this rejection and continues to cry endlessly as he walks along the backstreets alone.
The third stanza sees the singer trying to come to terms with the situation. His lover acknowledges that he is a good woman, but his desire for material things is stronger than his love for her. As he leaves, other men start running after him, waving goodbye. This only adds to the singer's pain, making him feel like he's lost his true love forever. The song concludes with the singer's continued heartbreak and tears.
Overall, "Walking the Backstreets and Crying" is a heart-wrenching song that captures the pain and sadness of losing someone you love. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person's heartbreak, rejection and the struggle to come to terms with the loss of love.
Line by Line Meaning
You know my baby told me not so very long ago
My significant other recently informed me
He said, I don't love you, baby
He expressed that he no longer has feelings for me
And you got to, you got to let me go
He urged me to release him from our relationship
And that was too much, too much for me
Hearing his words was unbearable for me
That's why I walked the backstreets and cry
I was overwhelmed with emotion, causing me to wander the less-traveled paths and weep
You know it hurts me so bad
The pain is indescribable
To hear my baby say
Hearing him utter
Hear my baby say goodbye
his farewell speech caused extreme anguish
He said another reason that makes me wanna leave
He also cited another factor contributing to his desire to depart
You ain't got enough of nothin' to keep me, keep me
I lack the resources needed to maintain his affection and commitment
That was too much, oh, too much for me
The burden was overwhelming
That's why I walked the backstreets, the backstreet and cry
My reaction to the situation was to once again wander the deserted paths and weep
He said, you're a good woman, Etta
He did express admiration and respect for me
To treat me like you do"
However, my actions caused him dissatisfaction
He said, you ain't done nothin' to me
He stated that I did not wrong him per se
I just can't stay here with you
He simply cannot continue with the relationship
I stood and watch my baby as far as I could see
I observed him until he was out of sight
You know the men started runnin'
Passersby started moving hastily
After waiving, waiving goodbye to me
Waving farewell to me
That was too much, too much for me
The sight further added to the already overwhelming distress
You know it hurts me, it hurts me so bad
The pain is excruciating
Oh, to hear my baby
Upon hearing my beloved
Hear my baby say goodbye
Announcing his farewell
That's why I walked the backstreets
The overwhelming emotional toll was too much to bear
Hear and say goodbye
His verbalizing a farewell sentiment
Oh baby, oh, oh, it hurts me so bad
My baby's exit is causing unbearable pain
That why I walked the backstreets and cry
In response, I seek the seclusion and anonymity of the lesser-known paths to express my grief
Cry, cry
Continuing weeping
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SANDY JR. JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dr. Remetj Williams
my mom loved this song. She lived to be 103 and she still tried to sing it. miss you my lady.
Wilma Washington
Yes Lord, this is it‼️‼️‼️👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
anita Blair
😅😅
anita Blair
😅😅
Nathaniel Haynes
Beautiful story
Rickey Gee TV
I love this jam right here. This is how real blues is supposed to be played!
James Mitchell
YES!!! A blues classic and it goes deep in my soul!!!!
Latonja Mckenzie
I remember my mama use to play this song all the time....every time I hear it I think about her...I love ❤️ and miss you mama💚💛🧡💜💙
Jeannee Simpson
I was raised on this music and I can't imagine life without it. I love the blues I just wish that I could have seen these artist live.
Even Stevenson
See each by b by by k Mo me one hi hg hg hi hi Connie CT at Co has cost
Thanks