According to some sources, Fulson was born on a Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma. Fulson has stated that he is of Cherokee ancestry through his father, but he has also claimed Choctaw ancestry. At the age of eighteen, Fulson moved to Ada, Oklahoma, and joined Alger "Texas" Alexander for a few months in 1940, but later moved to California, forming a band which soon included a young Ray Charles and tenor saxophone player, Stanley Turrentine. He recorded for Swing Time in the 1940s, Chess Records (Checker Records) in the 1950s, Kent Records in the 1960s, and Rounder Records (Bullseye) in the 1970s.
"Reconsider Baby" came from a long term pact inked with Chess Records in 1954. It was cut in Dallas under Stan Lewis' supervision with a saxophone section that included David "Fathead" Newman on tenor and Leroy Cooper on baritone.
Jackie Brenston played in Fulson's band between 1952 and 1954.
Fulson stayed with Checker into 1962, but a change of record labels worked wonders when he jumped over to the Los Angeles based, Kent Records. 1965's driving "Black Nights" became his first hit in a decade, and "Tramp," did even better, restoring the guitarist to R&B stardom.
Fulson was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1993 and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. His "Reconsider Baby" was chosen by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
In 1993 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California a show entitled "California Blues - Swingtime Tribute" opened with Fulson plus Johnny Otis, Charles Brown, Jay McShann, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy McCracklin and Earl Brown.
A resident of Los Angeles, Fulson died in Long Beach, California in March 1999, at the age of 77. His companion Tina Mayfield stated that the causes of death were complications from kidney disease, diabetes, and congestive heart failure. He was the father of four and grandfather of thirteen.
Fulson was interred in Inglewood Park Cemetery, in Inglewood, California.
Lowell Fulson recorded every shade of blues imaginable. Polished urban blues, rustic two-guitar duets with his younger brother Martin, funk-tinged grooves that pierced the mid-'60s charts, even an unwise cover of the Beatles' "Why Don't We Do It in the Road!" Clearly, the veteran guitarist, who was active for more than half a century, wasn't afraid to experiment. Perhaps that's why his last couple of discs for Rounder were so vital and satisfying — and why he remained an innovator for so long.
Exposed to the western swing of Bob Wills as well as indigenous blues while growing up in Oklahoma, Fulson joined up with singer Texas Alexander for a few months in 1940, touring the Lone Star state with the veteran bluesman. Fulson was drafted in 1943. The Navy let him go in 1945; after a few months back in Oklahoma, he was off to Oakland, CA, where he made his first 78s for fledgling producer Bob Geddins. Soon enough, Fulson was fronting his own band and cutting a stack of platters for Big Town, Gilt Edge, Trilon, and Down Town (where he hit big in 1948 with "Three O'Clock Blues," later covered by B.B. King).
Swing Time records prexy Jack Lauderdale snapped up Fulson in 1948, and the hits really began to flow: the immortal "Every Day I Have the Blues" (an adaptation of Memphis Slim's "Nobody Loves Me"), "Blue Shadows," the two-sided holiday perennial "Lonesome Christmas," and a groovy mid-tempo instrumental "Low Society Blues" that really hammers home how tremendously important pianist Lloyd Glenn and alto saxist Earl Brown were to Fulson's maturing sound (all charted in 1950!).
Fulson toured extensively from then on, his band stocked for a time with dazzling pianist Ray Charles (who later covered Lowell's "Sinner's Prayer" for Atlantic) and saxist Stanley Turrentine. After a one-off session in New Orleans in 1953 for Aladdin, Fulson inked a longterm pact with Chess in 1954. His first single for the firm was the classic "Reconsider Baby," cut in Dallas under Stan Lewis's supervision with a sax section that included David "Fathead" Newman on tenor and Leroy Cooper on baritone.
The relentless mid-tempo blues proved a massive hit and perennial cover item — even Elvis Presley cut it in 1960, right after he got out of the Army. But apart from "Loving You," the guitarist's subsequent Checker output failed to find widespread favor with the public. Baffling, since Fulson's crisp, concise guitar work and sturdy vocals were as effective as ever. Most of his Checker sessions were held in Chicago and L.A. (the latter his home from the turn of the '50s).
Fulson stayed with Checker into 1962, but a change of labels worked wonders when he jumped over to Los Angeles-based Kent Records. 1965's driving "Black Nights" became his first smash in a decade, and "Tramp," a loping funk-injected workout co-written by Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin, did even better, restoring the guitarist to R&B stardom, gaining plenty of pop spins, and inspiring a playful Stax cover by Otis Redding and Carla Thomas only a few months later that outsold Fulson's original.
A couple of lesser follow-up hits for Kent ensued before the guitarist was reunited with Stan Lewis at Jewel Records. That's where he took a crack at that Beatles number, though most of his outings for the firm were considerably closer to the blues bone. Fulson was never been absent for long on disc; 1992's Hold On and its 1995 follow-up Them Update Blues, both for Ron Levy's Bullseye Blues logo, were among his later efforts, both quite solid. Fulson continued to perform until 1997, when health problems forced the career bluesman into a reluctant retirement. His health continued to deteriorate and on March 6, 1999 - just a few weeks shy of his 78th birthday - Lowell Fulson passed away.
Few bluesmen managed to remain contemporary the way Lowell Fulson did for more than five decades. And fewer still will make such a massive contribution to the idiom.
Tramp
Lowell Fulson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What you call me?
Tramp.
You didn't!
You don't wear continental clothes, or Stetson hats.
Well I tell you one dog-gone thing. It makes me feel good to know one thing. I know I'm a lover.
Matter of opinion.
That's all right, Mama was. Papa too. And I'm the only child. Lovin' is all I know to do.
What?
You're country.
That's all right.
You straight from the Georgia woods.
That's good.
You know what? You wear overalls, and big old brogan shoes, and you need a haircut, Tramp.
Haircut? Woman, you foolin', ooh, I'm a lover. Mama was. Grandmama, Papa too. Boogaloo.
All that stuff. And I'm the only son-of-a-gun this side of the Sun. Tramp!
You know what, Otis? I don't care what you say, you're still a tramp.
What?
That's right. You haven't even got a fat bankroll in your pocket.
You probably haven't even got twenty-five cents.
I got six Cadillacs, five Lincolns, four Fords, six Mercuries, three T-Birds, Mustang,
Ooooooohhh, I'm a lover. Mama was. Papa too. I tell you one thing.
Well tell me.
I'm the only son-of-a-gun this side of the sun.
You're a tramp, Otis.
No I'm not.
I don't care what you say, you're still a tramp.
What's wrong with that?
Look here. You ain't got no money.
I got everything.
You can't buy me all those minks and sables and all that stuff I want.
I can buy you minks, rats, frogs, squirrels, rabbits, anything you want, woman.
Look, you can go out in the Georgia woods and find them, Baby.
Oh, you foolin'.
You're still a tramp.
That's all right.
You a tramp, Otis. You just a tramp.
That's all right.
You wear overalls. You need a haircut, baby.
Cut off some of that hair off your head.
You think you a lover, huh?
The lyrics of Lowell Fulson's "Tramp" depict a conversation between two people, one of whom is Otis (likely the singer) and the other is a woman who calls him a tramp. Otis is defensive, claiming that he is a lover, much like his parents and grandparents before him. The woman points out that Otis doesn't dress in fancy clothes or have a lot of money, to which Otis retorts that he can buy her anything she wants. Ultimately, the woman still calls Otis a tramp, and Otis dismisses this with a casual "that's all right."
On a deeper level, the lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on societal expectations of class and wealth. The woman is judging Otis based on his appearance and his lack of material possessions, implying that these things are necessary to be considered respectable. Otis, however, asserts that his ability to love is what truly matters, and that he doesn't need fancy clothes or a fat bankroll to be happy. His assertion that he can buy the woman anything she wants can be seen as a sarcastic response to her superficial standards.
Overall, "Tramp" is a witty back-and-forth between two characters with differing values. It challenges traditional notions of what makes a person valuable or desirable, and celebrates the simple pleasure of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Tramp!
Addressing the person derogatorily
What you call me?
Asking the person for clarification
Tramp.
Calling the person a tramp
You didn't!
Denying the accusation of being a tramp
You don't wear continental clothes, or Stetson hats.
Pointing out that the person doesn't dress fashionably
Well I tell you one dog-gone thing. It makes me feel good to know one thing. I know I'm a lover.
Asserting that the person is a lover and proud of it
Matter of opinion.
Disagreeing with the person's assertion
That's all right, Mama was. Papa too. And I'm the only child. Lovin' is all I know to do.
Explaining that the person comes from a family of lovers and that is their main skill
You know what, Otis?
Addressing the person as Otis
What?
Asking what the other person wants to say
You're country.
Pointing out that the person is from the countryside
That's all right.
Agreeing with the observation
You straight from the Georgia woods.
Identifying the person as being from Georgia
That's good.
Expressing approval of the person's origins
You know what? You wear overalls, and big old brogan shoes, and you need a haircut, Tramp.
Mocking the person's fashion sense and appearance
Haircut? Woman, you foolin', ooh, I'm a lover. Mama was. Grandmama, Papa too. Boogaloo. All that stuff. And I'm the only son-of-a-gun this side of the Sun. Tramp!
Repeating the assertion about being a lover and adding that they come from a long line of lovers
You know what, Otis? I don't care what you say, you're still a tramp.
Stating that the person is still considered a tramp regardless of what they may say
What?
Asking for clarification
That's right. You haven't even got a fat bankroll in your pocket. You probably haven't even got twenty-five cents.
Insulting the person's financial situation
I got six Cadillacs, five Lincolns, four Fords, six Mercuries, three T-Birds, Mustang, Ooooooohhh, I'm a lover. Mama was. Papa too. I tell you one thing.
Boasting about owning multiple cars and reiterating that they come from a family of lovers
Well tell me.
Asking the other person to continue
I'm the only son-of-a-gun this side of the sun.
Repeating the previous assertion
You're a tramp, Otis.
Calling the person a tramp again
No I'm not.
Denying the accusation
I don't care what you say, you're still a tramp.
Reaffirming that the person is a tramp
What's wrong with that?
Asking why being a tramp is a bad thing
Look here. You ain't got no money.
Pointing out the person's lack of money
I got everything.
Boasting about their wealth
You can't buy me all those minks and sables and all that stuff I want.
Asserting that the other person cannot satisfy their desires
I can buy you minks, rats, frogs, squirrels, rabbits, anything you want, woman.
Boasting that they can buy anything the other person desires
Look, you can go out in the Georgia woods and find them, Baby.
Suggesting that the other person can find what they want in the woods
Oh, you foolin'.
Dismissing the other person's suggestion
You're still a tramp.
Reiterating that the person is a tramp
That's all right.
Accepting the label
You a tramp, Otis. You just a tramp.
Calling the person a tramp once again
That's all right.
Accepting the label once again
You wear overalls. You need a haircut, baby. Cut off some of that hair off your head. You think you a lover, huh?
Mocking the person's appearance and questioning their self-identity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JIMMY MCCRACKLIN, LOWELL FULSOM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ric Woods Music
Never heard this version before. That groove is timeless. Thank you.
Donna Bowen
fell in love with him first time I heard Tramp
Yuuf Eternal
You have if you heard Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill a Man"
Ric Woods Music
@Yuuf Eternal I thought they had sampled Otis Redding's version, but I think you're right. Good call.
8House
It's a 60s groove. Junior Walker had a similar riff.
Robert Orick
@8House Joe Tex did a shout out to "Tramp" on "Papa Was Too".
Ceco Ignatov
Amazing song! Amazing bass rhythm!
M Dub
Electric guitar solo...hit every note...
ponentwind
Yeah, sure! The truth has a way, and Fulson fuckin found it
Capt Larry -
I didn't know Lowell and Jimmy McCrakin wrote this together. Lowell is a great talent, this song is a classic, covered by many artists. Sadly this isn't the best version, but it wouldn't exist without Lowell. So would have liked to see him do this in person maybe at Ester's Mile High Club in Oakland Cal.