She first appeared on stage in Columbus in "A Bunch of Blackberries" at the age of 14. She then joined a traveling vaudeville troupe, the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. After hearing a blues song at a theater in St. Louis sung by a local girl in 1902, she started performing in a blues style. She claimed at that time that she was the one who coined the name "blues" for the style that she specialized in. Musicians and singers who had sang and played in the style said there were no such origins and that the blues had always been. A pioneer in the style, Bunk Johnson said that in the 1880s the blues had already been developed.
She married fellow vaudeville singer William 'Pa' Rainey in 1904, changing her name to Ma Rainey. The pair toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels as Rainey & Rainey, Assassinators of the Blues, singing a mix of blues and popular songs. In 1912, she took the young Bessie Smith into the Rabbit Foot Minstrels, trained her, and worked with her until Smith left in 1915.
Also known, though less discussed, is the fact that she was bisexual. Rainey never shied away from her feelings in her music, as is apparent in the lyrics of "Prove It On Me":
"Went out last night with a crowd of my friends,
They must have been women, 'cause I don't like no men.
Wear my clothes just like a fan, Talk to gals just like any old man
'Cause they say I do it, ain't nobody caught me, Sure got to prove it on me."
Rainey was outspoken on women's issues and a role model for future women entertainers who took control of their own careers.
Ma Rainey was already a veteran performer with decades of touring with African-American shows in the U.S. Southern States when she made her first recordings in 1923. Rainey signed with Paramount Records and, between 1923 and 1928, she recorded 100 songs, sometimes accompanied such jazz notables as Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory, Fletcher Henderson and others. Rainey was extremely popular among southern blacks in the 1920s, but the Great Depression and changing tastes ended her career by 1933, when she retired.
Rainey died of a heart attack in 1939.
The 1982 August Wilson play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was based on her.
C C Rider Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Made me love you, now your gal has come
You made me love you, now your gal has come
I'm goin' away, baby, I won't be back till fall, Lord, Lord, Lord
Goin' away, baby, won't be back till fall
If I find me a good man, won't be back at all
Shoot my man, and catch a cannonball
If he won't have me, he won't have no gal at all
See See Rider, where did you stay last night? Lord, Lord, Lord
Your shoes ain't buttoned and your clothes don't fit you right
You didn't come home till the sun was shining bright
The lyrics to Ma Rainey's "See See Rider Blues" are an expression of a broken-hearted woman who has fallen in love with a man who has gone back to his former lover. She blames the Lord for making her fall in love with him and feels betrayed by him. She warns that she is going away, and if she finds another man, she would never come back. The idea of leaving is reiterated throughout the song, and it highlights the heartbreak she feels.
The lyrics also indicate that the woman is ready to take matters into her own hands. She vows to buy a pistol and shoot the man who broke her heart. She seems to be angry and hurt and prepared to do anything to exact revenge on the man who left her. She would rather shoot him than have him be with another woman. The lyrics depict a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to take control of her situation, whether it means leaving or seeking revenge.
Overall, Ma Rainey's "See See Rider Blues" is a powerful ode to heartbreak, betrayal, and female empowerment. It portrays a woman's raw emotions in response to being left behind by a man she loves. The song also captures the power dynamics of relationships and how one person's decision can leave the other feeling like they have lost control over their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
see what you have done, Lord, Lord, Lord
You caused me to fall in love with you and now your girlfriend has replaced me.
Made me love you, now your gal has come
I fell in love with you but now you have found another.
I'm goin' away, baby, I won't be back till fall, Lord, Lord, Lord
I am leaving and will not return until the fall season.
Goin' away, baby, won't be back till fall
I am leaving and won't be back anytime soon.
If I find me a good man, won't be back at all
If I find a good man, I won't be returning.
I'm gonna buy me a pistol, just as long as I am tall, Lord, Lord, Lord
I am going to purchase a pistol that is as tall as I am.
Shoot my man, and catch a cannonball
I will shoot my man and leave as fast as a cannonball.
If he won't have me, he won't have no gal at all
If he doesn't want to be with me, he won't be with anyone else either.
See See Rider, where did you stay last night? Lord, Lord, Lord
Where were you last night, See See Rider?
Your shoes ain't buttoned and your clothes don't fit you right
Your appearance is not put together, it's sloppy.
You didn't come home till the sun was shining bright
You stayed out all night and didn't come home until morning.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ma Rainey, David Rowberry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scouseronthewirral
Written by Lena Arent & Ma Rainey
Ma Rainey recorded her song on 15 October 1924, released in Feb 1925.
Many adaptions of the song over the years have been recorded including :
Huddie Leadbelly (Nov 1940)
Ray Charles (1950)
The Orioles (1952)
Louis Armstrong (1957)
Chuck Willis (1957) peaked at #3 R&B & #12 Pop
Odetta (1957)
Lighnini’ Hopkins (Mar 1958)
Charlie Rich (1960)
Jerry Lee Lewis (Jun 1960)
Peggy Lee (Oct 1962)
Lavern Baker (Nov 1962) #9 R&B #34 Pop
Jimmy Reed (1963)
Ella Fitzgerald (1964)
Lonnie Johnson (1964)
The Everly Bros (Aug 1965)
Cher (Sep 1965)
B.B King (1965)
The Animals (Jul 1966) #10 Pop
Carl Perkins (Oct 1969)
Elvis Presley First Recorded a Live Version on 18 February 1970 and released on his “On Stage” Album on 1 June 1970.
@DanFrechette
One of the greatest recordings I’ve ever heard.
@peteraretin7802
When I was a teenager in 1957, "C.C. Rider," by Chuck Willis was a big hit on Top 40 radio, at least in Texas where I was marooned. None of us had a clue about Ma Rainey, of course, but there was some instinctual recognition that this was an old song.
@whoknowsidont.5147
Thank you again. Reign on MA RAINEY. A BEAUTIFUL LADY...RIP ..as You live on forever.
@ladyleesutter
This is a treasure. Thank you so much for posting this.
Starts out like a different song, then Wham, CC Rider like no other. Cannot praise it highly enough. Gotta check out more Ma Rainey, right now;
@Eric-kw2bv
Not another song...that's just the intro.
@imnokid1
Years ago, almost all songs started with what was then called the "verse", which was totally different from the rest of the song.
@Django44
What a haunting, moving performance.
Ma (Gertrude Pridgett) was 38 at the time of this recording (1924); Louis 22. Extraordinary talents, both of them.
@cpcohen1945
Thanks for putting this up -- quite a change from Elvis, and Eric Burdon.
@paullee1852
this is the original... Numerous early blues musicians later recorded their own versions, including Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Peggy Lee.
@maggiew.2809
Just amazing this is preserved. Hoping the film/biography is still available. My father grew up in the 20s and the thirties in NYC, not Chicago but told me stories about the blues and jazz clubs. He was Irish but was fascinated by the performances and God given talent he was exposed to in Harlem.