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.
Don't Fish in My Sea
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My daddy come home this mornin', drunk as he could be
I know that he's done got bad on me
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
I know there's another mule
Been kicking in my stable
If you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea
Stay out of my valley, let my mountain be
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
That's the reason I'm through with these no-good, trifling
Men
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You'll never miss your ham till another mule be in your stall
Ma Rainey's song "Don't Fish in My Sea" is a powerful message to anyone who tries to take advantage of her. She speaks about her father, who comes home drunk and has "gotten bad" onto her. She also talks about her ex-lovers, who have been unfaithful to her. The line "if you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea" means that if someone doesn't like the way she lives or the choices she makes, they should stay out of her life. The lines "stay out of my valley, let my mountain be" mean that people should not involve themselves in her affairs and should not try to control her.
Ma Rainey also talks about how she hasn't had any love in a long time and has had enough of "no-good, trifling men." She warns people that they will never appreciate what they have until it's gone, comparing it to missing the sunshine only when it starts raining and missing their own ham only when someone else takes it from them. In essence, she is saying that people should respect her and her choices and not interfere with her life.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy come home this mornin', drunk as he could be
My father returned home this morning under the influence of alcohol.
I know that he's done got bad on me
I'm aware that he's become problematic towards me.
He used to stay out late, now he don't come home at all
He used to spend his nights out, now he doesn't come home at all.
I know there's another mule
I'm certain there's another person in my life.
Been kicking in my stable
They've been causing trouble in my life.
If you don't like my ocean, don't fish in my sea
If you don't appreciate what I have, don't try to take advantage of me.
Stay out of my valley, let my mountain be
Don't interfere in my personal affairs, let me live my life.
I ain't had no loving since God knows when
I haven't received any affection for a long time now.
That's the reason I'm through with these no-good, trifling men
That's why I'm done with these worthless and unfaithful men.
You'll never miss the sunshine till the rain begin to fall
You won't know the value of something until it's gone.
You'll never miss your ham till another mule be in your stall
You won't appreciate what you have until someone else takes it from you.
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@KawhackitaRag
Oh man, Jimmy Blythe really massages those ivories! A fantastic piano accompaniment! Too bad you didn't post the complete track!
@jesusfirst7320
2021 Great acting in movie👑🦋💜👑🦋💜🌟. Queen Viola🦋💕‼️
@oker59
Memphis Minnie was wiser than all . . . "Kissing in the dark"
@thesandsie13the2nd
i think what's great is these ladies got a way with being sexual without being overly rauchy. and no one was the wiser.
@baronsaturday9560
She really knew how to massage those ivories...
@windyrec
think I like the piano playing better than the vocal! really fun song - wish you posted the entire thing!
@juggernaut4898
All music from this Era was slow, boring, and sound the same.