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.
Farewell Daddy Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wild about my daddy, I want him all the time.
But I don't want you, daddy, if I can't call you mine.
2. Got the farewell blues-y, and my trunk is packed.
Got the farewell blues-y, and my trunk is packed,
But I don't want no daddy because that I ain't comin' back.
Fare you well, daddy. Hon, it's your turn now.
After all I've done, you mistreated me anyhow.
4. Going through the wood-field feeling sad and blue.
Going through the wood-field feeling sad and blue.
Lord, up jumped a rabbit, said, "Mama, I've got 'em too."
5. Pig starts to singin'. Oh, how his voice could ring!
Pig starts to singin'. Oh, how his voice could ring!
He says, "I'm no yellow jacket, but Lord, how I can sting!"
6. Since my man left me, the others can't be found.
Since my man left me, others can't be found,
But before he left me, the other men was hangin' around.
7. So fare you well, daddy. Someday you'll hear bad news.
So farewell, daddy. Someday you'll hear bad news.
When you look for your mama, she's gone with the farewell blues.
Ma Rainey's "Farewell Daddy Blues" is a heart-wrenching song that depicts a woman's lament about leaving her unfaithful partner. The first two verses describe her undying love and attraction to her "daddy" ("wild about my daddy, I want him all the time"), but her decision to leave him because of his infidelity ("But I don't want no daddy because that I ain't comin' back"). In the third verse, she bids farewell to her lover, proclaiming that it's his turn to feel the pain after treating her badly despite all she has done for him.
The fourth and fifth verses take a turn from heartbreak to a comical moment when a rabbit and a pig join in singing the blues, showing that even nature is feeling the pain of abandonment. The last two verses return to the somber mood, where the woman declares that since her man left, she cannot find another, and warns him that he will eventually feel the pain of abandonment when he discovers she is gone with the farewell blues.
Overall, "Farewell Daddy Blues" showcases the talented Ma Rainey's ability to convey intense conflicts and emotions through her powerful voice and nuanced storytelling, making it a classic example of the blues genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Wild about my daddy, I want him all the time.
I am passionately in love with my father and desire him constantly.
But I don't want you, daddy, if I can't call you mine.
I refuse to have a relationship with you, father, if it cannot be a public one.
Got the farewell blues-y, and my trunk is packed.
I am feeling melancholic about leaving and have already packed my belongings.
But I don't want no daddy because that I ain't comin' back.
I have no intention of returning, so I do not want a man waiting for me.
Fare you well, daddy. Hon, it's your turn now.
Goodbye, father. It is now your turn to experience the repercussions of mistreating me.
After all I've done, you mistreated me anyhow.
Despite all that I have done for you, you have still mistreated me.
Going through the wood-field feeling sad and blue.
I am walking through a forest feeling sad and melancholic.
Lord, up jumped a rabbit, said, "Mama, I've got 'em too."
A rabbit suddenly appeared and said, 'Mother, I have the same feelings as you.'
Pig starts to singin'. Oh, how his voice could ring!
A pig begins singing and his voice is impressive.
He says, "I'm no yellow jacket, but Lord, how I can sting!"
The pig declares that he may not be intimidating, but he can still pack a punch.
Since my man left me, others can't be found.
Since my partner left me, I cannot find any other potential lovers.
But before he left me, the other men was hangin' around.
But before my partner left me, other men were showing interest in me.
So farewell, daddy. Someday you'll hear bad news.
Goodbye, father. One day you will receive unpleasant news.
When you look for your mama, she's gone with the farewell blues.
When you try to find your lover, she will have already left with a sad and melancholic attitude.
Contributed by Alice B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
D. G.
I love Margot Bingham's version too, but there is no replacing Ma Rainey. There is something about listening to the original version with the crappy sound and all the crackling from the record. Its also awesome to know that the lady singing the song has an experience of the blues that only someone from that era could have. I love it.
Billy James
+Figlio San Chirico ...true..the original just has, i dunno..that spinetingling authenticity
D. G.
Ha! I love it. Spine Tingling!
Eric Anderson888
It has an earthy quality that can't be duplicated.
rod720
hello to my Boardwalk family. tremendous season at first I wavered but was typically won over. Truly saddened by what transpired in the end Farewell!!!!!!
Frank Correnti
One of the beauties of this tune is that, and by the way it is the blues\\ she is so articulated in her delivery, yet none can accuse her of cultural appropriation//. This the tune that Bessie sang.
michael shoen
Wow. One of the greats. Compare with the youtube version presented by Frankie 12string. Thanks for posting.
Charlie Snow
“The music provokes a sharp longing the music soothes.”
spiderhead
the quality makes it sounds so eerie. like someone singing from the afterlife through a radio
Hastu Wicaksono
more longer than the ending song in boardwalk empire 4 but miss the last paragraph ... so fare you well, daddy....