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.
Jealous Hearted Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But for God sakes leave my man alone
'cause I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me.
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
Takes a man I love to satisfy my soul
Yes I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
Got a range in my kitchen, cooks nice and brown
All I need is my man, to turn my damper down
Because I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
Going to buy me a bulldog, to watch him while I sleep
Just to keep my man from making his midnight creep.
Yes I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
In Ma Rainey’s song “Jealous Hearted Blues,” she sings about her jealousy and possessiveness towards her man. She declares that her man is the only thing that can truly satisfy her soul, and that she is willing to give up everything she owns, including her money, as long as her man remains faithful to her. Rainey even goes as far as to say that she will buy herself a bulldog to prevent her man from straying at night.
The lyrics encapsulate the fear that many people in romantic relationships have of losing their partner to someone else. Rainey’s jealousy prevents her from feeling truly content, and her possessiveness over her man is expressed throughout the song. Rainey’s distinctive voice and bluesy rhythm add to the feeling of her emotional turmoil, making it impossible for the listener to not feel empathy for her.
Line by Line Meaning
You can have my money, baby, everything I own
But for God sakes leave my man alone
Even though I may give you everything I have, please do not try to take my man away from me.
'cause I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me.
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
I am a very jealous person who cannot stand the thought of my significant other being with anyone else.
It takes a rocking chair to rock, a rubber ball to roll
Takes a man I love to satisfy my soul
Simple things like a rocking chair and rubber ball don't bring me happiness; it's only the love of a man I truly care about that can make me truly content.
Yes I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
Once again, I must emphasize that my jealousy is an integral and dominant part of me and cannot be escaped.
Got a range in my kitchen, cooks nice and brown
All I need is my man, to turn my damper down
Even if I have a perfectly good kitchen, well-cooked meals mean nothing if I can't share them with my love who calms me down.
Because I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
Once again, I must emphasize that my jealousy is an integral and dominant part of me and cannot be escaped.
Going to buy me a bulldog, to watch him while I sleep
Just to keep my man from making his midnight creep.
I am willing to go to great lengths to make sure my man doesn't cheat on me, even if it means sleeping with a bulldog by my side.
Yes I'm jealous, jealous
Jealous hearted me
Lord I'm just jealous
Jealous as I can be
Once again, I must emphasize that my jealousy is an integral and dominant part of me and cannot be escaped.
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@leahnole9771
Ma Rainey: I wish this world would have recognized and acknowledged your absolute & awesome contribution to the start of Blues music before a year 2020-2021 movie. God bless you actress Viola Davis for playing her in the upcoming movie so that the truth can finally be brought to the masses about Ma Rainey!
@gladysmccoy1725
Well said and the same here
@MADKIDD623BHN
They catching up....
@denevaldoaraujo3177
Simplesmente a mãe do blues.
@delterbluesman
One of our founding mothers of the blues Miss MA Rainey 🏆🌹🎼🎵🎙️📻👏👏👏👏
@worldwideglobalmovies1314
Great song ! Music really lives !
@timoteosouza1741
Vim por causa do filme. Me amarro em músicas assim.
@denevaldoaraujo3177
Perfeito
@marcorose5121
I love this song , it has a special place in my heart❤. Can I ask you a question please @Timoteo souza
@luvintolrn9665
Ma Rainey movie brought me here! Never heard of her! That's why a movie of all the greats of the 1900s need to be put out there truthfully..Lucille Bogan's movie needs to be made as well!! She was doing it WAAAYY before the current era female artists like the Cardi's & Meagan thee Stallions of the world!!