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.
Lawd Send Me a Man Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had a good man, and he turned me down
Landlord comin′, knock on my door
I told him my good man don't stay here no more
______, bye bye, ask the good Lord help you find
Oh, Lord, send me a man
I′m the loneliest woman in the land
Tryin' to find a good man to come my way
Send me a zulu, a voodoo, any old man
I'm not particular, boys, I′ll take what I can
I′ve been worried, almost insane
Oh Lordy, send me a man
Oh Lordy, send me a man
Oh, Lord, send me a man
I'm the loneliest woman in the land
I work hard every night and day
Tryin′ to find a good man to come my way
Send me a zulu, a voodoo, any old man
I'm not particular, boys, I′ll take what I can
I've been worried, almost insane
Oh Lordy, send me a man
Oh Lordy, send me a man
The lyrics to Ma Rainey’s “Lawd Send Me a Man Blues” depict a lonely and desperate woman praying for a man to come her way. She references her board bill, alluding to her financial struggles as a single woman. The chorus repeats the plea for a man, emphasizing her loneliness and desire for companionship. The verses describe her hardships, including the loss of her previous lover and the threat of eviction by her landlord.
In the early 20th century, blues music often depicted the struggles of the working class and minorities, and “Lawd Send Me a Man Blues” is no exception. The song’s lyrics reveal societal issues women faced at the time, such as financial hardship and the societal pressure to have a man. The character in the song also mentions wanting a “zulu” or “voodoo” man, possibly a reference to African culture, which was often exoticized and fetishized by white audiences.
The song was recorded in 1923 and was a commercial success for Ma Rainey. It is considered an early example of the Blues genre and showcases Rainey’s vocal prowess. The song has been covered by several artists over the years, including Bessie Smith and Janis Joplin.
Line by Line Meaning
Who gonna pay my board bill now?
I am worried about how I will pay my bills now that my good man has left me.
Had a good man, and he turned me down
I had a good man, but he rejected me.
Landlord comin', knock on my door
My landlord is coming to collect rent that I cannot pay.
I told him my good man don't stay here no more
I explained to my landlord that my good man no longer lives with me and cannot help with the rent.
______, bye bye, ask the good Lord help you find
I am leaving, goodbye. I hope the good Lord helps you find what you are looking for.
Oh, Lord, send me a man
I am asking the Lord to send me a man.
I'm the loneliest woman in the land
I feel very lonely as a woman.
I work hard both night and day
I work very hard day and night.
Tryin' to find a good man to come my way
I am trying to find a good man to come into my life.
Send me a zulu, a voodoo, any old man
I do not care about race or religion, I just want any man to come my way.
I'm not particular, boys, I'll take what I can
I am not picky, I will take any man who comes to me.
I've been worried, almost insane
I have been very worried and it is affecting my mental state.
Oh Lordy, send me a man
I am pleading with the Lord to send a man my way.
Oh Lordy, send me a man
I am still hoping and praying for the Lord to send a man to me.
Writer(s): Ma Rainey
Contributed by Nathan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.