Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (Columbus, Georgia, Apr… Read Full Bio ↴Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as Ma Rainey (Columbus, Georgia, April 26, 1886 – Columbus, Georgia, December 22, 1939), was one of the earliest known professional blues singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. She was billed as The Mother of the Blues. She did much to develop and popularize the form and was an important influence on younger blues women, such as Bessie Smith, and their careers.

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.

Oh Papa Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just like a rainbow I have faded away
My daddy leaves me ' most every day
But he don't't mean me no good; why?
Because I only whish he would
I'm almost going insane
I'm forever tryin' to call his name:

Oh papa - look what you doin', look what you doin'

Op papa - you caused me ruinin', you caused me ruinin'
All my money, I give you
You treat me mean and made me awfully blue

Then you'll miss me, you're going to kiss me
You'll gret the day that you ever quit me

Overall Meaning

Ma Rainey's song "Oh Papa Blues" is a poignant portrayal of a young woman's anguish and desperation as she contemplates the constant absence and neglect of her father. The lyrics showcase the emotions of despair, frustration, and a longing for affection that permeates the woman as she narrates her tale of struggles. Ma Rainey in this song describes herself with the simile of fading rainbow, which symbolizes a lack of vibrancy, color, and life. She feels this way as her father leaves her almost every day, and she doesn't receive the love and attention that she desires.

In "Oh Papa Blues," Rainey blames her father for her ruinous state, financially and emotionally. She gives him her all, but he treats her harshly and leaves her feeling blue. The woman's pain is palpable as she implores her father to acknowledge her and treat her with kindness. Her persistent and heartfelt pleas for her father to pay attention and love her serve as a poignant reminder of what it means to feel alone, unsupported, and in dire need of parental love and care.

Line by Line Meaning

Just like a rainbow I have faded away
I'm feeling like a fading rainbow - losing all my color, vibrancy, and beauty

My daddy leaves me ' most every day
My daddy is always leaving me - abandoning me and not being there for me

But he don't't mean me no good; why?
My father doesn't have any good intentions towards me and I'm wondering why

Because I only whish he would
I just wish he would treat me right and love me like he should

I'm almost going insane
I'm on the brink of insanity - this situation is driving me crazy

I'm forever tryin' to call his name:
I'm constantly trying to get my father's attention - I want him to notice me and care for me

Oh papa - look what you doin', look what you doin'
Oh, father - look at what you're doing to me, look at the damage you're causing

Op papa - you caused me ruinin', you caused me ruinin'
Oh, father - you're the one who ruined me, you're the one who caused me all this pain and suffering

All my money, I give you
I've given you all of my money, father

You treat me mean and made me awfully blue
But you treat me so badly and it's made me incredibly sad

Then you'll miss me, you're going to kiss me
But one day you'll miss me and you'll want to kiss me

You'll gret the day that you ever quit me
And you'll regret the day that you ever left me

Contributed by Wyatt P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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