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.
South Bound Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The man I loved treated me so bad
He brought me out of my home town
Took me to New York and threw me down
Without a cent to pay my rent
I′m left alone, without a home
I told him I would leave him and my time ain't long
You done me wrong, you throwed me down
You caused me to weep and to moan
I told him I′d see him, honey, some of these days
And I′m going to tell him 'bout his low down dirty ways
Done bought my ticket, Lord, and my trunk is packed
Goin′ back to Georgia, folks, I sure ain't comin′ back
My train's in the station, I done sent my folks the news
You can tell the world I′ve got those Southbound blues
In "South Bound Blues," Ma Rainey laments about a situation where she was taken away from her hometown by the man she loved, only to be abandoned in New York City without a home or any money to pay rent. In the lyrics, she expresses her anger towards the man who treated her poorly and caused her to weep and moan. She tells him that she will be leaving him and returning to her hometown soon with the money sent by her folks.
The song's melody and Rainey's powerful voice paired with the lyrics create a feeling of deep sadness and frustration that anyone can relate to. The lyrics depict a woman who was taken advantage of and used for her talents, only to be discarded as if she was nothing. Rainey's pain in the song comes from her love that turned sour, her broken trust, and the feeling of helplessness as she struggles to survive in a new and unfamiliar place.
Overall, "South Bound Blues" can be seen as a lover's lament, a reflection of the hardships Black people faced during the Great Migration, and an expression of letting go of a love gone wrong. The song resonates with anyone who has experienced betrayal and abandonment, and it remains a staple in blues music that continues to connect with audiences decades later.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, I'm mad, my heart's sad
I am feeling a strong combination of both anger and sorrow.
The man I loved treated me so bad
The person I was in a romantic relationship with treated me very poorly.
He brought me out of my home town
He took me away from the town I grew up in and lived in previously.
Took me to New York and threw me down
He brought me to New York, and then abandoned me there.
Without a cent to pay my rent
I don't have any money to pay my rent.
I'm left alone, without a home
I am completely alone and homeless.
I told him I would leave him and my time ain't long
I told him that I would leave him, and I believe that I don't have much time left.
My folks done sent the money, and I'm Dixie bound
My family has sent me some money, and I am using it to travel back to the southern United States.
You done me wrong, you throwed me down
You didn't treat me well, and you left me alone.
You caused me to weep and to moan
Your actions have made me cry and feel very sad.
I told him I'd see him, honey, some of these days
I told him that I would meet him again in the future.
And I'm going to tell him 'bout his low down dirty ways
When I see him again, I am going to confront him about how badly he treated me.
Done bought my ticket, Lord, and my trunk is packed
I have purchased my ticket and have packed my trunk.
Goin' back to Georgia, folks, I sure ain't comin' back
I'm returning to Georgia, and I have no intention of ever returning here.
My train's in the station, I done sent my folks the news
My train is waiting for me at the station, and I have already informed my family of my plans.
You can tell the world I've got those Southbound blues
You can spread the word that I am feeling very sad and regretful as I head back down South.
Contributed by Layla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.