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.
Southern Blues
Ma Rainey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If your house catch on fire, ain't no water 'round
Throw your trunk out the window, building, burn on down
I went to that gypsy to have my fortune told
I went to that gypsy to have my fortune told
He said, "Doggone you girlie, doggone your bad luck soul"
I turned around, went to that gypsy next door
I turned around, went to that gypsy next door
Let me be your rag doll until your Chinee comes
Let me be your rag doll till your Chinee comes
If she beats me ragging
, she's got to rag it some
In the song "Southern Blues" by Ma Rainey, the lyrics describe the struggles and hardships faced by people living in the South. The first verse talks about the danger of house fires and the lack of resources available to put them out. If someone's house catches on fire and there is no water nearby, the only option is to throw their trunk out the window and watch the building burn down. This vivid imagery shows the desperation and helplessness of those living in poverty.
The second verse tells the story of Ma Rainey going to a gypsy to have her fortune told. The gypsy tells her that she has a "bad luck soul," which implies that her future is not bright. The repetition of the phrase "doggone you girlie" emphasizes the negative energy the gypsy is projecting onto Ma Rainey. Undeterred, Ma Rainey goes to another gypsy who tells her she will find a man wherever she goes. This contrasts with the first gypsy's predictions and shows that different people have different opinions on one's fate.
Overall, "Southern Blues" is a reflection of the struggles faced by people living in poverty and the ways in which they try to cope with their difficulties.
Line by Line Meaning
House catch on fire and ain't no water 'round
If your house catches on fire and there's no water nearby
Throw your trunk out the window, building, burn on down
Throw your trunk out of the window and let your building burn down
I went to that gypsy to have my fortune told
I went to a fortune teller to learn about my future
He said, 'Doggone you girlie, doggone your bad luck soul'
He insulted me by saying I had bad luck
I turned around, went to that gypsy next door
I went to another fortune teller nearby
He said, 'You'll get a man anywhere you'll go'
He predicted that I would find a man anywhere I went
Let me be your rag doll until your Chinee comes
Let me be your lover until your Chinese lover arrives
If she beats me ragging, she's got to rag it some
If she beats me at lovemaking, she has to work hard at it
Contributed by Lauren H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Norman Clarke
Priceles!
neilybuds
The real deal - it just moves you - really
🏵️Flor de Guayacán🏵️
C o o l <3