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.
Sweet Rough Man
Ma Rainey Lyrics
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My man beat me last night with five feet of copper coil
He keeps my lips split, my eyes as black as jet, (2)
But the way he love me, makes me soon forget
Every night for five years, I've got a beatin' from my man, (2)
People says I'm crazy, I'll explain and you'll understand
My man, my man, Lord, everybody knows he's mean, (2)
But when he starts to lovin', I wring and twist and scream
Lord, it ain't no maybe 'bout my man bein' rough, (2)
But when it comes to lovin', he sure can strut his stuff
Ma Rainey's song Sweet Rough Man tells the story of a woman who has endured physical abuse from her partner for five years. She wakes up with a sore head due to her man beating her with copper coils. Her lips are split, and her eyes are bruised as a result of the regular abuse. Despite the pain she endures, she admits that she loves him, and the love overshadows the physical pain. When he expresses love and affection towards her, she reacts passionately, screaming and writhing. The song suggests that love, no matter how rough it may be, can be gratifying and that physical pain can be erased by love.
This song addresses domestic violence and brings it to the foreground. The opening lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song by plainly articulating the physical abuse that the woman is going through. The lyrics convey the complexity of being in a violent relationship, and how it can be challenging to let go of someone you love, even if they are abusive. The song has a catchy rhythm and melody, taking the listener on a journey that depicts emotions and experiences that affect many women worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up this mornin', my head was sore as a boil,
I woke up this morning and my head was hurting a lot,
My man beat me last night with five feet of copper coil
My partner hit me with a five-foot copper wire last night which caused me pain.
He keeps my lips split, my eyes as black as jet,
He hits me so hard that my lips are often split and my eyes are blackened.
But the way he love me, makes me soon forget
However, I often feel his love and it makes me forget the pain he causes me.
Every night for five years, I've got a beatin' from my man,
For the past five years, I have been beaten every night by my partner.
People says I'm crazy, I'll explain and you'll understand
Some people think I'm crazy for staying with him, but I have an explanation that will help you understand why I do.
My man, my man, Lord, everybody knows he's mean,
Everyone knows that my man is very cruel and mean.
But when he starts to lovin', I wring and twist and scream
However, when he shows love, I react very passionately and scream and twist.
Lord, it ain't no maybe 'bout my man bein' rough,
It's a fact that my man is rough and violent.
But when it comes to lovin', he sure can strut his stuff
But when it comes to being romantic, he is very good at it.
Writer(s): MA RAINEY
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Depressing