Born Maria Garzia Rosa Domenica d'Amato on 12th September 1943 in Greenwich Village, New York, she performed in the early 1960s in Greenwich Village with Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, David Grisman, and Stefan Grossman. Later in the 1960s her distinctive vocals were heard in many of the tracks recorded by Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band.
She began her solo career in 1972 when her marriage to fellow Jug Band member Geoff Muldaur ended, retaining her married name. Her first solo album "Maria Muldaur", released in 1973, contained her hit single "Midnight at the Oasis", which reached number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. It also peaked at number 21 in the UK Singles Chart. Later that year, she released her second album Waitress In A Donut Shop. This included a re-recording of "I'm a Woman", the Leiber and Stoller number first associated with Peggy Lee and a standout feature from her Jug Band days. The title of this album is taken from a line in another song on the album, "Sweetheart" by Ken Burgan.
Around this time, Muldaur established a relationship with the Grateful Dead. Opening for some Grateful Dead shows in the summer of 1974, with John Kahn, bassist of the Jerry Garcia Band, would eventually earn her a seat in that group in the late 1970s, as a backing vocalist.
Later in her career, as her voice deepened, the blues were featured in more of her recordings. Her 2005 release Sweet Lovin' Ol' Soul was nominated for both a W.C. Handy Award and a Grammy award in the Traditional Blues Category.
In 2011 she released the album "Steady Love".
Travelin' Shoes
Maria Muldaur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh One two three oh
Death went out to the sinner's house
Come and go with me
The sinner cried out I ain't ready to go
I ain't got no travelling shoes
Got no travelling shoes
The sinner cried out I ain't ready to go
I ain't got no travelling shoes
And the death went down to the gambler's house
Come and go with me
Gambler cried out I'm not ready to go
I got no travelling shoes
I got no travelling shoes
I got no travelling shoes
I got no travelling shoes
I got no travelling shoes
And then death went down to the preacher's house
Come and go with me
The preacher cried out "Lord, I'm ready to go"
I got my travelling shoes
I got my travelling shoes
The preacher cried out "Lord, I'm ready to go"
I got my travelling shoes
Got my travelling shoes
Got my travelling shoes
Got my travelling shoes
Got my travelling shoes
I got my travelling shoes
Got my travelling shoes
I got my travelling shoes
I got my travelling shoes
The lyrics to Maria Muldaur's "Travelin' Shoes" is a parable about the inevitability of death and the importance of being prepared for it. Death personified is going door to door collecting souls and offering them the chance to follow him, and those who are unprepared are left behind. Similarly, the song alludes to the biblical story of the Ten Virgins who are supposed to have their lamps trimmed and ready to meet the Bridegroom when he comes.
The sinner, gambler, and preacher represent three different types of people in society, all of whom have different priorities and values. The sinner is focused on pleasure and lacks any moral or spiritual foundation. The gambler is also focused on pleasure, but in a more calculated way, willing to take risks for the chance of reward. The preacher, on the other hand, has dedicated his life to spiritual matters and is ready to meet his judgement day. In this way, the lyrics are a reminder that life is finite and we must all prepare for the end.
The repetition of the phrase "Got no travelling shoes" is a reminder of the traditional Christian hymn "I Got Shoes", where the shoes are a metaphor for the journey to the afterlife. The shoes represent the readiness and willingness to go, as well as the idea of being prepared for any eventuality. Overall, the lyrics to "Travelin' Shoes" are thought-provoking and offer a message of spiritual urgency and preparedness.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two
Counting in for the song
Oh One two three oh
Full count in for the song
Death went out to the sinner's house
Personification of death as a character visiting a sinner
Come and go with me
Death inviting the sinner to come with him
The sinner cried out I ain't ready to go
The sinner expressing their unwillingness to die
I ain't got no travelling shoes
Metaphorical representation of being unprepared for the afterlife
Got no travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
I got no travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
And the death went down to the gambler's house
Death visiting a gambler's house this time
Gambler cried out I'm not ready to go
The gambler also expressing unwillingness to die
I got no travelling shoes
Expressing lack of preparation for death
And then death went down to the preacher's house
Death visiting a preacher's house
The preacher cried out "Lord, I'm ready to go"
The preacher expressing readiness for death
I got my travelling shoes
The preacher being prepared for the afterlife
Got my travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
Got my travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
Got my travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
I got my travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
Got my travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
I got my travelling shoes
Repetition of the previous line
Contributed by Logan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@raedawn7991
Iused to listen to this tape all the time ....I gave it ot my reformed Catholic gfriends and my Wicca friends ....they loved her
@tomguyone
Thanks for posting this great tune...have always enjoyed the song and especially this version by the wonderful Ms. Muldaur
@Katy51844
I might go to church if they did music like that. This "one note samba" is just more than I can take. Well that and having the words projected onto the wall.
@Sliptrail
I´m glad you found it - and I agree with you: her version is special! Thanks for commenting!
@saintagil
Great Travelin !
@pansyfaye1
She belts this song out righteous! When I was in the church choir I tried talking the director into letting us perform this arrangement, and all I got was "the look." Lutherans, it seems, weren't ready for this.
@censusgary
Those Lutherans didn’t have on their Gospel-singin’ shoes.
@Sliptrail
"Death come a-knocking on that Sinner´s door, said old Sinner are you ready to go?"
@connecticutskier2
First time I heard this song Sliptrail, great pick. I thought this was on the Sweet Harmony album, maybe a different version because of the photo you used. It was a great lure. Thanks, Rick
@Darien2016
No! No no no, cause I ain't got on my traveling shoes.