Lizzie Douglas was born on June 3, 1897 in Algiers, Louisiana. She was the eldest from her 13 other siblings. Her parents Abe and Gertrude Douglas nicknamed her the Kid during her early childhood. At the age of 7 she and her family moved to Walls, Mississippi, which was just south of Memphis. The following year after she moved, she received her first guitar for Christmas. She began to practice and learn how to play both the banjo and the guitar and it was seen that she had a great talent as a musician. When she first began performing she did not use her first name Lizzie, but played under the name Kid Douglas. When she was 13 years old she ran away from her home to live on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. She would play on street corners for most of her teenage years and would eventually go home when she ran out of money. She began to get noticed singing and playing guitar on the street corners. This brought an opportunity for her to tour, travel, and play with the Ringling Brothers Circus. Eventually she came back to Beale Street and got consumed in the blues scene. At the time, women, whiskey, and cocaine were high in demand with the people and places she would be around. She made her money by playing guitar, singing, and prostitution, which was not uncommon at the time. Most of the female performers were prostitutes because of financial desperation. It was said “She received $12 for her services-an outrageous fee for the time.” (Memphis Minnie Biography,1). She was known as a woman that was very strong and that could take care of herself.
She had been married three times in her life; first with Will Weldon sometime in the 1920s, then Joe McCoy (1929–1934), and finally to Earnest Lawlars (a.k.a. Little Son Joe), in 1939. She and McCoy would perform together during their marriage. During this time, a talent scout from Columbia Records discovered her. When she and McCoy went to record in New York, she decided to change her name to Memphis Minnie. During the next few years she and McCoy released many singles and duets. She released the song “Bumble Bee” in 1930, which ended up being one of her favorite songs, and led her to a recording contract with the label Vocalion. Under this label, they continued to produce recording for two years, one of them being “I’m Talking About You”, which was one of her more popular songs. They soon decided to leave Vocalion and move to Chicago. She and McCoy introduced country blues to the urban environment and became very well known.
Memphis Minnie continued to have success throughout the years recording under many different labels like Decca Records and Chess Records. Some believe her fame was the reason for her divorce with McCoy due to jealousy and resentment towards her. She remarried after to Earnest Lawlars (a.k.a. Little Son Joe) and began recording material with him. She became very well known in the blues industry and ended up being one of the most famous blues performers of all time, competing with both men and women.
She continued to record throughout the 50’s, but her health began to become a problem for her. She retired from her musical career and ended up going back to Memphis. “Periodically, she would appear on Memphis radio stations to encourage young blues musicians. As the Garons wrote in Women With Guitar, 'She never laid her guitar down, until she could literally no longer pick it up.'” She suffered a stroke in 1960, which caused her to be bound by wheelchair. The following year her husband, Earnest “Little Son Joe” Lawlars died. She had another stroke a short while after and eventually ended up in the Jell Nursing Home. She could no longer survive on her social security income so magazines wrote about her and readers sent her money for assistance. On August 6, 1973 she died of a stroke. She was buried in an unmarked grave at the New Hope Cemetery in Memphis. A headstone paid for by Bonnie Raitt was erected by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund on October 13, 1996 with 35 family members in attendance including her sister, numerous nieces (including Laverne Baker) and nephews. Her headstone is marked:
Lizzie "Kid" Douglas Lawlers
aka Memphis Minnie
The inscription on the back of her gravestone reads:
"The hundreds of sides Minnie recorded are the perfect material to teach us about the blues. For the blues are at once general, and particular, speaking for millions, but in a highly singular, individual voice. Listening to Minnie's songs we hear her fantasies, her dreams, her desires, but we will hear them as if they were our own."
After her death some of her old work began to surface and some of her songs were featured on blues compilations. She was one of the first 20 blues artists that were inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame.
Chickasaw Train Blues
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm goin' tell everybody, what that Chickasaw has done done for me
She done stole my man away, and blow that doggone smoke on me
She's a low down dirty dog
I ain't no woman, like to ride that Chickasaw
Ain't no woman, like to ride that Chickasaw
Because everywhere she stop, she's stealing some woman's good man, oh
She's a low down dirty dog
I told the depot this mornin', I don't think he treats me right
Told the depot this mornin', I don't think he treats me right
He done sold my man a ticket, and I know that Chickasaw leavin' town tonight
He's a low down dirty dog
I walk down a railroad track, that Chickasaw even wouldn't let me ride the blind
I walk down a railroad track, that Chickasaw wouldn't even let me ride the blind
And she stop picking up men, all up and down the line
She's a low down dirty dog
Mmm-mmm, Chickasaw don't pay no woman no mind
Mmm-mmm, that Chickasaw don't pay no woman no mind
And she stop pickin' up men, all up and down the line
In her song "Chickasaw Train Blues," Memphis Minnie sings about a woman named "Chickasaw" who has stolen her man. The lyrics describe how Chickasaw is a dirty dog who stops at every station to steal women's men. Memphis Minnie expresses her anger towards Chickasaw and sings that she will tell everyone what Chickasaw has done to her. She walks down the railroad track but Chickasaw does not let her ride the train, and she continues to pick up men all up and down the line. The song has a strong blues feel with a repetitive melody and a call-and-response structure.
The lyrics of "Chickasaw Train Blues" highlight themes of betrayal, jealousy, and infidelity. Memphis Minnie's use of the train as a metaphor for a woman's love life is a common theme in blues songs. The train represents the journey of life and the various stops along the way, which can often lead to heartbreak and loss. By using the train imagery to describe Chickasaw's actions, Memphis Minnie paints her as a predatory figure, who moves from town to town, taking whatever she desires.
One interpretation of the song is that it reflects the experiences of many women at the time who were left behind by men who were lured away by other women. Memphis Minnie was known for her bold and assertive personality, and her lyrics often reflect her confidence and independence. The song's upbeat rhythm and catchy melody stand in contrast to its darker lyrics, which show Memphis Minnie's determination to speak out about the pain and injustices that she and other women faced.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm goin' tell everybody, what that Chickasaw has done done for me
I will let everyone know what Chickasaw did to me
She done stole my man away, and blow that doggone smoke on me
She took my man and blew smoke in my face
I ain't no woman, like to ride that Chickasaw
I am not a woman who wants to travel with Chickasaw
Because everywhere she stop, she's stealing some woman's good man, oh
At every stop, she takes away some other woman's good man
I told the depot this mornin', I don't think he treats me right
I complained to the station this morning that I don't think they treat me well
He done sold my man a ticket, and I know that Chickasaw leavin' town tonight
They sold a ticket to my man, and I know that Chickasaw is leaving town tonight
I walk down a railroad track, that Chickasaw even wouldn't let me ride the blind
I walked down the railroad track, and Chickasaw didn't even let me ride the blind
And she stop picking up men, all up and down the line
She keeps picking up men at every station
Mmm-mmm, Chickasaw don't pay no woman no mind
Chickasaw pays no attention to women
And she stop pickin' up men, all up and down the line
She keeps picking up men at every station
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MINNIE MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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