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.
Dirty Mother for You
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You better come to me if you want to save your life
He's a dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I want you to come here, baby, come here quick
He done give me something 'bout to make me sick
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
(Spoken: Play it, Dennis)
I went down to the station, talked to the judge
He said, ""Don't bring me none of that doggoned stuff you heard""
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I went down to the office (r), fell out on the floor
He done something to me, now, he won't do no more
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(Spoken: Play it, Dennis, play it, boy)
Won't you look here, baby, what you done done
You done squeezed my lemon, now you done broke and run
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
The lyrics to Memphis Minnie's "Dirty Mother for You" tell the story of a woman who is frustrated with her husband for being a "dirty mother fuyer" who got drunk and caused chaos in the neighborhood. While she admits that she's not a doctor herself, she's married to one and she is the one to turn to if you want to save your life. In this case, she's referring to herself as the one who can save herself from the mess her husband makes.
The woman is distraught and asks her lover to come quickly before her husband spreads any more of his trouble. She claims that he's given her something that will make her sick, and she's had enough of his nonsense. The song takes on a more ominous tone when the woman goes to the station to talk to the judge about her husband but the judge warns her not to bring him any trouble. The last verse suggests that she's had enough of her husband and realizes he's not worth her time, referring to him as a "dirty mother fuyer" and accusing him of breaking her heart.
"Dirty Mother for You" is a powerful and provocative song that pulls no punches in its descriptions of a dysfunctional relationship. Ultimately, it's a warning to anyone who might find themselves in a similar situation to get out before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't no doctor, but I'm the doctor's wife
I may not have a medical degree, but I am the spouse of a physician
You better come to me if you want to save your life
If you want to survive, you should seek my help
He's a dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He is a malicious, immoral person
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
He caused destruction in the area after becoming intoxicated this morning
I want you to come here, baby, come here quick
Hurry over here to me, my beloved
He done give me something 'bout to make me sick
He has transmitted an illness to me
I went down to the station, talked to the judge
I visited the local police station and spoke with the judge
He said, "Don't bring me none of that doggoned stuff you heard"
He warned me not to bring any questionable information to him
I went down to the office (r), fell out on the floor
I went to his place of business and collapsed onto the ground
He done something to me, now, he won't do no more
He did something to me that he won't do again
Won't you look here, baby, what you done done
Please take a look at what you have done
You done squeezed my lemon, now you done broke and run
You have taken advantage of me and then fled the scene
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Roosevelt Sykes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jean-Michel Dehalu
I ain't no doctor, but I'm the doctor's wife
You better come to me if you want to save your life
He's a dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I want you to come here, baby, come here quick
He done give me something 'bout to make me sick
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis)
I went down to the station, talked to the judge
He said, "Don't bring me none of that doggoned stuff you heard"
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I went down to the office(r), fell out on the floor
He done something to me, now, he won't do no more
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis, play it, boy)
Won't you look here, baby, what you done done
You done squeezed my lemon, now you done broke and run
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
Oliver Marks
I ain't no doctor, but I'm the doctor's wife
You better come to me if you want to save your life
He's a dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I want you to come here, baby, come here quick
He done give me something 'bout to make me sick
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis)
I went down to the station, talked to the judge
He said, "Don't bring me none of that doggoned stuff you heard"
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I went down to the office(r), fell out on the floor
He done something to me, now, he won't do no more
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis, play it, boy)
Won't you look here, baby, what you done done
You done squeezed my lemon, now you done broke and run
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
Jean-Michel Dehalu
I ain't no doctor, but I'm the doctor's wife
You better come to me if you want to save your life
He's a dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I want you to come here, baby, come here quick
He done give me something 'bout to make me sick
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis)
I went down to the station, talked to the judge
He said, "Don't bring me none of that doggoned stuff you heard"
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I went down to the office(r), fell out on the floor
He done something to me, now, he won't do no more
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis, play it, boy)
Won't you look here, baby, what you done done
You done squeezed my lemon, now you done broke and run
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
David Maslow
Love this!
Giovanni Iorio
Lyrics please!!! Some good soul out there...that could write the lyrics of this masterpiece
Giovanni Iorio
@Oliver Marks thank you so much !!!! God bless you
Oliver Marks
I ain't no doctor, but I'm the doctor's wife
You better come to me if you want to save your life
He's a dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I want you to come here, baby, come here quick
He done give me something 'bout to make me sick
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis)
I went down to the station, talked to the judge
He said, "Don't bring me none of that doggoned stuff you heard"
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
I went down to the office(r), fell out on the floor
He done something to me, now, he won't do no more
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
(spoken: Play it, Dennis, play it, boy)
Won't you look here, baby, what you done done
You done squeezed my lemon, now you done broke and run
Awwww, dirty mother fuyer, he don't mean no good
He got drunk this morning, tore up the neighborhood
G.A Hermanstein
That's real music putting out the sentiment without actually saying the word in graphic terms...
Joe Johnson
Yup so true. I grew up on the music and hated it until I got to college and it’s like I was born again. I begin to understand the subliminal messages in the lyrics.
David Maslow
Wonderful!
Cora Visser
Thank you so much this is brilliant wauw super pure blues.
Taz-on-the-loose Yusef
why vote this down at all, i love this so much