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.
I Don't Want That Junk Outta You
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you got me here _____ call your name
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
I stood here calling you all night long
You know baby you've been doing me wrong
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
You can't be me mine somebody else's too
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
I dig a ditch and I done got tired
I ______ much obliged
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
Now lookie here baby what you telling me to beat
Walking around snow sour or sweet
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
And you got away but sure I don't like
You give me your money then you takes it back
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
Now look here baby I don't wanna make you mad
I give you everything and what I had
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
You can come and baby sit on my knees
I'd do anything to give your poor heart ease
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
In the song "I Don't Want That Junk Outta You", Memphis Minnie sings about a relationship where she has given her partner everything she has, including her money, and is tired of being mistreated in return. She expresses her frustration over feeling disregarded and unacknowledged, and ultimately, demands respect from her partner. The repeated phrase "Look here man I don't want that junk outta you" communicates her desire for her partner to change his ways and treat her better.
The lyrics in this song showcase Memphis Minnie's strength and assertiveness as a woman, challenging common gender roles during her time. She refuses to be a victim and instead stands up for herself, demanding the respect she deserves. The song's message remains relevant today, as it speaks to the issue of unequal power dynamics in relationships and advocates for women's empowerment.
Overall, "I Don't Want That Junk Outta You" is a powerful song that showcases Memphis Minnie's expressive vocals and meaningful lyrics, highlighting her influence as a pioneering blues artist.
Line by Line Meaning
I give you my money and I ain't ashamed
I am letting you know, without shame, that I have given you my hard-earned money.
Now you got me here _____ call your name
I am in a position where I have to call out your name to get your attention.
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
I am telling you that I don't want any of your negative behavior or habits.
I stood here calling you all night long
I have been standing here trying to get your attention all night long.
You know baby you've been doing me wrong
You are aware that you have been treating me badly.
And I ain't gonna put you back to the way you do
I am not going to let you treat me badly again.
You can't be me mine somebody else's too
You cannot have me and someone else at the same time.
I dig a ditch and I done got tired
I have been working hard, digging a ditch, and I am now tired.
I ______ much obliged
I am very appreciative of what you have done for me.
Now lookie here baby what you telling me to beat
I am asking you what problems you are trying to cause for me.
Walking around snow sour or sweet
You are acting both in a happy and unhappy manner.
And you got away but sure I don't like
You may have escaped my grip, but I am not happy with you.
You give me your money then you takes it back
You gave me money, but then took it back from me.
Now look here baby I don't wanna make you mad
I do not want to anger or upset you.
I give you everything and what I had
I have given you everything I have, including my love and devotion.
You can come and baby sit on my knees
You can come and sit on my knees like a child, in hopes of comfort.
I'd do anything to give your poor heart ease
I am willing to do anything to ease your suffering or pain.
Look here man I don't want that junk outta you
I am telling you again that I do not want any of your negative behavior or habits.
Writer(s): kansas joe mccoy, memphis minnie
Contributed by Julian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.