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.
Sylvester and His Mule Blues
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester went out on his lot, and he looked at his mule
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
He cried, "Oh, lord, believe I'm gonna lose my home"
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
(spoken: Play it, Dennis)
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
First time he called, he get him somebody else
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt
First time he called, he get him somebody else
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
catch that big, black jackass and go to the field
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
catch that big, black jackass and go to the field
The song "Sylvester and His Mule Blues" by Memphis Minnie tells a story about a man named Sylvester who is facing the possibility of losing his home. He decides to reach out to the President for help and prays for a solution. In the end, he receives a message from a representative of the President, who instructs him to catch his mule and return to the field to rest easy.
The song is a reflection of the struggles of African Americans during the Great Depression, a time when many people were losing their homes and businesses. Sylvester's plea for help from the President reflects the belief that the government was responsible for providing assistance during times of economic hardship. The song also highlights the role of religion in African American culture - Sylvester turns to prayer as a source of comfort and hope during his struggles.
Overall, "Sylvester and His Mule Blues" is a poignant representation of the social and economic challenges faced by African Americans during the Great Depression, and the ways they turned to religion and government for support.
Line by Line Meaning
Sylvester went out on his lot, he looked at his mule
Sylvester went outside and looked at his mule.
And he decided he send the President some news
Sylvester decided to notify the President of the situation.
Sylvester walked out across his field, begin to pray and moan
Sylvester walked across his field and started to pray and lament.
He cried, "Oh, lord, believe I'm gonna lose my home"
He lamented, "Oh Lord, I believe I'm going to lose my home."
(spoken: Play it, Dennis)
Not applicable.
He thought about the President, he got on the wire
He thought about notifying the President and made a phone call.
"If I lose my home, I believe I'll die"
"If I lose my home, I think it will kill me."
First time he called, he get him somebody else
The first person to answer wasn't the President.
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to Mr. President Roosevelt
"I don't want to talk to that man, I want to speak to President Roosevelt."
He said, "Now, Sylvester, you can rest at ease
The President reassured Sylvester that things will be okay.
catch that big, black jackass and go to the field
He told Sylvester to catch his mule and work on the field.
Contributed by Chloe Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ellenie Ash
I do believe she recorded this at the heart of the Great Depression, didn't she?
Arjhendrix
bliss channel thank you