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.
What's The Matter With The Mill
Memphis Minnie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(spoken:
Say Minnie!
Where you going?
MM:
(spoken:
What you want, Kansas Joe?
Have my corn ground
KJ:
For what?
Ahw, that old mill is done broke down
I'm just from down there
MM:
How do you know?
Ahw, and it broke you down
KJ:
Ahw, no, I went to get my corn ground
It done broke down
Yeah, it done broke down)
MM:
What's the matter with the mill?
Done broke down?)
MM:
Can't get no grinding, tell me what's the matter with the mill
Well, I had a little corn, I put it in a sack
Brought it to the mill and come right back
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
KJ:
It done broke down
It done broke down
MM:
(spoken: Ahw, grind it)
Now listen here folks, I don't want no stuff
You can't bring me my meal, bring me the husks
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
KJ:
It done broke down
It done broke down
MM:
Well, my papa sat and cried, my brother did, too
They both been to the mill, they can't get nothing to do
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
KJ:
It done broke down
It done broke down
Now listen here folks, I want you to bear this in mind
If you're going to the mill, you're just losing time
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
KJ:
It done broke down
It done broke down
(spoken: Aww, grind it again)
The song "What's The Matter With The Mill" by Memphis Minnie is a classic blues tune that tells a story of frustration and disappointment due to a broken down mill. The song opens with a conversation between Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe. Minnie is on her way to the mill to have her corn ground, but Kansas Joe informs her that the mill has broken down. The back-and-forth between the two is a commentary on the struggles of agriculture in the south during the early 20th century. The repeated refrain "What's the matter with the mill?" emphasizes the frustration that comes from being unable to accomplish what needs to be done due to external circumstances.
The song goes on to describe how Minnie brought her corn to the mill, but was unable to have it ground. She is forced to bring home the husks instead of the meal she was expecting. Her father and brother also have no luck at the mill, and the song ends with the warning that going to the mill is just "losing time."
Line by Line Meaning
Say Minnie!
Where you going?
Kansas Joe greets Minnie as she leaves and asks where she's going.
What you want, Kansas Joe?
I'm going to the mill; what do you think?
Have my corn ground
Minnie tells Kansas Joe that she's going to the mill to have her corn ground.
For what?
Ahw, that old mill is done broke down
I'm just from down there
Kansas Joe tells Minnie that the mill is broken down, and he just came from there.
How do you know?
Ahw, and it broke you down
Minnie questions how Kansas Joe knows that the mill broke him down.
What's the matter with the mill?
Done broke down?
Minnie asks what is wrong with the mill, indicating it must be broken down.
Can't get no grinding, tell me what's the matter with the mill
Minnie reiterates that she can't get her corn ground and wants to know what is wrong with the mill.
Well, I had a little corn, I put it in a sack
Brought it to the mill and come right back
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
Minnie explains that she brought her corn to the mill but couldn't get it ground, and she repeats the question of what is wrong with the mill.
It done broke down
It done broke down
Kansas Joe repeats that the mill is broken down.
Now listen here folks, I don't want no stuff
You can't bring me my meal, bring me the husks
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
Minnie says that she doesn't want anything else, just her meal, and she asks again what is wrong with the mill because she can't get her corn ground.
Well, my papa sat and cried, my brother did, too
They both been to the mill, they can't get nothing to do
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
Minnie tells a story of how her father and brother also went to the mill but had no luck getting anything done, and she repeats the question of what is wrong with the mill.
Now listen here folks, I want you to bear this in mind
If you're going to the mill, you're just losing time
What's the matter with the mill?
What's the matter with the mill?
I can't get no grinding
Tell me what's the matter with the mill
Minnie warns others that going to the mill is a waste of time because it is broken down, and she repeats the question of what is wrong with the mill.
It done broke down
It done broke down
Aww, grind it again
Kansas Joe repeats that the mill is broken down, but Minnie tells him to grind it again anyway.
Contributed by Olivia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sherrybirchall8677
Thank you so much for posting this. It's one of my favorites, and in spite of all the people posting Memphis Minnie, you are the only one who posts this song. ❤
@giovanniiorio2170
Some good soul out there that could write the lyrics of this masterpiece!!!
Ty for posting . God bless you all
@sailgoal
One of my all time favorite songs. These two were so cute. That rolling solo so sweet. Kids today just don't know nothing.
@creaketh
Idk about that. I'm 21 and I listen to a lot of this stuff, and I'm sure there are others too. It's just not mainsteam since it's "outdated", despite being very good.
@eternallife9786
They're probably like most people they prefer the music they grew up with like I'm only in my thirties and I'm not prefer all the ragtime hillbilly string bands and Western swing groups jug bands and yodeling cowboys you just got to be open to outdated and you also kind of have to have tough skin what happens if people think older music was more appropriate for everyone and that's mostly true as far as basic knowledge but people also got a realize there were reefer blues and jazz songs about drugs and sex play me a songs with derogatory slurs granted it's not like today where people can make songs about those things and it becomes complete mainstream
@tmdaze9281
I’m 19 now but I’ve been listening to these types of songs since I was 13
@mathewfines8727
LOVE Memphis Minnie!
@calogerobiagiomontalbano7759
Mamma Mia che Musica !!!!!
@kyungkukang
Favorite , Brilliant !!
@RanchRadio
kyungku kang Glad you enjoyed it.