His parents, who were farmers, died when McDowell was a youth. He started playing guitar at the age of 14 and played at dances around Rossville. Wanting a change from ploughing fields, he moved to Memphis in 1926 where he worked in a number of jobs and played music for tips. He settled in Como, Mississippi, about 40 miles south of Memphis, in 1940 or 1941, and worked steadily as a farmer, continuing to perform music at dances, and picnics. Initially he played slide guitar using a pocket knife and then a slide made from a beef rib bone, later switching to a glass slide for its clearer sound. He played with the slide on his ring finger.
A pure hill country blues musician, he played "just the straight, natural blues," and he "do not play no rock and roll." McDowell initially played the recognizable resonator guitar but, during tours and recordings beginning in the 1960s, he adopted the use of electric guitar and was probably the first original delta- or country blues musician to do so. McDowell's style is distinctive and recognizable; perhaps the dirtiest sounding guitarist ever and one of the most influential. The slide guitar styles of Bonnie Raitt as well as Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, as well as Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys are all heavily influenced by McDowell's technique.
McDowell died of cancer in 1972 and is buried at Hammond Hill M.B. Church, between Como and Senatobia. On August 6, 1993 a memorial was placed on the gravesite of Mississippi Fred McDowell at the Hammond Hill Baptist Church cemetery by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund.
Good Morning Little School Girl
Mississippi Fred McDowell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good mornin', little schoolgirl
Can I go?
Can I go home wit' you?
Tell yo' mama an yo' papa
Lord, I'm a li'l schoolboy, too
Come on, be my baby
I'll buy you a diamond
I'll buy you a diamond ring
If you don't like that, baby
I ain't gon' buy ya a doggone thing
I don't know, hardly
I don't know, hardly
What in this world
What in this world to do
I don't mean to hurt yo' feelings
Or even get mad with you
I 'member way back, babe
I 'member way back, babe
When I was young age
When I was young, age-a nine
Lord, I thinkin' about my schoolday
It sho' did worry on my mind.
The song "Good Morning Little School Girl" by Mississippi Fred McDowell is a classic blues song that speaks to a young girl who is walking to school. The first verse portrays the singer asking the girl if he can walk her home after school. He tells her he too is a little schoolboy and asks her to tell her mama and papa. The next verse is an attempt to woo the young girl, telling her he will buy her a diamond ring if she agrees to be with him. He emphasizes that he will not buy her anything if she does not accept his request.
The chorus of the song is a repetition of the first two lines of the first verse, and the third verse is the singer reflecting on his own past as a young schoolboy. He remembers how his schooldays used to worry his mind.
The song may seem innocuous on the surface, but it is important to note the context in which it was written. The lyrics could either refer to a young boy trying to court a girl his age or an older man trying to court an underage girl. Either way, the lyrics can be seen as problematic, as they suggest a power imbalance between the two parties.
Line by Line Meaning
Good mornin', little schoolgirl
Greeting addressed to a young lady who attends school
Good mornin', little schoolgirl
Repeated greeting addressed to the same young lady who attends school
Can I go?
Expressing a desire to accompany the young lady home
Can I go home wit' you?
Requesting permission to accompany the young lady to her residence
Tell yo' mama an yo' papa
Asking the young lady to inform her parents of his presence and intentions
Lord, I'm a li'l schoolboy, too
Revealing that he is in the same age range as the young lady and also attends school
Come on, be my baby
Inviting the young lady to consider a romantic relationship
Come on, be my baby
Repeating the invitation to the young lady
I'll buy you a diamond
Promising to purchase an expensive gift for the young lady
I'll buy you a diamond ring
Being specific about the expensive gift to be purchased
If you don't like that, baby
Acknowledging that the young lady may not be impressed by material possessions
I ain't gon' buy ya a doggone thing
Deciding not to purchase any expensive gifts if they are not appreciated
I don't know, hardly
Admitting to having limited knowledge regarding a particular topic
What in this world
Expressing confusion or bewilderment about something
What in this world to do
Questioning how to proceed in a situation
I don't mean to hurt yo' feelings
Clarifying that he does not intend to cause emotional pain
Or even get mad with you
Assuring the young lady that there is no cause for anger or hostility
I 'member way back, babe
Reflecting on a past experience
I 'member way back, babe
Repeating the reflection on a past experience
When I was young age
Recalling a time when he was a child
When I was young, age-a nine
Being specific about the age at which the past experience occurred
Lord, I thinkin' about my schoolday
Revealing that he is reflecting on his past experiences as a student
It sho' did worry on my mind.
Admitting that his school days caused him anxiety or stress
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: FRED MCDOWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patvickers8189
Hey! Don't forget that one of you Brits jad a project much like Alan Lomax! They traveled the south and hunted down and recorded blues men also!
But I've still got a couple on ya!
I've walked the streets of Como barefooted!
And I had an illegal immigrant friend by the name of South.
Yup! He was South Hampton! 😂 Better yet, he worked at the Union Jax Pub in Memphis Tennessee! I miss him and I miss the pub!
@davisworth5114
I was blessed to be able to meet and play with Fred in 1971 in Seattle. I prefer his acoustic recordings. Fred was a very upbeat, kind, good-natured person and a real gentleman. As a concert promoter for the Seattle Folklore Society I was blessed to meet so many of the original bluesmen. The Stones recorded his version of "you Got to Move".
@dennisdistant
Did you meet and got to hear and see Son House play too?
@davisworth5114
@Dennis No, but he played in Seattle before I was involved, Skip James also played in Seattle via the Folklore Society, also Lightnin' Hopkins, Doc Watson, Bukka White, Rev. Gary Davis, and many more. Like I say, I feel truly blessed to meet and learn from the greats, thanks.
@Aphrodite_ErosLuvChild214-80
Them Mississippi men are gentlemen.. my hubby still opens doors, walks an umbrella around to my side if the car , holds door sort of thing ... I love being treated like a lady ... he's so sweet to me .
@eduardoleon2936
How is he?
@stevetrivago
Awesomeness
@giannibianco1950
Don't let this music die !
@fackinmidgietook6953
pick it up and help
@TheLsigala
Please don't!
@MirnaTorreszuniga-ze1ek
The BEST Will never die ,It could be forget for some time but It Will reborn,cause It IS really goog became from the deepest of eeuu people's soul(sorry x my bad english)