Mississippi Fred McDowell was born Fred McDowell in Rossville, Tennessee, J… Read Full Bio ↴Mississippi Fred McDowell was born Fred McDowell in Rossville, Tennessee, January 12, 1904. He died in Memphis,Tennessee on July 3, 1972. He was a blues singer and guitar player in the North Mississippi style.

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.

Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
Mississippi Fred McDowell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fred:
Well, keep a-your lamp
Annie Mae:
(Trimmed an burnin')

Keep a-your lamp
(Oh, trimmed an burnin')
Keep a-your lamp

(Oh, trimmed an burnin')
See what the Lord have done

Don't be (worried)
Don't (you get worried)
Don't be (worried)
See what the Lord have done

Don't
Well, don't (you worry)
Well, don't (you worry)
See what the Lord have done

(Oh, keep a-yo' lamp)
(Oh, keep a-yo' lamp)
(Oh, keep a-yo' lamp)
(See what the Lord have done)

Well, don't (you worry)
Don't (you worry)
Don't (you worry)
See what the Lord have done

Well, don't get worried
Chillen, don't (you get worried)
Chillen, don't you get worried
See what the Lord have done

Well, keep your lamp
(All trimmed an burnin')
Keep-a your lamp
(All trimmed an burnin')
Keep-a your lamp
(All trimmed an burnin')
See what the Lord have done

Chillen, don't get worried
Chillen, don't you get worried

Chillen, don't get worried
See what the Lord have done.

Overall Meaning

"Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning," which was originally a gospel standard, invites us to keep our lamps – a metaphor for our souls – burning for Christ. McDowell is encouraging his listeners to look up to the saved people who came before them and be diligent on their own spiritual path. He is urging people to keep the energy flowing by staying active, keeping the faith and not losing their hope. The song has a spiritual message that aims at admonishing the audience to stay steadfast in their faith and the belief that the Lord has a great plan for them.

The verses are repetitive, with the call and response structure emphasizing the energy surrounding the song. Sometimes, Mississippi Fred McDowell will respond to the calls on the guitar, making the song even more energetic. The song’s upbeat rhythm suggests that listeners should not be afraid to take part in the celebration of the Lord's work. The song has an echo that McDowell's voice can elicit, taking the audience down a spiritual journey that heightens their overall experience.

Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and BurningMississippi Fred McDowell Lyrics

Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning
Mississippi Fred McDowell Lyrics