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.
When I Lay My Burden Down
Mississippi Fred McDowell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I lay my burden down
Oh glory, glo'
Hallelu'
When I lay my burden down
I'm goin' home to
Oh, when I lay my burden
Ooh, I'm goin' home
Live with Jesus
When I lay my burden down
All my troubles will be
Oh, when I lay my
Mmm, my trouble
When I lay my burden down
(guitar & clapping)
I'm gon' meet my, lovin' mother
When I lay my burden down
I'm gonna meet my
When I lay my burden down
Glory, glory
Mmm, when I lay my burden down
Glory, glory
When I lay my burden down.
~
The lyrics of Mississippi Fred McDowell's song "When I Lay My Burden Down" are a reflection of the hope and faith of the singer. The song talks about how the singer's burdens will be lifted when they lay them down and return home to God. The repetition of lines "Hallelujah" and "Glory" convey the joy and relief that the singer will feel when they are free of their troubles.
The lyrics also mention the singer's hope of reuniting with family members who have passed away, specifically their mother. This adds a personal touch to the song and reflects the idea of finding peace and comfort in the afterlife. The use of clapping and guitar in the instrumental parts adds to the uplifting and celebratory tone of the song.
Overall, "When I Lay My Burden Down" is a song that speaks to the human desire to find comfort and relief from life's struggles. It reflects the hope and faith that many people have in finding peace and reuniting with loved ones after death.
Line by Line Meaning
Hallelujah
Expressing praise and glory to God
When I lay my burden down
Referring to the end of a difficult time or struggle
Oh glory, glo'
Expressing joy and excitement for a release from burdens
Hallelu'
A shortened version of Hallelujah
I'm goin' home to
Looking forward to returning to a place of comfort and safety
Oh, when I lay my burden
Referring to the end of a difficult time or struggle
Ooh, I'm goin' home
Anticipating a positive outcome
Live with Jesus
The hope for a peaceful afterlife in heaven
All my troubles will be
Relief from hardships and struggles
Mmm, my trouble
The current struggles and hardships
When I lay my burden down
Referring to the end of a difficult time or struggle
(guitar & clapping)
Musical interlude
I'm gon' meet my, lovin' mother
Anticipation for being reunited with a loved one who has passed away
When I lay my burden down
Referring to the end of a difficult time or struggle
I'm gonna meet my
Anticipation for a positive outcome
Glory, glory
Expressing joy and excitement for a release from burdens
Mmm, when I lay my burden down
Referring to the end of a difficult time or struggle
Glory, glory
Expressing joy and excitement for a release from burdens
When I lay my burden down.
Referring to the end of a difficult time or struggle
Contributed by Grace R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cody Moraga
That guitar by itself can sing better then anyone I could think of today. Amazing.
Ethan Hammond
Once you hear it you'll cry at the beauty
Ethan Hammond
Cody Moraga do you hear the colored women singing the lyrics to this song?
cora Visser
Brilliant i do love all of his blues.He was a super talent and his Blues will be always going on and on happenly.
jenny_jenny_nc
"..no more troubles...over yonder.. when I lay my burden down..."
PRAISE be to God. Blessed be to the Lord. Whomever your Lord may be. .. love to everyone.🙏❤
Rusty Chains
Truely awesome. The sad thing is we are never going to see the likes of Mississippi Fred again. Truely Legend.
GL Morticia
His eyes look sad when he plays...I can only imagine what his life must have been like as a black man from the south back then. As talented as he was, life still must have been hard.
Josephine8019
Mississippi is a rough state even to this day .. my beautiful black husband is from there.. it's a poor state for sure .. roads are rough , low wages .. nice homes for the low , but if live there gotta do some home base job to find the income .. racism is still really bad there and very much talked about .. I'm just up state in Tn and it's different here .. but to be real life is hard no matter how you look at it .
Ethan Hammond
How is this so perfect and beautiful? Some will try forever to harmonize with them selves and the world like this. But it won't happen, only Fred could play this Raunch!
Jim Hamilton
That was great stuff from a classic blues master. Thanks for posting!