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.

You Got To Move
Mississippi Fred McDowell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You got to move, you got to move
You got to move, child, you got to move
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move

You may be high, you may be low
You may be rich, child, you may be poor
But when the Lord gets ready

You've got to move

You see that woman that walk the street
You see that policeman out on his beat
But when the Lord gets ready
You got to move

You got to move, you got to move
You got to move, child, you got to

But when the Lord gets ready
You got to

Overall Meaning

move

The song "You Got to Move" by Mississippi Fred McDowell is a gospel blues track that has been covered by several artists over the years, including The Rolling Stones. The lyrics of the song talk about the inevitability of change and the need to move on, both literally and metaphorically. The song is often interpreted as a reference to the idea of death and the afterlife, where we must leave our physical bodies and move on to the next stage of our existence.

The first verse of the song insists on the need to move, repeating the phrase "you got to move" several times, emphasizing the urgency and importance of this message. The second verse talks about the different ways in which people can be perceived in society, whether rich or poor, and how this does not change our inevitable fate. The third verse talks about the things we see around us, such as people walking down the street or police officers, and how regardless of circumstances, we must all move on when the Lord calls us.

One interesting fact about the song is that it was first recorded by McDowell in 1965, but it wasn't until the early 1970s that it gained popularity among a wider audience, thanks in part to The Rolling Stones' cover of the song. Another interesting fact is that the song has been interpreted by some as a reference to the Civil Rights movement, with the urging to "move" being a call to action for social change.

Line by Line Meaning

You got to move, you got to move
You need to keep moving forward in life.

You got to move, child, you got to move
Young people have to constantly grow and change to succeed.

But when the Lord gets ready
No matter how much control you think you have, a higher power ultimately dictates the course of your life.

You may be high, you may be low
Your socioeconomic status doesn't matter when it comes to personal growth and progress.

You may be rich, child, you may be poor
Regardless of your financial situation, you need to keep evolving as a person.

You see that woman that walk the street
Even those who are marginalized or facing personal struggles must keep moving forward despite obstacles.

You see that policeman out on his beat
Even those in positions of authority or power are not exempt from the need to continuously grow and change.

But when the Lord gets ready
Regardless of how much you think you're moving forward, a higher power will ultimately decide the timing and direction of your journey.

You got to move, you got to move
Once again, you must continue to evolve and develop as a person.

You got to move, child, you got to
This message is particularly important for young people who have their whole lives ahead of them.

But when the Lord gets ready
No matter how much free will you exercise, destiny and fate are ultimately controlled by a higher power.

You got to move
This is the central message of the song: keep moving forward and growing as a person, even when faced with obstacles and challenges.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fred McDowell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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