The Mississippi Sheiks consisted mainly of the Chatmon family, who came from Bolton, Mississippi and were well known throughout the Mississippi Delta. The father of the family had been a "musicianer" (someone with good technical ability on his or her instrument adept at sight-reading written music) during slavery times, and his children carried on the musical spirit. Their most famous (although by no means permanent) member was Armenter Chatmon - better known as Bo Carter - who managed a successful solo career as well as playing with the Sheiks, which may have contributed to their success.
When the band first recorded in 1930, the line-up consisted of Carter with Lonnie and Sam Chatmon, and Walter Vinson. Charlie McCoy (not to be confused with Charlie McCoy, a later American musician) played later, when Bo Carter and Sam Chatmon ceased playing full time. It was Lonnie Chatmon and Vinson who formed the real center of the group.
Bo Carter's solo work is notable for being sexually suggestive in songs and this is carried on to an extent with the group. They primarily earned their income like Robert Johnson and Skip James. They toured throughout the Southern United States, but also reached as far north as Chicago and New York.
Their first and biggest success was "Sitting on Top of the World" (1930), later to be recorded by Bob Wills (numerous times), Howlin' Wolf, Nat King Cole, Bill Monroe, Harry Belafonte, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Cream, Grateful Dead, Jeff Healey, John Lee Hooker, Bill Frisell and Jack White, and re-done by Robert Johnson, as "Come On in My Kitchen". The song was also the theme to the film A Face in the Crowd (1957) produced by Elia Kazan and starring Andy Griffith. Throughout their five active years, the Mississippi Sheiks recorded over seventy songs for the Okeh, Paramount and Bluebird labels.
Their last recording session as the Mississippi Sheiks was in 1936. Bo made a few more sessions on his own, but by 1938 he too was dropped. When the band dissolved, the Chatmon brothers gave up music and returned to farming.
The Sheiks and related groups under other names, such as Mississippi Mud Steppers and Blacksnakes, recorded about a hundred sides in the first half of the 1930s, among them original compositions (probably by Vinson) like "The World is Going Wrong" and "I've Got Blood in My Eyes For You" (1931) - both recorded by Bob Dylan - or the topical "Sales Tax" (1934).
Sam Chatmon made more recordings in the 1960s and Walter Vinson contributed three selections (using the Mississippi Sheiks band name) to Riverside's 1961 series, Chicago: The Living Legends.
In 2004, they were inducted in the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame. Their 1930 blues single "Sitting on Top of the World" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.
In 1978 Rory Gallagher recorded a tribute song "The Mississippi Sheiks" for his Photo Finish album.
In 2009, Black Hen Music released Things About Comin' My Way, a tribute album to the Mississippi Sheiks. The album's seventeen artists include Bruce Cockburn, Bill Frisell, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Geoff Muldaur, Kelly Joe Phelps and John Hammond.
In 2013 Jack White's Third Man Records teamed up with Document Records to reissue The Complete Recorded Works in Chronological Order of Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell and The Mississippi Sheiks.
Please Don't Wake It Up
Mississippi Sheiks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time they move it, Lord, it can't be still
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
I may be right, I may be wrong
Can't get to some girls' house for old Armstrong
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
They may have good hair, they may look neat
But when you take off their shoe, you can smell their stinking feet
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
"Oh, don't wake it up
It'll be too black bad"
Now, some of these girls, they'll call you honey
But when you go to their house, they will smell mighty funny
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
I'm going to tell you something baby, you know it's just right
Get you a bar of P and G and take a bath tonight
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
She got up this morning, she looking mighty sweet
The mens all thought she's something good to eat
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
Some days I worry, some days I don't
Babe, you got something that I sure, Lord, want
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
You may look sorry, you may look mad
You ain't got nothing that I wished I had
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
The Mississippi Sheiks’ “Please Don’t Wake It Up” is, on the surface, a simple song about a pretty girl who has a certain something about her that moves in ways the singer can’t quite put a finger on. The girl’s mystery is heightened by the fact that the singer warns against waking her up, as it could lead to something “too black bad.” There is an element of mystery and danger to the girl, as if she is not to be trifled with or disturbed.
However, the song is also rife with sexual undertones and innuendo. The line “Every time they move it, Lord, it can’t be still” suggests that the girl is constantly in motion, possibly due to sexual excitement. The warning not to “wake it up” can also be interpreted as a warning not to arouse the girl sexually. The revelation that taking off their shoe reveals stinking feet hints at the idea of revealing something ugly or unpleasant, despite initial appearances of beauty.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a woman who is simultaneously alluring, mysterious, and potentially dangerous. The sexual references add a layer of depth and complexity to the song, making it much more than just a simple tune about a pretty girl.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the girl's got something, I don't know what it is
The singer is unsure of what is special about the girl but acknowledges that there is something unique about her
Every time they move it, Lord, it can't be still
Something about the girl is always moving and changing
Oh, don't wake it up, oh, don't wake it up
The girl's special quality should be left alone and undisturbed
Now if you do, it will be too black bad
If the girl's special quality is disturbed, something bad will happen
Can't get to some girls' house for old Armstrong
The singer is unable to physically reach some girls' houses due to distance or other constraints
They may have good hair, they may look neat
Some girls may appear well-kept and groomed
But when you take off their shoe, you can smell their stinking feet
Despite their outward appearance, some girls have bad hygiene and smelly feet
Now, some of these girls, they'll call you honey
Some girls may use affectionate terms when addressing the singer
But when you go to their house, they will smell mighty funny
Despite their sweet words, some girls' homes have unpleasant odors
I'm going to tell you something baby, you know it's just right
The singer is going to give advice that he knows is helpful
Get you a bar of P and G and take a bath tonight
The singer suggests that the listener should use a specific soap brand to take a bath
She got up this morning, she looking mighty sweet
The girl looked attractive and appealing in the morning
The mens all thought she's something good to eat
Men were attracted to the girl and found her desirable
Some days I worry, some days I don't
The singer sometimes has concerns or anxieties, but not always
Babe, you got something that I sure, Lord, want
The singer is attracted to the girl's unique quality and desires it for himself
You may look sorry, you may look mad
The girl may appear unhappy or disheveled at times
You ain't got nothing that I wished I had
Despite her appearances, the singer is content with what he has and does not envy the girl
Contributed by Allison O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.