Pamela Means' many honors include being named Falcon Ridge Folk Festival's #1 "Most Wanted New Artist", and both Wisconsin's "Folk Artist of the Year", and "Female Vocalist of the Year". Pamela has also been a Boston Music Award Nominee ("Outstanding Contemporary Folk Artist").
Currently, Pamela performs over 150 shows a year at clubs, coffeehouses, colleges, and festivals across the country, most notably the Newport Folk Festival, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, South by Southwest Conference, Southern Womyn's Fest, and Michigan Womyn's Festival. Pamela is also a favorite at innumerable regional Gay Pride events, Take Back the Night rallies, and Black History Month celebrations. Pamela has shared the stage with artists including Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez, Neil Young, Shawn Colvin, Richie Havens, Patty Larkin, Melissa Ferrick, Violent Femmes, Pete Seeger, Janis Ian, and Holly Near.
Pamela's 2003 summer tour took her nationwide, promoting her fifth self-released album, Single Bullet Theory (Wirl Records, 2003), in which "...Means fires off what is easily one of the best musical summanations of our current political situation.." (Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco, CA)
Quoting her inspiration, Warrior Poet Audre Lorde, Pamela asks "I am myself- a Black woman warrior poet doing my work- come to ask you, are you doing yours?" With Truth as ammunition, a Pamela Means performance brings the fight for social justice and human dignity to the forefront of a new generation..
Maggie's Farm
Pamela Means Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning, fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub that floor
And I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel, he charge you a dime
He asks you with a grin if you are having a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
And I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Well, he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window, it is made out of bricks
And the National Guard stands around his door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
No, I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well, she talks to the servants about man and God and law
Everybody says she's the brains behind pa
She's sixty-eight, but she says she's twenty-four
And I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I try my best to be just like I am
But everybody wants you to be just like them
They sing while you slave and I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
The song "Maggie's Farm" by Pamela Means is a powerful protest song that highlights the struggles of workers in the United States farm industry. The lyrics symbolize the frustrations of not only farmworkers, but anyone who is oppressed and exploited by their employers. In the song, the singer expresses his refusal to work on "Maggie's Farm" any longer, due to the unfair treatment he received from Maggie and her family members.
The first verse of the song sets the tone, with the singer waking up in the morning and praying for rain, as he is too tired and frustrated to go to work. He has several ideas in his head, but he cannot express them due to the stress of his work. The second verse talks about Maggie's brother, who charges the singer for every minor mistake he makes, and even fines him for shutting the door too hard. The third verse portrays Maggie's father as an abusive employer, who puts out his cigar on the singer's face and has the National Guard stand outside his door. The fourth verse depicts Maggie's mother, who is the matriarch of the family and is known for her cunning ways.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's conviction that he will no longer work on Maggie's farm. He insists that he will not be a slave to anyone and will not conform to anyone's expectations of him. The song is a statement of rebellion against the unjust working conditions faced by many Americans during the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I refuse to continue working on Maggie's farm
Well, I wake up in the morning, fold my hands and pray for rain
Every morning, I wake up and pray for rain because I hate working on Maggie's farm so much
I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane
I have so many creative ideas in my head that working on Maggie's farm is suffocating them and driving me crazy
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub that floor
Maggie forces me to scrub the floor, which is a degrading task and I don't want to do it anymore
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
I won't work for Maggie's brother anymore too
Well, he hands you a nickel, he charge you a dime
Maggie's brother pays you a little but takes a lot back with his charges
He asks you with a grin if you are having a good time
Maggie's brother makes fun of you by asking if you're having fun while working hard for him
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
Maggie's brother imposes fines on you every time you accidentally slam the door
And I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
I won't work for Maggie's brother anymore either
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I won't work for Maggie's father anymore
Well, he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks
Maggie's father finds pleasure in putting out his cigar on your face as you work
His bedroom window, it is made out of bricks
Maggie's father's bedroom window is so fortified, it's like a fortress
And the National Guard stands around his door
Maggie's father has the National Guard protecting him at his door, which is ridiculous
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I won't work for Maggie's father anymore either
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I won't work for Maggie's mother anymore
Well, she talks to the servants about man and God and law
Maggie's mother is always talking to the servants about religion, politics, and the law
Everybody says she's the brains behind pa
Everyone thinks that Maggie's mother is the real driving force behind her husband's power and status
She's sixty-eight, but she says she's twenty-four
Maggie's mother is lying about her age and trying to act like she's young and hip
And I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I won't work for Maggie's mother anymore either
Well, I try my best to be just like I am
I strive to be authentic and true to myself
But everybody wants you to be just like them
Everyone tries to fit you into their own mold, but I resist that pressure
They sing while you slave and I just get bored
Everyone else seems to enjoy singing while working hard, but I find it monotonous and unfulfilling
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
As before, I definitely won't work on Maggie's farm anymore
Contributed by Makayla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.