Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906, Elmar, Arkansas – July 17, 1983, New Orl… Read Full Bio ↴Roosevelt Sykes (January 31, 1906, Elmar, Arkansas – July 17, 1983, New Orleans, Louisiana) was an American blues musician, also known as "The Honeydripper". He was a successful and prolific cigar-chomping blues piano player, whose rollicking thundering boogie-woogie was highly influential.

Sykes had a long career spanning the pre-war and postwar eras. His pounding piano boogies and risqué lyrics characterize his contributions to the blues. He was responsible for influential blues songs such as "44 Blues", "Driving Wheel", and "Night Time Is the Right Time".
He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Gennett Records Walk of Fame in 2011.

Born in Elmar, Arkansas, Sykes grew up near Helena but at age 15, went on the road playing piano with a barrelhouse style of blues. Like many bluesmen of his time, he travelled around playing to all-male audiences in sawmill, turpentine and levee camps along the Mississippi River, gathering a repertoire of raw, sexually explicit material. His wanderings eventually brought him to St. Louis, Missouri, where he met St. Louis Jimmy Oden.
In 1929 he was spotted by a talent scout and sent to New York to record for Okeh Records. His first release was "'44' Blues" which became a blues standard and his trademark. He quickly began recording for multiple labels under various names including 'Easy Papa Johnson', 'Dobby Bragg' and 'Willie Kelly'. After he and Oden moved to Chicago he found his first period of fame when he signed with Decca Records in 1934. In 1943, he signed with Bluebird Records and recorded with 'The Honeydrippers'.
In Chicago, Sykes began to display an increasing urbanity in his lyric-writing, using an eight-bar blues pop gospel structure instead of the traditional twelve-bar blues. However, despite the growing urbanity of his outlook, he gradually became less competitive in the post-World War II music scene. After his RCA Victor contract expired, he continued to record for smaller labels, such as United, until his opportunities ran out in the mid 1950s.
Roosevelt left Chicago in 1954 for New Orleans as electric blues was taking over the Chicago blues clubs. When he returned to recording in the 1960s it was for labels such as Delmark, Bluesville, Storyville and Folkways that were documenting the quickly passing blues history. He lived out his final years in New Orleans, where he died from a heart attack on July 17, 1983.

Dirty Mother for You
Roosevelt Sykes Lyrics

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Squeeze me, baby
Don't let me fall
I got to put this mule
To jumpin' in yo' stall
He gon' be a kickin' muther *fer you
Don't ya know?
He gon' be a kickin' muther fer you
Don't ya know?

Gon' be a jumpin' muther fer you
An I wouldn't tell a-you no lie

Squeeze me tight, darlin'
An don't let me fall
You know I been lovin' you
Ever since way last fall
Lovin' mother fer you
Don't you know?
Lovin' mother fer you
Don't you know?
I'm a lovin' muther for you
An I wouldn't tell a-you no lie
Mercy!

Now, there sits a man
Look like he's sour on lemons
He got a mouth like a possum
Look like he be needin' persimmon
Persimmon eatin' muther fer you
Don't you know?
He's a persimmon eatin' muther fer you
Don't you know?
He's a persimmon eatin' muther fer you
An I wouldn't tell you no lie
Mercy!

'Let her ride a while'

'Mercy' (persimmon private)

'Oh yeah'

'Whoa, yeah'

Now, there's a fine little sexatary
And they call her Terry
All's she need now, is a big Dick-tionary
She'd be a readin' muther fer you
Don't you know?
A spellin' muther fer you
Don't you know?
She's an educated muther fer you
And I wouldn't tell a-you no lie

Mercy!

Now, mama got a hotdog
And it ain't cold
It's just right
To fit yo' roll
It's a fittin' muther for you
Don't you know?
It's gonna be a tight muther fer you
Don't you know?
And it's about a foot long muther fer you
Wouldn't tell you no lie, my, my!

Try it out!

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Dirty Mother For You - 2:32 (Trk 5)
Roosevelt Sykes - piano & vocal
Recorded: December 30, 1971
Producer: G.H. Buck Jr.

Jazz City Studios, New Orleans, LA
Album: Roosevelt Sykes 'Dirty Mother For You'

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roosevelt Sykes's "Dirty Mother for You" are full of innuendo and suggestive language. The song is essentially about a man trying to persuade a woman to have sex with him, using various comparisons and metaphors. The imagery in the song is quite colourful, with the singer talking about "putting this mule to jumping in your stall" and being a "lovin' mother for you." The overall tone of the song is playful and flirtatious, with the singer trying to convince the woman of his abilities in the bedroom.

The lyrics are full of double meanings, which is characteristic of many blues songs. The phrase "dirty mother" is itself a euphemism for sex, while other phrases such as "fittin' mother" and "kickin' mother" also have sexual connotations. The song is also notable for its use of slang and colloquial language, which adds to its charm and authenticity. Sykes's piano playing is another highlight of the song, with the upbeat rhythm and bluesy melodies providing a catchy backdrop for the lyrics.

Dirty Mother for YouRoosevelt Sykes Lyrics

Dirty Mother for You
Roosevelt Sykes Lyrics