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.
Drivin' wheel
Roosevelt Sykes Lyrics
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My baby don't have to worry, she don't have to rob and steal
I give her everything she needs, I am her driving wheel
She left me this morning, she said she would be back soon
She left me this morning, she said she would be back soon
She'll be back early Friday morning, either Saturday in the afternoon
Everytime she walks, she shake like a leaf trembling on a tree
She said come home daddy, here's where you get steak, potatoes and tea
The lyrics of Roosevelt Sykes's song "Drivin Wheel" describe the dynamic of a loving relationship in which the male partner takes care of his female partner. He emphasizes his trust in her and promises her security and comfort in their life together. The lines "My baby don't have to worry, she don't have to rob and steal / I give her everything she needs, I am her driving wheel" portray the idea that with him as her driving wheel, she does not have to resort to any negative means to survive.
In the second verse, the singer reveals that his love interest has left him, but he is confident that she will return soon. He knows her schedule and predicts her return on either Friday morning or Saturday afternoon. Even though she left without explanation, he is not worried because he trusts her and their relationship. The final verse refers to the female's confidence and allure when she walks, combining sexuality with traditional domesticity. The lyric "She said come home daddy, here's where you get steak, potatoes, and tea" further emphasizes the nurturing role she sustains as a woman.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby don't have to worry, she don't have to rob and steal
My partner does not have to engage in nefarious activities to get what she needs
I give her everything she needs, I am her driving wheel
I provide for my partner's needs and want to be her support system
She left me this morning, she said she would be back soon
My partner left me for a short while
She'll be back early Friday morning, either Saturday in the afternoon
My partner informed me of her expected return time
Everytime she walks, she shake like a leaf trembling on a tree
My partner gets nervous when she walks
She said come home daddy, here's where you get steak, potatoes and tea
My partner wants me to come home where we can have a meal together
Lyrics © THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ROOSEVELT SYKES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind