Maddox was the singer in the Maddox Brothers and Rose, often considered to be "the greatest hillbilly band of all time". In 1996 she was nominated for a Grammy award for her Arhoolie recording $35 and a Dream. Her life story and that of the band were told in the biography, Ramblin' Rose: The Life and Career of Rose Maddox by Jonny Whiteside. ISBN 0-8265-1269-0.
Discography
Maddox Brothers & Rose
* America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band v.1 (Arhoolie Records, 1976/1993)
* America's Most Colorful Hillbilly Band v.2 (Arhoolie, 1995)
* On The Air (Arhoolie, 1983/1996)
* Live On The Radio (1996)
* The Hillbilly Boogie Years (Rockateer, 1996)
* A Collection of Standard Sacred Songs (King, 1956)
* The Most Colorful Hillbilly Band in America (Bear Family, 1998)
Solo/Compilations
* Precious Memories (Columbia, 1958)
* The One Rose (Capitol, 1960)
* Glorybound Train (Capitol, 1961)
* A Big Bouquet of Roses (Capitol, 1961)
* Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass (Capitol, 1962/1996)
* Alone with You (Capitol, 1963)
* Rosie (Starday, 1970)
* Reckless Love & Bold Adventure (Takoma, 1977)
* Rose of the West Coast Country (Arhoolie, 1980)
* This is Rose Maddox (Arhoolie, 1982)
* A Beautiful Bouquet (Arhoolie, 1983)
* Queen of the West (Varrick, 1986)
* California Rose (See for Miles, 1989)
* $35 And A Dream (Arhoolie, 1994)
* The One Rose: The Capitol Years (Bear Family, 1994)
* The Moon is Rising (Country Town Music, 1996)
* "The Legendary Queen Of The West" (Boothill, 2000)
Cotton Fields
Rose Maddox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cottonfields back home
When I was just a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cottonfields back home.
Well, when them cotton bowls get rotten
In them old cottonfields back home
It was down in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cottonfields back home.
--- Instrumental ---
When I was just a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cottonfields back home
When I was just a little bitty baby
My mama would rock me in the cradle
In them old cottonfields back home.
In them old cottonfields back home...
The lyrics to Rose Maddox's "Cotton Fields" speak of a deep connection to home and the memories associated with it. The repetition of the opening lines of the song emphasizes the singer's reminiscence of being rocked in the cradle by her mother in the cottonfields. The use of the term "little bitty baby" brings a sense of vulnerability and innocence to the song. The cottonfields in this song are not just a physical location but hold a certain sentimental value for the singer. It is where she was nurtured, loved, and cared for.
The second verse of the song, "Well, when them cotton bowls get rotten/You can't pick a very much cotton," suggests the hardships and struggles faced by the workers in the cottonfields. The backbreaking work of farming, the unpredictable weather, and the natural decay of crops made it difficult to make a living in the cottonfields. The mention of Louisiana and Texarkana in the third verse alludes to the geography of the region where cotton farming played an integral part in the economy.
The instrumental break in the song allows the listener to fully appreciate the melody and reinforces the emotional content of the lyrics. The repetition of the final line, "In them old cottonfields back home," serves as a chant or mantra, further emphasizing the singer's attachment to the place.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was just a little bitty baby
When I was a newborn
My mama would rock me in the cradle
My mother would soothe me to sleep in a rocking bed
In them old cottonfields back home
In the fields where we cultivated cotton when I lived in my hometown
When them cotton bowls get rotten
When the fiber balls of cotton decay
You can't pick a very much cotton
You can't harvest a lot of cotton
In them old cottonfields back home
In the fields where we cultivated cotton when I lived in my hometown
It was down in Louisiana
This happened in Louisiana
Just about a mile from Texarkana
It was only about a mile from Texarkana
In them old cottonfields back home
In the fields where we cultivated cotton when I lived in my hometown
-- Instrumental --
-- Instrumental --
When I was just a little bitty baby
When I was a newborn
My mama would rock me in the cradle
My mother would soothe me to sleep in a rocking bed
In them old cottonfields back home
In the fields where we cultivated cotton when I lived in my hometown
When I was just a little bitty baby
When I was a newborn
My mama would rock me in the cradle
My mother would soothe me to sleep in a rocking bed
In them old cottonfields back home
In the fields where we cultivated cotton when I lived in my hometown
In them old cottonfields back home...
In the fields where we cultivated cotton when I lived in my hometown
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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