Savoy Brown is a British blues band formed in the 1960s, originally known a… Read Full Bio ↴Savoy Brown is a British blues band formed in the 1960s, originally known as the Saveloy Brown Blues Band. Their 1969 single, Train to Nowhere (with singer Chris Youlden), was viewed by many as the last gasp of the blues scene in Great Britain. Although Savoy Brown never reached much acclaim in their home nation, they developed a loyal core following in the United States. In the 1960s and 1970s, the band managed to penetrate the Billboard Hot 100. Superstardom perpetually evaded them, perhaps in part because of their frequent lineup changes. Indeed, while the band is still active today, only one founding member, Kim Simmonds, has been with the band since the beginning. Guitarist "Lonesome" Dave Peverett, bassist Tony Stevens, and drummer Roger Earl went on to form Foghat. Original member and harmonica player John O'Leary is still active on the British blues circuit with The John O'Leary Band. Savoy Brown's first album, Shake Down, featured lead vocalist Bryce Portius. Portius was one of the first black blues musicians to be a part of a British rock band. Another singer, Dave Walker, would later join Fleetwood Mac and Black Sabbath.

Vicksburg Blues
Savoy Brown Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Thats alright mama
Thats alright by you
Thats alright mama
Thats alright by you
Treat me lowdown and evil
The way you used to do

Im leavin town mama

Just to get you off my mind
Im leavin town mama
Just to get you off my mind

I woke up this mornin
Rockin from side to side
I woke up this mornin
Rockin from side to side
You know i was not sick darlin
I just need satisfyin

Im goin to vicksburg mama
Baby behind the sun
Im goin to vicksburg mama
Baby behind the sun

You know i just found out
My trouble just begun

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Savoy Brown's song "Vicksburg Blues" appear to be a defiant response to a former lover who may have mistreated the singer. The lyrics "that's alright mama, that's alright by you, treat me lowdown and evil, the way you used to do" suggest that the singer has come to terms with the way they were treated and is ready to move on. The repetition of "that's alright" seems to indicate a certain resignation, as if the singer accepts that their lover's behavior may never change. The phrase "treat me lowdown and evil" conveys a sense of bitterness, but it is tempered by a kind of fatalism - the singer seems to be saying, in effect, "this is just the way things are."

Line by Line Meaning

Thats alright mama
It's okay with me, Mama

Thats alright by you
If it's okay with you, Mama

Treat me lowdown and evil
Treat me badly and cruelly

The way you used to do
Just like you used to do in the past

Im leavin town mama
I'm leaving this town, Mama

Just to get you off my mind
To forget about you and move on

I woke up this mornin
I woke up early this morning

Rockin from side to side
Feeling uneasy and restless

You know i was not sick darlin
I wasn't physically sick, my dear

I just need satisfyin
I just need some satisfaction

Im goin to vicksburg mama
I'm going to Vicksburg, Mama