Brownie McGhee was born in Kingsport, Tennessee and suffered from polio as a child, which incapacitated his leg. He spent much of his youth immersed in music, singing with local harmony group (the Golden Voices Gospel Quartet) and teaching himself the guitar. His real success did not come until his 1942 relocation to New York City, where he was teamed up with Sonny Terry. The pairing was an overnight success, recording and touring extensively until the early 1970s.
Saunders Terrell, better known as Sonny Terry, was a blues musician. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina on October 24, 1911, and died on March 11, 1986 in Mineola, New York. He was most widely known for his energetic blues harmonica style which frequently included vocal whoops and hollers, and imitations of trains and fox hunts.
The pair recorded numerous tracks together. The duo became well-known, even among white audiences, as they joined the growing folk movement of the 1950s and '60s. This included collaborations with Woody Guthrie and Moses Asch, producing Folkways Records (now Smithsonian/Folkways) classic recordings.
Despite their fame as "pure" folk artists, in the 1940s, Sonny and Brownie fronted a jump blues combo with honking saxophone that was variously called Brownie McGhee and his Jook House Rockers or Sonny Terry and his Buckshot Five.
Double Trouble
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee Lyrics
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What am I gonna do now?
Want to leave here
Well you had trouble, I've got troubles too
Got double trouble, what am I gonna do?
I believe I'll leave here
I don't feel good no more
Don't love me no more
I was goin' down the street
Didn't have one dime
The woman I been lovin'
Didn't pay me no mind
I believe I'll leave here
I don't feel good no more
Ah the woman I been lovin'
Drove me from her door
Play it for me boys!
My father told me
When I was only a kid
What you gonna do son
Things happen like this
I believe I'll leave here
I don't feel good no more
Yeah the woman I been lovin'
Drove me from her door
Well must I had now
Your heart in my hand
I would teach you little woman
How to treat a man
I believe I'll leave here
I don't feel good no more
I'm blamin' you woman
Drove me from your door
Play it for me boys! Yeah double trouble!
The lyrics to Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee's song "Double Trouble" describe a man who is experiencing relationship troubles. He is expressing his frustration and disappointment with a woman he has been loving, who doesn't love him back anymore. The phrase "double trouble" suggests that he is dealing with not just one problem but multiple issues in his life, which is causing him to want to leave. The repetition of the line "I believe I'll leave here, I don't feel good no more" shows that he is feeling defeated and has lost hope in his situation.
The lyrics also mention the man's father, who advised him when he was younger that difficult situations would arise in life. This is likely meant to show that the man is trying to cope with his troubles and seek a way out, as his father had advised him to. The overall mood of the song is one of sadness and resignation, but there is also a sense of determination to move on and find a better situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes I got double trouble
I am experiencing an overwhelming amount of problems and issues
What am I gonna do now?
I am unsure of how to proceed from my current situation
Want to leave here
I desire to distance myself from my current problems by leaving my current location
Well you had trouble, I've got troubles too
You had your own set of issues and I am now experiencing mine
Got double trouble, what am I gonna do?
I am now experiencing twice the amount of problems and I am unsure of how to handle it
I believe I'll leave here
I have decided to remove myself from my current location as a means of escaping my problems
I don't feel good no more
I am experiencing emotional distress due to my current problems
Well the woman I been lovin' Don't love me no more
The woman I have been in a romantic relationship with no longer reciprocates those feelings
I was goin' down the street Didn't have one dime
I was walking down the street without any money
The woman I been lovin' Didn't pay me no mind
The woman I have been in a romantic relationship with is not giving me any attention
Ah the woman I been lovin' Drove me from her door
I have been pushed away by the woman I have been in love with
Play it for me boys!
I am requesting the band to begin playing music
My father told me When I was only a kid What you gonna do son Things happen like this
My father told me that unexpected events can occur at any time in life and I must learn how to handle them
Well must I had now Your heart in my hand I would teach you little woman How to treat a man
If I had the opportunity to speak to the woman who caused me emotional pain, I would teach her how to treat a man properly
I'm blamin' you woman Drove me from your door
I am placing the blame on the woman I was in a romantic relationship with for pushing me away
Yeah double trouble!
Referencing my original statement about experiencing twice as many problems as before
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALLEN COLLINS, RONNIE VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind