Walker was born in Linden, Texas of African and Cherokee descent. Walker's parents, Movelia Jimerson and Rance Walker, were both musicians. His stepfather, Marco Washington, taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin and piano.
Early in the 1920s, the teenage Walker learned his craft among the street-strolling string bands of Dallas. His mother and stepfather (a member of the Dallas String Band) were musicians, and family friend Blind Lemon Jefferson sometimes joined the family for dinner. Walker left school at age 10, and by 15, he was a professional performer on the blues circuit. Initially, he was Jefferson's protégé and would guide him around town for his gigs. In 1929, Walker made his recording debut with a single for Columbia Records, "Wichita Falls Blues"/"Trinity River Blues," billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone. Oak Cliff was the community he lived in at the time and T-Bone a corruption of his middle name. Pianist Douglas Fernell was his musical partner for the record.
Walker married Vida Lee in 1935 and the couple had three children. By the age of 26 Walker was working the clubs in Los Angeles' Central Avenue, sometimes as the featured singer and guitarist with Les Hite's orchestra.
His distinctive sound developed in 1942 when Walker recorded "Mean Old World" for Capitol Records. Much of his output was recorded from 1946–1948 on Black & White Records, including 1947's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)", with its famous opening line, "They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad". He followed up with his "T-Bone Shuffle" and "Let Your Hair Down, Baby, Let's Have a Natural Ball". Both are considered blues classics.
Throughout his career Walker worked with the top quality musicians, including Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Lloyd Glenn (piano), Billy Hadnott (bass), and Jack McVea (tenor sax).
Following his work with Black & White, he recorded from 1950-54 for Imperial Records (backed by Dave Bartholomew). Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956 and 1959, and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960.
By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of a hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon, among others. A few critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl. Walker recorded in his last years, 1968 - 1975, for Robin Hemingway's Jitney Jane Songs music publishing company, and he won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Good Feelin' (Polydor), produced by Robin Hemingway. "Fly Walker Airlines", Polydor, also produced by Hemingway, was released in 1973.
T-Bone Walker died in 1975, at the age of 64. He is interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Walker's influence extended beyond his music. Chuck Berry called Walker and Louis Jordan (as well as Jordan's guitarist, Carl Hogan) his main influences. T-Bone Walker was the childhood hero of Jimi Hendrix, and Hendrix imitated some of Walker's ways throughout his life. Years before Hendrix, Walker was playing guitar with his teeth or in strange positions.
Walker was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
Mean Old World
T-Bone Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby to live in by yourself
This is a mean old world
Baby to live in by yourself
Can't get the woman you love
Cause you know she's lovin someone else
Well I drink to keep from worryin
Yes I drink to keep from worryin
And you know I smile to keep from cryin
That's to keep the public from knowin
Just what I have on my mind
The lyrics of T-Bone Walker's "Mean Old World" describe the struggles of living in a tough world, particularly in love. The singer mourns the difficulties of living alone in a world that can be cruel and unfair. He cannot win the love of a particular woman because she is already in love with someone else. The sorrowful tone is not just a description of a particular situation, but rather the song reflects the experience of all those who suffered from difficulties living on their own.
The singer of the song seems to be living his life by drinking and smiling. While he drinks to drown his worries, he puts on a brave face by smiling to hide his pain. His actions seem to be motivated by his desire to avoid showing vulnerability to the public. By pointing out that he does not want to reveal what he has on his mind, he emphasizes the need for privacy in dealing with life's troubles.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a mean old world
Life is tough and unfair
Baby to live in by yourself
It's especially difficult to go through it alone
Can't get the woman you love
Unrequited love is painful
Cause you know she's lovin someone else
Knowing that your love interest is with someone else hurts
Well I drink to keep from worryin
Alcohol is a coping mechanism
Baby and I smile to keep from cryin'
Putting on a happy face even when you're hurting
Yes I drink to keep from worryin
Repeating the coping mechanism
And you know I smile to keep from cryin
Repeating the façade
That's to keep the public from knowin
The smiling and drinking is a front to hide true emotions
Just what I have on my mind
What's really going on inside is kept hidden from others
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aaron T-Bone Walker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SENSE OF LIBERTY
This is a mean old world,
Baby to live in by yourself.
This is a mean old world,
Baby to live in by yourself.
When you can't get the woman you love,
Then you know she's lovin someone else.
Well I drink to keep from worryin
Baby and I smile to keep from cryin'.
Yes I drink to keep from worryin
And you know I smile to keep from cryin.
That's to keep the public from knowin
Just what I have on my mind.
Some day, some day, baby,
I'll be six feet in my grave
Some day, some day, darling,
I'll be six feet in my grave
And, I won't be around here to be mistreated, darling
Like a low-down slave
tenochtitlan51582
The only bad thing about this song is that it ends
Xαɳιтα シ
Nel lo malo es que hacen exámenes de esto y yo tengo que diferenciarlo de otras pvtas obras que son exactamente iguales
Archibald Tuttle
!!!!!!!!
JusSteve53
For sure!
LoosedSage 65571
@Xαɳιтα シ larga vida el blues
Jeff Means
Best comment ever
zacattack500
God this is good. Sorry for the folks who never hear it. Even more sorry for the folks who hear it and don't like it.
Rosston Smith
I’m just starting to get into blues this song is amazing
萨爾格
Blues & mellow , T-bone played the blues the way it should be played , every note he played was so clean and mean just like the finest wine , he's one of the greatest & most influential Texas blues players ever . One great cat !
Dewayne White
That's the truth my friend!!!