After college, Mahal moved to Los Angeles and formed the group Rising Sons with Ry Cooder in 1964. The group signed with Columbia Records and released one single and recorded another album which was not released by Columbia until 1992. Taj, frustrated with the mixed reaction to his music quit the group and went solo. Still with Columbia, he released a well received, self titled album in 1968, and based on its success released a second album, Natch'l Blues that same year. Two very different records - Giant Step, with his electric band, and solo De Ole Folks at Home - were released in 1969 together as a double album. This firmly established Taj as an American blues original. The double album The Real Thing, captured him live at this time, with a horn section.
He has received two Grammy awards in the category "Best Contemporary Blues Album", the first in 1997 for Señor Blues, and again in 2000 for Shoutin' in Key. He has performed on various film soundtracks including Sounder and Blues Brothers 2000, in which he also appeared.
Don
Taj Mahal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How the weather down south
How the weather in the Delta
How the food taste in your mouth
Butter beans and cornbread
Grits and greens
Candied yams and black eye peas
Ooo y'all I'm stuck here in Chicago, please don't leave me
When you seeLou Della tell her hey for me
Last time I saw her, it was in my dreams
She the sweetest thing under the sun
When I think about some loving, she's still the one
Now if you're goin' to Mississippi, where that Delta sky is sweet and clear
Well you know I'm stuck here in Chicago, please don't leave me
What they doing in Vicksberg, down in Aberdeen
They got more fine big legged women any one man's ever seen
What they doing in Jackson and little ol' Itta Bena
I ain't been in Clarksdale since 1963
'Cause If you going to Mississippi, where that Delta sky is sweet and clear
Y'all I'm stuck here in Chicago, please don't leave me
How the weather in the desert
Sure cold up here
Baby run off and left me, late last year
It was chuck cold crippler, deep deep snow on the ground
Came home late home in the evening she done tore my playhouse down
So if you going to Mississippi, where that Delta sky is sweet and clear
Ooo y'all I'm stuck here in Chicago, please don't leave me
Don't leave
Babe don't leave me here
Please don't leave
Please don't leave me here
Please
Please don't leave me here
Please don't leave me
Please don't leave me here
Please don't leave me
Please don't leave me here
Please don't leave
Taj Mahal's song "Don" is an exploration of the contrast between the singer's current location and Mississippi, specifically the Delta - a region he idealizes. The first verse sets the tone with its reference to the weather and food in the South, with mentions of butter beans, cornbread, grits, greens, candied yams, and black-eyed peas. The singer is stuck in Chicago, asking those who are leaving for Mississippi not to forget him. He says that if they see Lou Della - likely a love interest - to tell her hello, as he remembers her as the sweetest thing under the sun. The second verse continues the theme of idealizing Mississippi, asking what they are doing in places like Vicksburg, Aberdeen, Jackson, and Itta Bena - all locations in Mississippi. The singer mentions that the last time he was in one of these towns, Clarksdale, was in 1963. He then contrasts the warmth and sweetness of Mississippi with the coldness he experiences in his current location, referencing a recent snowstorm and how his "playhouse" was torn down, likely a metaphor for his emotional state. The chorus then becomes an urgent plea not to be left behind, repeatedly asking the listener not to leave him there.
The song can be read as a yearning for a place that the singer idealizes, but that he is unable to reach. He is stuck in Chicago and experiencing a sense of emotional coldness or sterility. Mississippi is the opposite - full of warmth, sweetness, and love. The mention of Lou Della as a love interest reinforces this interpretation. The chorus's urgent plea not to be left behind highlights the singer's sense of isolation and desperation.
Line by Line Meaning
How the weather in the country
Asking about the weather condition in the countryside
How the weather down south
Enquiring about the weather in the southern part of the country
How the weather in the Delta
Asking about the climate in the Mississippi Delta region
How the food taste in your mouth
Requesting to know how delicious the food tastes
Butter beans and cornbread
Referring to a southern dish that contains butter beans and cornbread
Grits and greens
Referring to a classic Southern meal consisting of grits and greens
Candied yams and black eye peas
Mentioning candied yam and black-eyed peas as a popular Southern dish
If you goin' to Mississippi, where that Delta sky is sweet and clear
Talking about Mississippi Delta region, where the sky is clear and inviting
Ooo y'all I'm stuck here in Chicago, please don't leave me
Expressing how the singer is missing the South while being stuck in Chicago and begging not to be deserted
When you seeLou Della tell her hey for me
Requesting the listener to convey greetings to someone called Lou Della for him/her
Last time I saw her, it was in my dreams
Referring to an old dream where the singer saw Lou Della for the last time
She the sweetest thing under the sun
Describing Lou Della as the sweetest thing one could ever find
When I think about some loving, she's still the one
Remembering Lou Della as the love of his/her life
What they doing in Vicksberg, down in Aberdeen
Asking about the current happenings in Vicksburg and Aberdeen
They got more fine big legged women any one man's ever seen
Describing the abundance of attractive women in the region
What they doing in Jackson and little ol' Itta Bena
Enquiring about the current activities in Jackson and Itta Bena
I ain't been in Clarksdale since 1963
Mentioning that the singer hasn't visited Clarksdale since 1963
'Cause If you going to Mississippi, where that Delta sky is sweet and clear
Encouraging the listener to go to Mississippi, a region with a clear blue sky
Y'all I'm stuck here in Chicago, please don't leave me
Reemphasizing the feeling of being stuck in Chicago and pleading not to be deserted
How the weather in the desert
Asking about the weather in the desert region
Sure cold up here
Referring to the current cold weather in the region
Baby run off and left me, late last year
Narrating a story about a partner who left the singer last year
It was chuck cold crippler, deep deep snow on the ground
Describing the extreme snowy weather when the partner left
Came home late home in the evening she done tore my playhouse down
Revealing that after a chance of forgiveness, the partner damaged the singer's belongings
Don't leave
Pleading not to leave
Babe don't leave me here
Pleading for a loved one not to leave
Please don't leave
Asking not to be deserted
Please don't leave me here
Pleading to the listener to not leave him/her behind
Please
Asking for mercy or help
Please don't leave me here
Re-emphasizing the desperate need not to be abandoned
Please don't leave me
Pleading to the listener not to leave
Please don't leave me here
Finalizing the request to not be deserted
Please don't leave
Expanding on the plea not to leave
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: GARY NICHOLSON, TAJ MAHAL, KEB MO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@5wet_
0:00 Señor Blues
6:55 Don't Leave Me Here
12:26 Gov't Cheese
17:23 That's Who I Am
22:50 Queen Bee
28:11 Diving Duck Blues
33:57 Every Morning
38:38 Am I Wrong
43:28 She Dance
48:37 Giant Step
54:52 She Caught The Katy
58:58 Om Sweet Om
1:02:49 Gimme What You Got
1:07:57 You Don't/Don't Try
1:14:00 Paint My Mailbox
1:18:44 All Around The World
1:23:30 Soul
@nashvegasnow
Thx to Raj and Kevin and the musicians stirring this pot of Gumbo majique
sweet taj really grabs sweet erma thomas here
the hear in my ears anyways
any other suggestions ?
saying come on people join this groove on a groove
never seen him like this before
@tylers7048
Whoever thumbs downed Taj Mahal you cut your ears off right now
@sandragriffiths9692
And I will stomp on them😁🇬🇧💙👍
@danaanderson1560
OHHHH HEWL YAH BBBAAABBBYYY! INCLUDING THEIR HEADS CHOP OFF.
IZ GOT TO SEE THESE KIDZ LIVE.!
❤🎉
@benandemmasmom
First saw Taj Mahal in 1973. Been "recycling the blues and other related stuff" ever since.
@kayeboucher5690
!
@scottmead7943
Taj!
@rickschritt1616
A buddy bought me a Taj Mahal record for my 14th birthday , and I've been enjoying his music ever since , I'll be 69 in August. Keb Mo is equally awesome. Thanks for this awesome concert.🥰
@benandemmasmom
What album was that?
@REGROY1913
Two of my favorite bluesmen playing together, and that band is TIGHT!!
@heartofdixie2
Taj Mahal has nothing left to prove. He's cool, suave, and beautiful. I've been a fan since about 1972. I've seen him live several times over the years. He really brings the goods to the stage. God Bless him and may he continue to make people dance until his last days. And though I don't really know as much about Keb Mo as I should, he's smoking hot as is this entire group. Horn sections are so nice in this setting.