Taj Mahal (born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in New York City on May 17, 19… Read Full Bio ↴Taj Mahal (born Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in New York City on May 17, 1942) is an American Grammy Award-winning blues musician who incorporates elements of world music into his music. A self-taught singer, songwriter, and film composer who plays the guitar, banjo and harmonica (among many other instruments), Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music over the course of his 50 year career by fusing it with non-traditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific.

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.

Mercedes Benz
Taj Mahal Lyrics

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Oh Lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?
My friends all drive porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?

Oh lord, wont you buy me a color tv?
Dialing for dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,

So oh Lord, wont you buy me a color tv?

Oh lord, wont you buy me a night on the town?
Im counting on you, lord, please dont let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, wont you buy me a night on the town?

Everybody!
Oh lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?
My friends all drive porsches, I must make amends,

Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Taj Mahal's song "Mercedes Benz" are a satirical commentary on the consumerism prevalent in society. The singer of the song is expressing a desire for a luxury car, a color TV, and a night out on the town - all of which are symbols of wealth and status. The repeated appeals to the Lord to fulfill these material desires are a sarcastic nod to the idea that people often treat possessions as their gods. The line "my friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends" shows the pressure of societal expectations on the singer to keep up with the Joneses.

The mention of "dialing for dollars" refers to a popular game show in the US in the 1960s where viewers could win money by making a phone call to the show during the broadcast. The singer's wait for delivery until three highlights the idea of instant gratification that is so tempting in consumer culture. Finally, the repetition of the chorus reinforces the irony of the situation: despite working hard all their life, the singer is still dependent on the benevolence of others (in this case, the Lord) to fulfill their desires.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh Lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?
The singer is asking God to help them acquire a luxury car because their friends have nice cars.

My friends all drive porsches, I must make amends.
The singer feels left out because their friends have fancier cars and they want to catch up.

Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
The singer has worked hard their whole life to achieve things and feels that they haven't received any help from their friends in doing so.

So Lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?
The artist is continuing to ask God for help in acquiring a luxury car.

Oh lord, wont you buy me a color tv?
The artist wants God to help them acquire new technology, specifically a color television.

Dialing for dollars is trying to find me.
The singer either hopes to win money by calling into a television show or is being plagued by telemarketers trying to sell them things.

I wait for delivery each day until three,
The singer is waiting for something to be delivered and it's taking a long time to arrive, causing them to wait anxiously.

So oh Lord, wont you buy me a color tv?
The artist continues to ask God for help in acquiring a color television.

Oh lord, wont you buy me a night on the town?
The artist wants God to help them enjoy a night out, potentially involving alcohol and evening entertainment.

Im counting on you, lord, please dont let me down.
The artist is relying on God's supposed love for them to help them have a fun night out and is afraid of being let down.

Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
The singer is asking God to demonstrate their love by buying the next round of drinks for them and their friends.

Oh Lord, wont you buy me a night on the town?
The artist continues to ask God for help in enjoying a night out.

Everybody!
The singer is rallying everyone around the idea of asking God for material possessions to enhance their lives.

Oh lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?
The singer repeats the first verse to re-emphasize their desire for a luxury car, as well as their desire to keep up with their friends.

My friends all drive porsches, I must make amends,
The singer repeats this line again to underscore how much they covet their friends' cars and feel the need to catch up to them.

Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
This line is repeated one last time to remind the listener that the artist has worked hard and hasn't received any help, potentially positioning their desire for material possessions as a just reward for their hard work.

So oh Lord, wont you buy me a mercedes benz?
The song ends with the artist repeating their request for a luxury car, hoping that God will hear their plea and grant their wish.

Contributed by Charlie O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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