She was born Victoria Regina Spivey in Houston, Texas, United States, the daughter of Grant and Addie (Smith) Spivey. Her father was a part-time musician and a flagman for the railroad; her mother was a nurse. Her sisters were Addie "Sweet Peas" Spivey (1910–1943), also a singer and musician, who recorded for several major record labels between 1929 and 1937, and Elton Island Spivey (1900–1971), who also followed a professional singing career as The Za Zu Girl.
Spivey's first professional experience was in a family string band led by her father in Houston. After Grant Spivey died, the seven-year-old Victoria played on her own at local parties and, in 1918, was hired to accompany films at the Lincoln Theater in Dallas. As a teenager, she worked in local bars, nightclubs, and buffet flats, mostly alone, but occasionally with singer-guitarists such as Blind Lemon Jefferson. In 1926, she moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where she was signed by Okeh Records. Her first recording, "Black Snake Blues", did well, and her association with the record label continued. She made numerous Okeh sides in New York until 1929, then switched to the RCA Victor label. Between 1931 and 1937, more recordings followed on the Vocalion and Decca labels, and, working out of New York, she maintained an active performance schedule. Spivey's recorded accompanists included King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Lonnie Johnson, and Red Allen. She recorded many of her own songs, which dwelt on disease, crime and outré sexual images.
The Depression did not put an end to Spivey's musical career; she found a new outlet for her talent in the year of the crash, when film director King Vidor cast her to play "Missy Rose" in his first sound film, Hallelujah! (1929). Through the 1930s and 1940s, Spivey continued to work in musical films and stage shows, often with her husband, vaudeville dancer Billy Adams, including the Hellzapoppin' Revue.
In 1951, Spivey retired from show business to play the pipe organ and lead a church choir, but she returned to secular music in 1961, when she was reunited with an old singing partner, Lonnie Johnson, to appear on four tracks on his Prestige Bluesville album, Idle Hours. The folk music revival of the 1960s gave her further opportunities to make at least a semblance of a comeback. She recorded again for Prestige Bluesville, sharing an album Songs We Taught Your Mother with fellow veterans Alberta Hunter and Lucille Hegamin and began making personal appearances at festivals and clubs.
In 1962, Spivey and jazz historian Len Kunstadt launched Spivey Records, a low-budget label dedicated to blues and related music. They recorded prolifically such performers as Sippie Wallace, Lucille Hegamin, Otis Rush, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Joe Turner, Buddy Tate and Hannah Sylvester, as well as newer artists including Luther Johnson, Brenda Bell, Washboard Doc, Bill Dicey, Robert Ross, Sugar Blue, Paul Oscher, Danny Russo and Larry Johnson.
In March 1962, Bob Dylan contributed harmonica and back-up vocals, accompanying Victoria Spivey and Big Joe Williams on a recording for Spivey Records. The recordings were released on Three Kings And The Queen (Spivey LP 1004) and Kings And The Queen Volume Two (Spivey LP 1014). (Dylan was listed under his own name on the record covers.) In 1964 Spivey made her only recording with an all-white band: the Connecticut based Easy Riders Jazz Band, led by trombonist Big Bill Bissonnette. It was released first on an LP and later re-released on compact disc.
Spivey married four times; her husbands included Ruben Floyd and Billy Adams.
Victoria Spivey died in New York on October 3, 1976, at the age of 69, from an internal haemorrhage.
Detroit moan
Victoria Spivey Lyrics
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Detroit's a cold, hard place, and I ain't got a dime to my name
I would go the poorhouse, but Lord you know I'm ashamed
I been walkin' Hastings Street, nobody seems to treat me right
I've been walkin' Hastings Street, nobody seems to treat me right
I can make it in the daytime, but Lord these cold cold nights
Yes I'm tired of eatin' chili, and I can't eat beans no more
People'll hurt my feelings, Lord from door to door
I got to leave Detroit, if I have to flag number ninety-four
I'm gonna leave Detroit, if I have to flag number ninety-four
And if I ever get back home, I ain't never comin' to Detroit no more
The lyrics of Victoria Spivey's "Detroit Moan" depict the struggles of a person who find themselves destitute in the cold streets of Detroit. The parallelism in the first two lines of the song emphasises the underlying theme of hardship experienced by the singer. They are broke, and their living conditions have degenerated drastically which are highlighted by the recurring reference to coldness. The singer unapologetically admits that they would rather suffer in silence than go to the poorhouse, they would rather suffer on the cold street of Detroit than beg for help. The singer would rather leave the city and start anew than live off charity, hence the line "I would go the poorhouse, but Lord you know I'm ashamed."
The second verse is an acknowledgement of the harsh reality of life. The singer is trying to find a place where they belong and where they are appreciated, but people seem to ignore or mistreat them. The line "I can make it in the daytime, but Lord these cold cold nights" reveals that the singer can put up a brave front in the presence of people during the day, but the nights are much crueler, and there is no one to ensure their safety.
The final verse reveals the extent of the singer's suffering, who is left with only chili and beans, and no one to turn to for help. The line "People'll hurt my feelings, Lord from door to door" is a testament to the hurtful and harsh behaviour of people the singer has had to endure. The singer concludes that if they must leave the city to fend for themselves, they will do it with great difficulty, but will never return to Detroit once they journey back home.
Line by Line Meaning
Detroit's a cold, hard place, and I ain't got a dime to my name
Victoria Spivey expresses her financial and emotional struggle in Detroit, where the living conditions are tough and she is broke.
I would go the poorhouse, but Lord you know I'm ashamed
The singer is so embarrassed about her situation that she would rather suffer than seek help from the government or charity.
I've been walkin' Hastings Street, nobody seems to treat me right
Despite being in a bustling urban neighborhood, Victoria feels isolated and invisible, as no one pays attention to her or offers help.
I can make it in the daytime, but Lord these cold cold nights
The singer feels more vulnerable and exposed at night and struggles to cope with the harsh winter weather in Detroit.
Yes I'm tired of eatin' chili, and I can't eat beans no more
Victoria expresses her exhaustion and frustration with the limited food options available to her, which impact her physical health and wellbeing.
People'll hurt my feelings, Lord from door to door
The singer encounters rudeness and hostility from people she meets in Detroit, which adds insult to injury and makes her feel worse.
I'm gonna leave Detroit, if I have to flag number ninety-four
Victoria is determined to escape Detroit, even if it means hitchhiking and taking risks to get away from the city.
And if I ever get back home, I ain't never comin' to Detroit no more
The singer vows never to return to Detroit, as the city has caused her too much pain and suffering.
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Black man
on Good Cabbage
WHAT TF IS CABBAGE