Born Willie James Mabon, and brought up in Memphis, he had become known as a singer and pianist by the time he moved to Chicago in 1942. He formed a group, the Blues Rockers, and in 1949 began recording for the Aristocrat label, and then Chess. His style contrasted with many Chess artistes – it was cool and jazzy, emphasising piano and saxophone rather than guitar and harmonica.
His biggest success came in 1952 when his debut solo release, "I Don't Know", topped the Billboard R&B chart for eight weeks. He picked it up from the older boogie-woogie pianist, Cripple Clarence Lofton. It was one of the most popular releases of its era, becoming Chess' biggest hit in the period before Chuck Berry's and Bo Diddley's success. It also became one of the first R&B hit records to be covered by a leading white artist, Tennessee Ernie Ford. Mabon's original was played on Alan Freed's early radio shows and also sold well to white audiences, crossing over markets at the start of the rock and roll era.
Mabon returned to the top R&B slot in 1953 with "I'm Mad", and had another hit with Mel London penned "Poison Ivy" in 1954. However, his career failed to maintain its momentum, and record releases in the late 1950s on a variety of labels were largely unsuccessful. After a lull he repeated the process more modestly in the early 1960s with "Got To Have Some" and "I'm The Fixer".
After moving to Paris in 1972, he recorded and toured in Europe, as well as playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, until his death in April 1985.
Legacy:
Mabon's song "I Don't Know" was covered by The Blues Brothers.
His song "Just Got Some" was covered by Rod Stewart.
"Seventh Son", first recorded by Mabon in 1955, has since been covered by a number of artists including Johnny Rivers, John Mellencamp, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Mose Allison, Sting, Climax Blues Band,and Long John Baldry.
His coolly humorous, slightly effeminate style greatly impressed the English R&B singer and keyboard player, Georgie Fame.
I Don't Know
Willie Mabon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good kind papa got to poison you
Sprinkle goofer dust all around your bed
Wake up one of these mornings, find your own self dead
She said, You shouldn't say that
I said, what should I say this time, baby
She says, mmmm, I don't know, my oh my oh my
I don't know, what my baby puttin' down
The woman I love, she's got dimples in her jaws
The clothes she's wearin' is made out of the best of cloths
She can take and wash them, she can hang 'em upside the wall
She can throw 'em out the window
And run out and catch 'em a little bit before they falls
Sometimes I think you got your habits on
She said, You shouldn't say that
I said, What should I say to make you mad this time, baby
She says, mmmm, I don't know, my oh my oh my
I don't know, what my baby puttin' down
My papa told me, my mother sat down and cried
Say, You're too young a man, son, to have the many women you got
I looked at my mother then, I didn't even crack a smile
I say, If the women kills me, I don't mind dyin
The woman I love, I won the week before last
The woman I love I've got out of class
I thought I won you, baby, a long time ago
If you don't watch your step, I'm gonna have to let you go
She said, You shouldn't say that
I say, What did I say to make you mad this time, baby
She says, mmmm, I don't know, I don't know
I don't know what my baby puttin' down, puttin' down
The lyrics of "I Don't Know" by Willie Mabon is a blues song with a humorous edge. The song is about a man who is fed up with the woman he is with and her various behaviors. He threatens her with "goofer dust", a form of black magic used in hoodoo that causes bad luck and illness, to get back at her for her transgressions. However, she is dismissive of his threats, leading to a back-and-forth between them throughout the song.
The woman in the song seems to be aware of the man's frustrations, but she does not seem to take him seriously. The man remarks on her good qualities, like her clothes, but portrays her as a woman with habits that irritate him. Towards the end of the song, the man references his numerous affairs, a topic that is a recurring theme in blues music.
Overall, "I Don't Know" is a creative take on a familiar blues trope - a man who is not getting along with his woman. It presents a somewhat comical twist on the topic, which contrasts with some of the heavier themes found in other blues songs.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gettin' sick and tired of the way you do
I am starting to become weary and exhausted of your behavior towards me
Good kind papa got to poison you
I am so frustrated with you that I feel like my father would have to poison you to get rid of my discontent towards you
Sprinkle goofer dust all around your bed
I would metaphorically like to put curses on you using traditional African-American hoodoo magic
Wake up one of these mornings, find your own self dead
I wish that you would suffer the consequence of your own negative actions and wake up dead one of these mornings
She said, You shouldn't say that
My lover is telling me that my words are too hurtful
I said, what should I say this time, baby
I'm asking for her guidance on what I should say instead
She says, mmmm, I don't know, my oh my oh my
She is unsure of what to say and is expressing this through a sound of exasperation
I don't know, what my baby puttin' down
I am not sure of what my lover is doing to create such negative feelings within me
The woman I love, she's got dimples in her jaws
My lover has a physically attractive feature (dimples) that I appreciate
The clothes she's wearin' is made out of the best of cloths
My lover is wearing high-quality clothing, which I assume she is able to afford
She can take and wash them, she can hang 'em upside the wall
My lover is able to care for and maintain her own clothing effectively
She can throw 'em out the window
My lover is capable of recklessly throwing away her own belongings
And run out and catch 'em a little bit before they falls
My lover is skilled at saving her own possessions from falling
Sometimes I think you got your habits on
I am concerned about my lover's behavior and habits
I said, What should I say to make you mad this time, baby
I am intentionally trying to provoke a reaction from my lover
Mmmm, I don't know, my oh my oh my
My lover is still unsure of what to say in response to my words
My papa told me, my mother sat down and cried
My parents both had concerns and emotional reactions to my promiscuous behavior
Say, You're too young a man, son, to have the many women you got
My parents both believe that I am too young to be involved with as many women as I currently am
I looked at my mother then, I didn't even crack a smile
I didn't find my mother's comment amusing and did not express any joy or amusement
I say, If the women kills me, I don't mind dyin
I am willing to face the consequences of my actions, even if it means death
The woman I love, I won the week before last
I recently became romantically involved with my current lover
The woman I love I've got out of class
My lover is of a higher social status than myself
I thought I won you, baby, a long time ago
I believed that I had already fully captured my lover's heart in the past
If you don't watch your step, I'm gonna have to let you go
If my lover does not change her negative behavior towards me, I will end our relationship
She says, mmmm, I don't know, I don't know
My lover is again unsure of how to respond to me
I don't know what my baby puttin' down, puttin' down
I still do not understand my lover's behavior and actions towards me
Lyrics © DistroKid, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Willie Mabon, Joe Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@farshimelt
1954, 15 yrs. old, 9 PM, sitting in my stepfather's Plymouth, radio on, listening to Hunter Hancock, broadcasting from Dolphin's of Hollywood; Willie Mabon, Johnny Otis, Big Jay McNeely, Joe Liggins, Chuck Higgins. It's said that we never outgrow the music of our teens; that's the truth!
@wsjustice
And 30+ years later, I find the original version and I don't regret it. Thank you Blues Brothers for opening a world of music.
@parisone53160
Man He was very underrated I saw him play in person no body can do it better than Willie Mabon. Tammy, Carol, Gala, Michell, Renata & Kedrick your father's music will live on forever. All of your fans will play your music for the rest of our lives and keep your memories and music alive forever. Rest in peace father. 1 minute ago
@lahairextensionsatlanta7324
I have been trying to find this for 20 years....haven't heard it since before I started to school about 1950. Found it accidemt... THANX...Genie
@kedricrock
great song dad.
@MarkTarmannPianoCheck_it_out
Great song, great musician and performer. I was very lucky to find a cd, with solo versions of your dad playing this and other songs in a Frankfurt ,Germany club in the 70's. Piano and harmonica. Such great taste, groove and that huge, rich voice of his.
He and Les McCann straddled the imaginary line between blues and jazz perfectly, MCann more on jazz tip, and Mabon from the bluesy side, but both killing it. They were both great inspirations to me and my piano playing.
@ThrashDawg
Great song is an understatement!
@kedricrock
@@ThrashDawg I appreciate it.🎶🎶🎵🎼🎼🎼🎼🎸
@qasimat
This is the first song that I remember. The idea of waking up in the morning and finding your own self dead fascinated me. I puzzled over it as a three or four year-old. One morning I rolled off my bed and rolled under the bed, all without waking. The bed had dust ruffles hanging from the springs to the floor. When I woke up in complete darkness, I broke into a sweat. I thought I had solved the riddle and awakened to find my own self dead! I was sure happy when my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I could make out the dust ruffles!!
@charlesbillante7388
cute story!