"Hey Lawdy Mama" (or "Oh Lordy Mama") is a Piedmont blues song recorded by Buddy Moss in 1934. The song became popular among jazz musicians with early recordings by Count Basie and Louis Armstrong.
In 1943, a version recorded by Andy Kirk and His Twelve Clouds of Joy, with vocals by June Richmond, was a hit, reaching number four on the Billboard R&B chart.
Variations with elements of "Hey Lawdy Mama" include "Meet Me in the Bottom", "She's a Married Woman", "Tell Me Pretty Baby" and "See See Baby", The song was further popularized with recordings in the 1960s.
Already on September 18, 1933 in New York City, Curley Weaver recorded a version of "Oh Lordy Mama" for ARC, which wasn't issued.
Buddy Moss was the guitarist on the same session. All the songs on this date were alternately recorded as the duo Curley Weaver and Partner or as Buddy Moss and Partner.
Only one year later we saw the first issued version of "Oh Lordy Mama".
(o) Buddy Moss (1934) (as "Oh Lordy Mama")
Recorded August 8, 1934 in New York City
Released on Banner 33267, Oriole 8202, Perfect 0302, Romeo 5402 and Okeh 05626
Also released on Melotone M 13234
Lyrics:
Meet me down at the river, you can bring me my shoes and clothes
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said, meet me down at the river, bring me my shoes and clothes
Says, I ain't got so many but I got so far to go
Woman I love, she done caught that Southern train
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said, the woman I love, she caught that Southern train
Now she left me here, heart just an achin' pain
Goin' away to leave you 'cause you' cryin' ain't gonna make me stay
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said, I'm goin' and leave you 'cause your cryin' won't make me stay
I may be back in June, may be the first of May
Woman I love, says, she right down on the ground
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said now, the woman I love, right down on the ground
Now, she's a tailor-made woman, ain't no hand-me-down
Tell me what time do that train leave your town
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said now, tell me what time do that train leave your town
Said now, "One leave at 8:00, one leave at quarter past 9:00"
Seaboard goes south at 8:00, babe, Southern goes north at 9:00
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said now, Seaboard goes south at 8:00, babe, Southern goes north at 9:00
Says, I just got one hour, talk with that gal of mine
Listen here:
After Moss' 78 RPM single, similar versions followed:
In 1935 Curley Weaver recorded "Oh Lawdy Mama", which contains almost all the verses from the Buddy Moss-version above, although in a different order and with a slightly different title.
This version is credited to Weaver himself.
(c) Curley Weaver (1935) (as "Oh Lawdy Mama")
Recorded April 23, 1935 in Chicago
Released on Champion 50077
In 1939 it was re-released on Decca 7664
Lyrics:
Meet me down at the river, you can bring me my shoes and clothes
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Said, meet me down at the river, bring me my shoes and clothes
Says, I ain't got so many but I got so far to go
Woman I love, woman I crave to see,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Woman I love, woman I crave to see,
She's in Cincinnati, won't even write to me
Woman I love got a mouth chock full of good gold,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Woman I love got a mouth chock full of good gold,
Every time she hug and kiss me, make my boogyin' blood rune cold
Woman I love, caught that Southern train
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Woman I love, done caught that Southern train
Now she left me here, heart full of achin' pain
Tell me sweet woman what time is that train comin to your town
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
Tell me sweet woman what time is that train comin to your town
I just want one hour, talk with that gal of mine
One goes south at 8:00, one goes north at 9:00
Oh Lordy mama, Great God almighty
One goes south at 8:00, one goes north at 9:00
I just want one hour, talk with that gal of mine
Woman I love, she's right down on the ground,
oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Woman I love, she's right down on the ground,
She's a tailor-made mama, not no hand-me-down
Goin' away to leave you, cryin' won't make me stay,
oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
I may be back in June baby, may be back in the first of May
Listen here:
Only a few months later Bumble Bee Slim (=Amos Easton) recorded another version with slightly different lyrics and with a slightly different title,.but with exactly the same musical setting.
(c) Bumble Bee Slim (1935) (as "Hey Lawdy Mama")
Recorded July 8, 1935 in Chicago
Released on Decca 7126
Lyrics:
Meet me round the corner, bring my shoes and clothes,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Meet me round the corner, bring my shoes and clothes,
Well the woman I love done put me out of doors
I've got to go now, can't come back no more
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
I've got to go now, can't come back no more
Well I don't mind leavin', but I got so far to go
If I would have listened, what my mama said,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
If I would have listened, what my mama said,
I would have been at home sleepin' in my mama's bed
Mama told me, Papa told me too,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Mama told me, Papa told me too,
Son you stay at home, let your women come here to you
Woman I love, right down on the ground,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Woman I love, right down on the ground,
Every time she kiss me, makes my love come down
Woman I love, woman I crave to see,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Woman I love, woman I crave to see,
Well she's livin in California, but she won't write to me
She wears a number four shoe, she's twenty-five in the waist,
oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
I can't find nobody to take that woman's place
Listen here:
As you can see on the label above "Hey Lawdy Mama" was credited to Bumble Bee Slim (=Amos Easton). 7 months later Bumble Bee Slim recorded another version of this song, this time credited to Weaver and Easton.
(c) Bumble Bee Slim (as "Meet Me In The Bottom (Hey Lawdy Mama)")
Recorded February 7, 1936 in Chicago
Released on Decca 7170
Lyrics
Meet me in the bottom, bring my boots and shoes,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Meet me in the bottom, bring my boots and shoes,
I've got to leave this town I ain't got no time to lose
Woman I love she done gone back home,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
Woman I love she done gone back home,
Every time she leaves me, she makes my blood run warm
She caught that seven-o-eleven, I stood looking down,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
She caught that seven-o-eleven, I stood looking down,
I couldn't stand to see my woman leave this town
She got coal black eyes, long black curly hair,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
She got coal black eyes, long black curly hair,
Well she got something feed me anywhere
White folks please don't give that girl no job,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
White folks please don't give that girl no job,
She's a married woman, I don't want her to work too hard
She got dimples in her jaw, right down on the ground,
Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty
She got dimples in her jaw, right down on the ground,
She got a way of loving, will make a rabbit hug a hound
Listen here:
One year later Blind Boy Fuller recorded a version, that's obviously based on Bumble Bee Slim's version here above. Although without the "Oh Lordy mama, great God almighty" refrain.
(c) Blind Boy Fuller (1937) (as "Boots And Shoes")
Recorded February 8, 1937 in New York City
Released on Melotone 7-07-63 and Vocalion 03324
Lyrics:
Goin' in the bottom, you can, bring my boots and shoes
Yeah, hey, bring my boots and shoes
You can tell by that, gal, got no time to lose
Now it's a mean old engine, took my gal and left me standing here
Hey, hey mama, left me standing here
Got no one to love me, have no one to care
Sun gwonna shine in, my back door someday
Hey, hey, my back door someday
And that wind's gwine rise and blow my troubles away (Spoken: Yeah!)
Told you, gal, when, you was treatin' me mean
Hey, hey, you was treat'n' me mean
I'm gwonna leave you here and goin' back to New Orleans
I'm gon' tell you something, mama, you don't know
Yeah, hey, mama, you don't know (Spoken: Boy, you don't)
When I quit you this time, says I don't need you no more (Spoken: Yeah!)
The woman I love, she got dimples in her jaw
Yeah, hey, she got, dimples in her jaw
Say, she carry the kind of lovin', make a little man fall
Listen here:
(c) Sam Price and his Texas Blusicians (1940) (as "Oh! Lawdy Mama")
Recorded September 26, 1940 in New York
Released on Decca 7811
Listen here:
(c) Joe Williams (1941) (as "Meet Me Around The Corner")
(B-side of "Crawlin' King Snake")
Recorded March 27, 1941 in Chicago
Released on Bluebird B-8738
Listen here:
In 1949 he recorded it as "She's A Married Woman" and in 1961 as "Meet Me In The Bottom".
Not only blues artists recorded this song.
Also jazz artists, such as Count Basie (1938), Louis Armstrong and his Hot Seven (1941), and Noble Sissle and His Orchestra with Edna Williams (vocal and trumpet) recorded it as "Hey Lawdy Mama".
All these versions were consistently credited to (Amos) Easton.
(c) Count Basie (1938) (as "Hey Lawdy Mama")
Recorded November 9, 1938 in New York
Released in 1939 on Decca 2722
Listen here:
(c) Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra (1941) (as "Hey Lady Mama")
Recorded April 11, 1941 in New York City
Released on Decca 3756
Listen here:
(c) Joshua White (1941) (as "She's a Married Woman")
Recorded May 16, 1941 in New York City
Released on Conqueror 9960
Listen here:
Jazz singer June Richmond recorded several versions of "Hey Lawdy Mama" during her career.
Her version, recorded in 1942, reached number four in the Billboard R&B chart during a stay of eight weeks in 1943.
This versions was also credited to (Amos) Easton.
(c) Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy (1943) (as "Hey Lady Mama")
Recorded July 14, 1942 in New York
Released in 1943 on Decca 4405
Listen here:
And here's June Richmond singing a version in a Soundie from 1944 with Roy Milton's Band
In 1951 Ralph Willis recorded 2 versions of a song called "Tell Me Pretty Baby".
The version released on the Prestige-label is another variation of "Hey Lawdy Mama"
(c) Ralph Willis (1951) (as "Tell Me Pretty Baby")
with Brownie McGhee on guitar
Recorded 1951 in New York City
Released on Prestige 907
Listen here:
(c) Brownie McGhee (1952) (as "Bottom Blues")
with Sonny Terry on harmonica
Recorded March 3, 1952 in New York City
Released on Savoy 844
Listen here:
In 1960 Mance Lipscomb had recorded another variation of "Oh Lawdy Mama", titled "Foggy Bottom Blues". His version was finally released in 1998 on Arhoolie.
(c) Mance Lipscomb (1960) (as "Foggy Bottom Blues")
Recorded August 13, 1960 in Navasota, Texas
Released in 1998 on the next album.
Listen here:
In 1961, Freddie King recorded a variation of the song titled "See See Baby".
Federal Records released it as a single, which reached number 21 in the R&B chart.
(c) Freddie King (1961) (as "See See Baby")
Recorded August 26, 1960 in Cincinatti, OH
Released in 1961 on Federal 12428
Listen here:
Freddie King's version was subsequently covered by several acts like Chicken Shack, Johnny Winter and Joe Bonamassa
In 1961 Pink Anderson also recorded a version of "Meet Me In The Bottom".
Although no recorded versions of the song earlier than 1933 are identified, Pink Anderson, who recorded a version of "Meet Me in the Bottom" in 1961 (which closely follows Slim's song), remembered the song "from just after the first World War".
(c) Pink Anderson (1961) (as "Meet Me In The Bottom")
Recorded April 12, 1961 in Spartanburg, SC
Released on the album Carolina Bluesman.
Listen here:
In 1961 Howlin' Wolf recorded a completely revised version of 'Meet Me In The Bottom".
Retitled "Down in the Bottom", it shares the same first verse with Bumble Bee Slim's "Meet Me in the Bottom (Hey Lawdy Mama)" (SEE ABOVE)
Willie Dixon changed some of the lyrics and revised the melody, but it still shares some lyrics with Slim's song; the Howlin' Wolf recording is musically also very similar to the much recorded blues standard "Rollin' and Tumblin'". SEE: Joop's Musical Flowers: Roll And Tumble blues (1929) / If I had Possession Over Judgment Day (1937) / Rollin' and Tumblin' (1950)
(c) Howlin Wolf (1961) (as "Down In The Bottom")
Howlin' Wolf, voc, # g; Johnny Jones, p; Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, g;
Willie Dixon, b; Sam Lay, dr
Recorded May 1961 in Chicago, IL;
Released on Chess 1793
Lyrics
Well, now, meet me in the bottom, bring me my running shoes (2x)
When I come out the window, I won't have time to lose
When you see me streaking by, please don't be late (2x)
Well, when you see me moving, you know my life is at stake
Well, I hope you'll see me, I come streaking by (2x)
She got a bad old man, you know I'm too young to die
[Spoken:-
Oh, I got to leave here, get caught in there]
Listen here:
The Howlin' Wolf's "Rollin and Tumblin" variation of "Down In The Bottom" was subsequently covered by many artists:
In 1964 the Rolling Stones recorded a version of Howlin' Wolf's "Down In The Bottom", when they were in the Chess Studios in Chicago.
(c) Rolling Stones (1964) (as "Down In The Bottom")
Recorded June 11, 1964 in the Chess Studios in Chicago, Il
Till now this version was not released officially.
Listen here:
In 1995 the Rolling Stones played "Down In The Bottom" live in Amsterdam, Paris and London.
These versions were finally released in 2016 on the "Totally Stripped" CD/DVD.
Listen here:
Junior Wells with Buddy Guy recorded their interpretation of "Hey Lawdy Mama" for the influential 1965 Hoodoo Man Blues album. The song was performed in the style of a Chicago blues, with Wells (vocal and harmonica), Buddy Guy (guitar), Jack Myers (bass) and Billy Warren (drums).
Wells added new lyrics to the song:
You wanna go out babe, too late at night
Lawdy Mama, hey hey
You wanna go out babe, too late at night
I got a real funny feeling, you don't want to treat your daddy right
I'm gonna leave in the mornin' and your cryin' can't make me stay,
Hey baby oh oh
I'm gonna leave in the mornin' and your crying won't make me stay
Lord, the more you cry, baby, further it gonna drive me away, come on
Big legged woman, comin' home ahead,
Hey babe hey hey
Big legged woman, comin', comin' home ahead
I got a real funny feelin' you wanna love another man, hey, oh
(c) Junior Wells (1965) (as "Hey Lawdy Mama")
Recorded September 22, 1965 in Chicago
Released on "Hoodoo Man Blues" album
Listen here:
In December 1966, British rock band Cream recorded a version of Wells' "Hey Lawdy Mama" for the BBC (released on 2003's BBC Sessions).
(c) Cream (1966) (as "Hey Lawdy Mama")
Listen here:
In April 1967, during their first trip to New York, Cream recorded another version of Wells' song with Ahmet Ertegun at Atlantic Studios, at the beginning of the sessions for what would become the Disraeli Gears album.
The band cut two versions of the song, the first a typical blues shuffle, and the second converted to straight time in a more rock 'n' roll style (both versions can be heard on the 1997 Those Were the Days collection).
(c) Cream (1967) (as "Lawdy Mama" version 1)
Listen here:
(c) Cream (1967) (as "Lawdy Mama" version 2)
Listen here:
After these 2 takes on "Lawdy Mama", young producer (and future Mountain bassist) Felix Pappalardi entered the Atlantic studio and told Ertegun he thought the track was lacking something. The next morning, Felix returned with a new set of lyrics he'd penned overnight with his wife, Gail Collins, and told the band that these words would fit well over the original Lawdy Mama blues groove.
So producer Felix Pappalardi took the tape of the second version of "Lawdy Mama" and, with help from his wife Gail Collins, transformed the song into "Strange Brew", which according to Eric Clapton "created a pop song without completely destroying the original groove."
(c) Cream (1967) (as "Strange Brew")
Listen here:
