I have always loved RL Burnside, and the tune and feel of his version of the song “Poor Black Mattie”, but I wasn’t comfortable with singing his lyrics myself. His protagonist was vulnerable, she drank too much, had no money and got into bad situations; the lyrics reprimanded her and talked about her with judgement. I re-arranged the song and re-wrote most of the lyrics to turn the woman I’m singing about into a big, bad, hero of a character. In my version, she is in charge, makes up her mind, does her thing, owns herself.
lyrics
Big Bad Maddie
Not gonna change her clothes
Does what she wants
Goes where she wants to go (x2)
Feel so good
Shout and sing
Moondog says
You got to do your thing
Now, I feel so good
I wanna shout and sing
Moondog says you got to do your
Moondog says you got to do your
Moondog says you got to do your thing
Moondog says you got to do your thing
Big Bad Maddie’s
Not gonna change her mind
Big dick swagger
Keeps those boys in line (x2)
Don’t need no heater
Round my bed
The man I got
He keeps me cherry red
I mean I don’t need no heater I
Now around my loving bed
the man I love, he keeps me cherry
the man I love, he keeps me cherry
the man I love, he keeps me cherry red
the man I got, you know now, he keeps me cherry red
credits
from Slow Burn,
released August 18, 2020
words/music: traditional w/ additional lyrics by Mamie Minch
guitar/vocals: Mamie Minch
drums: Dean Sharenow
upright bass: Logan Coale
MAMIE MINCH is a longtime staple of New York’s acoustic blues scene. Listening to her sing and play is like unpacking a time
capsule of American music that’s been stored in her 1930’s National steel guitar for decades and filtered through a modern femme sensitivity....more
Ali Dineen writes beautiful, thoughtful songs in the vein of Judee Sill or Connie Converse. She's pretty fearless in scope, and covers love, community, anti-racism, in her clear, knowing voice. Mamie Minch
These songs are Burnside's first recordings, done by folklorist George Mitchell in the late 60's. Best listened to up loud, while driving a cranky old car too fast on a winding road. Mamie Minch
Have you heard Dayna Kurtz? You should- her voice and songwriting are a deep pleasure, even when she's kicking you around a bit. Just... listen to this record, ok? Mamie Minch
good reed/string work on this!! and the passionate vocals! i was given the download card for this from my friend dave farrow (hookfinger on bandcamp). goes really well with my Secret Museum of Mankind: Music of North Africa, and Klezmer Music CDs that i put on my ipod - great old 78s transferred to the digital realm for all to enjoy! cloudrecordings
Cerebral palsy curbed his ability to play guitar the conventional way, so Nagoda learned double slide, this is his debut LP.
Bandcamp New & Notable May 8, 2014