Lyrics
My mama done tol' me
Reflecting on advice received from the speaker's mother.
When I was in pigtails
Recalling a time from childhood when the speaker wore pigtails.
My mama done tol' me
Reiterating the mother's advice about men and relationships.
A man's gonna sweet-talk and give you the big eyes
Warning about deceptive charm and false promises from men.
But when the sweet-talking's done
Highlighting the temporary nature of sweet-talking.
A man is a two-face, a worrisome thing
Describing a man as unpredictable and potentially troublesome.
Who'll leave you to sing the blues in the night
Predicting that such a man will leave the speaker feeling sorrowful.
Now the rain's a-fallin'
Setting the scene with the sound of rain falling.
Hear the train a-callin, "whoo-ee!"
Introducing the sound of a train in the distance.
My mama done tol' me
Reiterating the mother's earlier warning in response to the train sound.
Hear that lonesome whistle blowin' 'cross the trestle, "whoo-ee!"
Describing the lonesome sound of a train whistle echoing.
My mama done tol' me
Repeating the mother's advice in the context of the train whistle.
A-whooee-ah-whooee ol' clickety-clack's
Imitating the rhythmic sound of a train on the tracks.
A-echoin' back th' blues in the night
Connecting the train sounds to the melancholy of the blues.
The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
Describing the evening breeze and its effect on nature.
And the moon'll hide it's light
Portraying the moon as concealing its light, creating a somber atmosphere.
When you get the blues in the night
Expressing the onset of emotional distress or sadness.
Take my word, the mockingbird'll sing the saddest kind o' song
Suggesting that even a mockingbird will sing sad songs when one is down.
He knows things are wrong, and he's right
Attributing a sense of awareness to the mockingbird.
From Natchez to mobile,
Listing various locations, emphasizing the widespread experience of the blues.
From Memphis to St. Joe
Emphasizing the speaker's journey from place to place.
Wherever the four winds blow
Indicating that the blues are encountered wherever fate takes the speaker.
I been in some big towns
Sharing experience in large cities and exposure to grandiose talk.
An' heard me some big talk
Recalling encounters with boastful or deceptive speech.
But there is one thing I know
Acknowledging a universal truth about men's unpredictable nature.
A man's a two-face, a worrisome thing
Reiterating the theme of a man's potential to cause worry and sorrow.
Who'll leave you to sing the blues in the night
Restating the prediction that such a man will leave the speaker with the blues.
The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
Repeating the impact of the evening breeze on emotions.
And the moon'll hide it's light
Reemphasizing the concealment of moonlight during troubled times.
When you get the blues in the night
Reiterating the idea that the blues are accompanied by a sense of darkness.
Take my word, the mockingbird'll sing the saddest kind o' song
Reiterating the notion that even a mockingbird sings sad songs in despair.
He knows things are wrong, and he's right
Affirming the mockingbird's awareness of the speaker's troubled state.
From Natchez to mobile,
Continuing the list of locations to underscore the universality of the blues.
From Memphis to St. Joe
Reaffirming the idea that the blues are found in various places.
Wherever the four winds blow
Stressing the influence of the four winds in spreading the blues.
I been in some big towns
Reflecting on experiences in significant towns and exposure to boastful talk.
An' heard me some big talk
Recalling encounters with grandiosity and potentially deceptive discourse.
But there is one thing I know
Reiterating the fundamental truth about men and their unpredictable nature.
A man's a two-face, a worrisome thing
Affirming the potential for a man to leave one with the blues.
Who'll leave ya to sing the blues in the night
Repeating the warning about the loneliness of singing the blues at night.
Yes the lonely, lonely blues in the night
Affirming the solitary and sorrowful nature of the blues experienced at night.
Comment