You Got Ev’ry Thing A Sweet Mama Needs
1923LYRICS
Anna Bell from New Rochelle
Sweet and pretty thing was she
Twenty one with lots of mon'
Never cared for company
Loving Sam from Alabam'
Wouldn't save a dime a day
He'd go calling on Anna
And to her he’d say:
You got everything a sweet mama needs but me
And if you had me, how happy we both could be
I'd like to show you what you missin'
'Cause you don't know, now honey listen
Why do you go without your kissin'
When I've the brand of kisses you could pawn, sweet mama
I'm just the man you ought to have hangin' around
Now be a kind mama, don't turn a good man down
Babe I’ll love you good and strong
Please don’t make me wait so long
Coz’ you’ve got everything a sweet mama needs but me
I mean it! [?] Hey, hey!
I'm just the man you ought to have hangin' around
Now be a kind mama, don't turn a good man down
If you’re ever feeling bad
I’ve something you’ve never had
Coz’ you’ve got everything a sweet mama needs but me
SONG NOTES
The preamble sets the scene as from the perspective of "loving Sam" and makes it clear that the song is about an "Anna", yet without the intro verse this song can sound like a plea from one woman to another.
Other vocalists opted to change the song, straightening and perhaps avoid ambiguity. Both a 1923 version with Sara Martin on vocals, and one from 1922 sung by Lena Wilson change the lyrics to refer to a 'Sweet Daddy' while keeping the original 'Mama' title intact.
RECORD LABEL
Columbia
LANGUAGE
English
CITATION
Columbia matrix 81026. You got ev'ry thing a sweet mama needs but me / Helen Baxter ; Lemuel Fowler. 1923. In Discography of American Historical Recordings. https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/2000028793/81026-You_got_evry_thing_a_sweet_mama_needs_but_me.