See See Rider Blues (Information & Examples)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides five examples of & information about the song "See See Rider" (also known as "C.C. Rider" or "See See Rider Blues" or similar titles.)

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/07/origins-examples-of-i-know-you-rider.html for another post about a song that includes the word "rider".

My thanks to the unknown original composer of this song. Thanks also to the vocalists and musicians who are featured in these examples and to the producers & uploaders of these sound files/videos

INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SONG
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/See_See_Rider [hereafter known as Wikipedia:"See See Rider"]
" "See See Rider", also known as "C.C. Rider" or "See See Rider Blues" or "Easy Rider" is a popular American 12-bar blues" song. It was first recorded by Gertrude "Ma" Rainey in 1924, and since then has been recorded by many other artists.

The song uses mostly traditional blues lyrics to tell the story of an unfaithful lover, commonly called easy riders: "See See rider, see what you have done," making a play on the word see and the sound of easy.

The song is generally regarded as being traditional in origin. Ma Rainey's version became popular during 1925, as "See See Rider Blues." It became one of the most famous of all blues songs with well over 100 versions...

The term "See See Rider" is usually taken as synonymous with "easy rider." In particular, in blues songs it often refers to a woman who had liberal sexual views, had been married more than once, or was skilled at sex. Although Ma Rainey's version seems on the face of it to refer to "See See Rider" as a man, one theory is that the term refers to a prostitute and in the lyric, "You made me love you, now your man done come," "your man" refers to the woman's pimp. So, rather than being directed to a male "easy rider," the song is in fact an admonition to a prostitute to give up her evil ways."

FEATURED SOUND FILES & VIDEOS
Example #1: Louis Armstrong & Ma Rainey (See See Rider Blues, 1924) Jazz Legend



Uploaded by RagtimeDorianHenry on Jun 3, 2009

See See Rider Blues (1924) MA RAINEY
Louis Armstrong (cornet), Buster Bailey (clarinet), Charlie Green (tuba), Fletcher Henderson (piano),
Charlie Dixon (banjo)

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Video #2: 'C C Rider' BIG BILL BROONZY (1934) Blues Guitar Legend



Uploaded by RagtimeDorianHenry on Apr 2, 2009

" C-C Rider " (1934)

EARLY COUNTRY BLUES
Alger "Texas" Alexander
Pink Anderson
Barbecue Bob Hicks
Scrapper Blackwell

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Video #3: Bea Booze - See See Rider Blues [1943]



Uploaded by TravelerIntoTheBlue on Sep 1, 2011

Bea Booze (May 23, 1920 -- 1975), often credited as Wee Bea Booze
-snip-
From Wikipedia: "See See Rider":
"In 1943, a version by Wee Bea Booze became a #1 hit on the Billboard "Harlem Hit Parade," precursor of the rhythm and blues chart. Some blues critics consider this to be the definitive version of the song".

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Video #4 The Orioles - See See Rider [1952]



Uploaded by richardkcarson on Feb 6, 2011

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Video #5: LaVern Baker - See See Rider [1963]



According to Wikipedia: "See See Rider", LaVern Baker's recording of See See Rider was a "#9 R&B and #34 pop hit in 1963."

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.lyricstime.com/ma-rainey-see-see-rider-lyrics.html Ma Rainey -"See See Rider".

EDITORIAL COMMENT
I'd like to make it clear that I absolutely don't condone the violence mentioned in these lyrics to the "See See Rider" song:

"I'm gonna buy me a pistol, just as long as I am tall, Lord, Lord, Lord
Shoot my man, and catch a cannonball
If he won't have me, he won't have no gal at all"
-snip-
"Catch me a cannonball" means to catch a fast train out of town.

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