See See Rider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"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, and copyrighted, 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.
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[edit] Versions of the song
The song is likely to be traditional in origin. Ma Rainey's version became popular during 1925, as "See See Rider Blues." Copyrighted by her, it became one of the most famous of all blues songs, with well over 100 versions. It was recorded by Big Bill Broonzy, Mississippi John Hurt, Lead Belly, Lightnin' Hopkins, Peggy Lee, and many others.
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[1].
A doo-wop version was recorded by Sonny Til and The Orioles in 1952. Later rocked-up hit versions were recorded by Chuck Willis (as "C.C. Rider", also a #1 R&B hit as well as a #12 pop hit, in 1957) and LaVern Baker (#9 R&B and #34 pop hit in 1963). Willis's version gave birth to the dance craze "The Stroll".
Other popular performances were recorded by Mitch Ryder (as part of a medley entitled "Jenny Take a Ride!", #10 pop hit in 1965) and The Animals (#10 pop hit in 1966). Other renditions came from Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and many more. In later years, Presley regularly opened his performances with the song,[2] such as was captured on his 1970 On Stage album. Similarly, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band long had "C.C. Rider" as part of their "Detroit Medley" encore romp, which achieved significant visibility on the 1980 No Nukes live album.
Film director Martin Scorsese credited the song with stimulating his interest in music. He later said:
"One day, around 1958, I remember hearing something that was unlike anything I'd ever heard before... The music was demanding, "Listen to me!"... The song was called "See See Rider," which I already knew from the Chuck Willis cover version. The name of the singer was Lead Belly... I found an old Folkways record by Lead Belly... And I listened to it obsessively. Lead Belly's music opened something up for me. If I could have played guitar, really played it, I never would have become a filmmaker."[3]
In 2004, the original Ma Rainey recording received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
[edit] Origins of the term
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.
There are further theories:
- "Easy rider" was sometimes used to refer to the partner of a hypersexual woman, who therefore does not have to work or pay for sex.
- The term was also sometimes used to refer to a slow moving train, as used by itinerant workers in the Great Depression – in particular, it has been suggested, one of the Colorado Central (C.C.) line.
- Another theory is that the term "easy rider" sometimes originally referred to the guitar hung across the back of a travelling blues singer.
- Other sources indicate that 'C.C. Rider' refers to early 'Country Circuit' Riding Preachers who traveled on horseback into many towns that were without formal churches at the time. Some of these Circuit Riders had a real reputation as womanizers.
