Ma Rainey Poverty Quotes

These two well-known towns in the Mississippi river valley were characterized by widespread poverty back in the day, especially when it came to their black citizens.

Flivverin's not just a cool word. It also tells us that these people aren't cruising in in fancy Cadillacs. They drive jalopies.

Back in the day, mules were owned by those who couldn't spring for a horse, so in a poem like this, it's a sure sign of a lack of cash.

Could it be that the fans pack their lunches in order to save money while traveling?

While this line could be taken as a request for Ma to sing about the struggles that black people endure in a racist southern community, it's also likely about the poverty they must deal with, too. And poverty and racism were intertwined back then, as black people were given few opportunities to make their lives better. Hence, the blues.