The Struggles and Triumphs of Bessie Jones, Big Mama Thornton, and Ethel Waters

Big Mama Thornton - Part 2: 1950s

Publicity Photo of Thornton with Muddy Waters and the Chicago Blues Band (1973). Click on the image to access the full sized version of this photo.

“You Ain’t Nothing but a Hound Dog”:  Thornton’s Big Break

In 1952, Thornton recorded “Hound Dog,” one of her signature songs, and it was released in January 1953. The lyrics depict a woman standing up for herself and dismissing her lover. She expresses that she will no longer be used by her lover. In the chorus, Thornton sings the following lyrics:

You ain't nothing but a hound dog

Been snoopin' 'round my door

You ain't nothing but a hound dog

Been snoopin' 'round my door

You can wag your tail

But I ain't gonna feed you no more

                                            (Full lyrics here)

The lyrics of “Hound Dog” reflect a history of African American female performance in which blues singers addressed major issues affecting the lives of working-class black women including love, poverty, sex, and migration. According to Angela Y. Davis, the Blues Queens of the 1920s, such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey, offered song lyrics that challenged "the dominant, etherealized ideology of love." Instead of presenting picture-perfect relationships, the lyrics of classic women’s blues songs included references to failed relationships due to infidelity, mistreatment, and abandonment.

​​​​“Hound Dog” became a national hit and the success of the record raised Peacock Records status as a major independent label. Don Robey reported that Thornton’s version of “Hound Dog” sold over 500,000 copies. Michael Spörke states, “The rawness of the sound, combined with the sexuality of the lyrics, made the song a smash hit on the black charts, where the song climbed right away to number one, and stayed there for seven weeks.”

Disputes Over Elvis Presley's Cover of "Hound Dog"

Although the songwriting and producing partners Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are credited as the writers of “Hound Dog,” there have been disputes regarding the songwriting credits. In 1956, Elvis Presley released his own version of “Hound Dog,” which became an international hit. The release brought about multiple lawsuits regarding the ownership of the song’s publishing rights.

Maureen Mahon reveals that the bandleader Johnny Otis was originally listed as a co-writer of the song. However, Mahon states that "following a court case, Leiber and Stoller were credited as sole authors. Otis has always maintained that he helped rewrite the song, and Thornton routinely asserted that she added improvised material. Otis and Thornton were never able to establish their claims legally.”

When Connor and Neff asked Thornton about Presley’s version of “Hound Dog” in 1974, she stated, “Although Elvis Presley made a million, a billion, and I made zero,…I was still pushing.” In addition, she expressed that one of the worst things that ever happened to her was Elvis Presley and Don Robey taking "Hound Dog" from her.

(Full lyrics for Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" here)