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Beale Street Mama Lyrics by Bessie Smith

The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1

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Minnie Neal down in Beale
Gave her papa the air
Left him cold, got him told
Said she didn't care
Poor Joe, her beau
Looked just like he would die
If you were near him, you would hear him
Start his mournful cry
Beale Street papa, why don't you come back home
It isn't proper to leave your mama all alone
Sometimes I was cruel, that was true
But papa you know mama never two-times you
Ooh-ooh, I'm blue
So how come you do me like you do, I'm crying
Beale Street papa, don't mess around with me
There's plenty of petting that I can get in Tennessee
I still get my sweet cookies constantly
But not the kind you serve to me
So Beale Street papa, come back home
So how come you do me like you do, I'm crying
Beale Street papa, don't mess around with me
There's plenty of petting that I can get in Tennessee
I bought a rifle, razor and a knife
A postal card can't save my life
So Beale Street papa, come back home
Credits
Bessie Smith

Bessie Smith

About “Beale Street Mama” by Bessie Smith

Read the complete lyrics to "Beale Street Mama" by Bessie Smith from the album "The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Blues, Pop.

"Beale Street Mama" is performed by Bessie Smith. from the album "The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Beale Street Mama", explore more songs by Bessie Smith using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Beale Street Mama" is credited to Bessie Smith. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Beale Street Mama" appears on "The Complete Recordings, Vol. 1".

Visit the Bessie Smith artist page at /artist/bessie-smith for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.