"Trouble No More" is an upbeat

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

song first recorded by

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

in 1955. It is a variation on "Someday Baby Blues", recorded by

Sleepy John Estes John Adam Estes (January 25, 1899 or 1900June 5, 1977),
known as Sleepy John Estes, was an A ...

in 1935.

The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...

recorded both studio and live versions of the song in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Background

Several blues musicians have interpreted and recorded variations on "Someday Baby Blues". "Muddy Waters calls his 'Trouble No More' and Big Maceo titled his '

Worried Life Blues "Worried Life Blues" is a blues standard and one of the most recorded blues songs of all time. Originally recorded by Big Maceo Merriweather in 1941, "Worried Life Blues" was an early blues hit and Maceo's most recognized song. The song was insp ...

'. Be that as it may... they all derive from Sleepy John Estes' 1935 classic 'Someday Baby Blues'." As he did with " Rollin' Stone", " Rollin' and Tumblin'", " Walkin' Blues", and "

Baby Please Don't Go In common terminology, a baby is the very young offspring of adult human beings, while infant (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'baby' or 'child') is a formal or specialised synonym. The terms may also be used to refer to juveniles of ...

", Waters took an older

country blues Country blues (also folk blues, rural blues, backwoods blues, or downhome blues) is one of the earliest forms of blues music. The mainly solo vocal with acoustic fingerstyle guitar accompaniment developed in the rural Southern United States in t ...

and made it into a Chicago blues. Waters also modified the lyrics, using "Someday baby, you ain't gonna trouble, poor me anymore" instead of Estes' "Someday baby, you ain't gonna worry, my mind anymore" (Estes' 1938 version "New Someday Baby" uses "trouble" in place of "worry;"

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

's 2006 " Someday Baby" uses "trouble, poor me anymore").

Recording and releases

On November 3, 1955, Waters recorded "Trouble No More" in Chicago with Jimmy Rogers on electric guitar,

Little Walter Marion Walter Jacobs (May 1, 1930 – February 15, 1968), known as Little Walter, was an American blues musician, singer, and songwriter, whose revolutionary approach to the harmonica had a strong impact on succeeding generations, earning him ...

on amplified harmonica,

Otis Spann Otis Spann (March 21, 1924, or 1930April 24, 1970) was an American blues musician many consider the leading postwar Chicago blues pianist. Early life Sources differ over Spann's early years. Some state that he was born in Jackson, Mississippi, ...

on piano,

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

on bass, and Francis Clay on drums. Sometimes known as the "Headhunters", a loose group of fellow

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

recording artists, they were instrumental in defining

Chicago blues Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is based on earlier blues idioms, such as Delta blues, but is performed in an urban style. It developed alongside the Great Migration of African Americans of the fi ...

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

released the song as a single, with "Sugar Sweet" as the second side. Both songs appeared on the ''Billboard'' R&B charts, with "Trouble No More" reaching number seven. The tune is included on several compilations of Waters' Chess singles, such as '' The Anthology: 1947–1972'' (2001). It was also used as the title track for the Chess's collection ''Trouble No More: Singles (1955–1959)'' (1989).

Other renditions

recorded their arrangement of "Trouble No More" for their debut album ''

'' (1969). A 1971 live recording of the song from the

Fillmore East The Fillmore East was Promoter (entertainment), rock promoter Bill Graham (promoter), Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue (Manhattan), Second Avenue near 6th Street (Manhattan), East 6th Street on the Lower East Side section of Manhattan, ...

was included on '' Eat a Peach'' (1972). In an album review,

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...

commented, "They're at the best on the punchier covers of " One Way Out" and "Trouble No More", both proof of the group's exceptional talents as a roadhouse blues-rock band."

References

{{Authority control Blues songs 1956 singles Chess Records singles Muddy Waters songs The Allman Brothers Band songs Year of song unknown Songs written by Muddy Waters