A Real Mother For Ya

Album: A Real Mother for Ya (1977)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Though wine improves with age, the same is not necessarily true of songwriters. This piece of funk was produced way after Watson's sell-by date, and he probably only got away with the title because in 1977 most music pundits didn't realize that "mother" was half a word. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments: 4

  • Robert James Piellusch from Kalamazoo, MichiganI was a D.J. at our college radio station in 1977 and we played this song "all the time." I have always loved the play on words and I don't know who the person is that made the negative comment, but they have no idea what they are talking about. Great song and I am posting it for mother's day in 2021 !
  • Glenn from Upstate Sc I really enjoyed his music
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn this day in 1977 {September 10th} Johnny 'Guitar' Watson performed "A Real Mother For Ya" on the nationally syndicated television program, 'Soul Train'...
    At the time the song was at position #43 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, it was also in it's fifteenth and final week on the chart, and ten weeks earlier it had peaked at #5 {for 2 weeks}...
    It reached #41 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart...
    Between 1955 and 1995 the Houston, Texas native had twenty records on the Hot R&B Singles chart, three made the Top 10...
    Besides the above "A Real Mother For Ya", his two other Top 10 records were "These, Lonely Lonely Nights" {#10 in 1955} and "Cuttin' In" {#6 in 1962}...
    John Watson Jr. passed away at the age of 61 on May 17th, 1996 {heart attack}...
    May he and Don Cornelius {1936 - 2012} R.I.P.
  • David from Chesapeake, VaI thought it would be a shame for the only comment about this wonderful artist to be negative. To assume that people didn't know what "mother" meant in 1977 is pretty lame. Johnny was a cult favorite that was very popular with those in America who heard him. His songs got plenty of airtime where I grew up. He did not gain widespread notoriety because he was with a record label that was not very successful. It was hard for a black artist to sign with the major record companies in that time period. I loved his music and I'm sure there are many others who did also.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-Nighters

Waiting For The Break of Day: Three Classic Songs About All-NightersSong Writing

These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Michael Sweet of Stryper

Michael Sweet of StryperSongwriter Interviews

Find out how God and glam metal go together from the Stryper frontman.