My Redeemer
First recording by George Coles Stebbins (1877)
First release by Smith's Sacred Singers (June 1927)
- Lyrics written by
- [Unknown]
- Original music written by
- James McGranahan
- Original lyrics written by
- Philip Bliss
- Publication date
- 1927
- Language
- English
- Adapted from
-
My Redeemer written by Philip Bliss, James McGranahan
- Comments
-
Also commonly called The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham, this is a bawdy US drinking song that was in existence at least by the time of the First World War, when it was noted to have been sung in prisoner of war camps in Germany. It was first published by Carl Sandburg in "The American Songbag" under the title Lydia Pinkham (writer unknown).
Lydia Estes Pinkham (February 9, 1819 – May 17, 1883) concocted a herbal tonic claimed to cure or ease all manner of "female complaints", mass marketed from 1876 as Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound and becoming commercially successful. In addition to roots and herbs, the compound also contained alcohol.
The song celebrates and magnifies the cure-all claims, with verses describing how the poor fortunes of various women were reversed after experiencing the invigorating effects of the compound. It has entered folk tradition and many different versions have evolved, with variations applying to men as well as women and the claims transferred to other products. It is speculated that the song's popularity might have increased in the US prohibition era since Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound remained available as a medicine and became a legitimate source of alcohol. - Licensing
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