The song is a love song from son to his mother, expressing his regrets and longing for her, and hoping she will recognize him after he has been away for a long time. However, in certain contexts, it can be considered as a tribute sung by a man who, during his childhood, was nurtured by a
"mammy", a slave used as a surrogate mother who supplanted the role that would have otherwise been provided by his biological mother. In the song, this person, now an adult, is returning to his aging mammy and proclaiming his unconditional love for her, hoping that despite her age she can still recognise him as her "little baby". ==Recorded versions==