"I went to school, but they didn't give you too much schooling because just as soon as you was big enough, you get to working in the fields. I guess I was a big boy for my age"

Muddy Waters was an American blues artist who grew up in the rural South during the early 20th century. In this quote, he is reviewing his childhood and the absence of official education he received. He discusses that he was expected to operate in the fields as quickly as he was huge enough, which likely suggested he was unable to go to school for long. This quote talks to the harsh realities of life in the rural South during this time period, where kids were expected to work in the fields rather of participating in school. It likewise talks to the durability of Muddy Waters, who had the ability to go far for himself despite the absence of formal education he received.