Bessie Smith's relationships with other female singers were often stormy. Bessie did agree to record with rival, Clara Smith (no relation) a few songs of which 'My Man Blues' portrays the two in mock competition over the same man. The following dialogue comes from the 1925 recording:
Bessie: It is my man, sweet papa Charlie Gray.
Clara: Your man? How do you git that way?
Bessie: Now look here, honey, I been had that man for umpteen years.
Clara: Child, didn't I turn your damper down?
Bessie: Yes, Clara, and I've cut you every way but loose!
Turn your damper down means 'calm down' or 'don't be so intense'. Some people conjure up sexual imagery from the phrase, but really it's related to a volatile temper.
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