Topic: John Lee Hooker Lyrics

[lindy]

I'd want to know the pickup, amp, speaker(s), mic(s) ... Whew! Must have been a great microphone to capture that world record harmonic.

The answer to your mic question might be on this page:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5629568265283914/

Also, a friend I used to work with when I was doing radio told me about this vid:



It starts out great, but after a while it's mostly talking heads ... you really have to be into the topic to make it through the 35 minutes.

Lindy

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is John Lee Hooker from the American Folk Blues Festival doing "Hobo Blues", in Spanish tuning:



INTRO

When I first started to hoboing, hobo, boy
I took a freight train to be my friend, oh Lord
Mmmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm

You know I hoboed, hoboed, hoboed
Hoboed a long, long ways from home, oh yeah
Mmmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm

(Spoken:  Yes, I did!  Long time ago)

I left home that morning
My mother followed me to down to the freight train yard
Mmmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm

She said, "My son is goin'.  Take care of my child. Lord knows he's travelin'.
You know, he travelin' out there, you know he travelin', you know he travelin' again."
Mmmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm

Next time I start in to hobo
I'm gonna have my baby by my side
And then, you know, my night, it won't be so alone
And my day won't be so blue

All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was excited to discover John Lee Hooker's "Six Little Puppies And Twelve Shaggy Hounds", from his 1949 "Jack of Diamonds" acoustic album recently. Like 'Rabbit In The Log", from the same album and which was featured in Miller's Breakdown recently, this song was played by John Lee Hooker in Spanish tuning, capoed up and sounding in C. I was excited to hear its similarity, instrumentally, to Furry Lewis's original recording of "I Will Turn Your Money Green". The fretting hand's moves, the phrasing, and the way it gets into the IV and V chords are essentially the same as in Furry's recording, though Furry's tempo is much more upbeat. I love the way that John Lee sounds like he is sort of feeling his way on his first instrumental pass--it almost sounds like he is trying to remind himself or piece together how the song goes. The rhythm and groove don't really fall fully into place until he starts singing. And the fact that he varies his form quite a lot over the course of his rendition, choosing not to go to the V chord in several of his verses, contributes to the improvisatory feel of his performance. Here is his rendition of "Six Little Puppies And Twelve Shaggy Hounds":



INTRO SOLO

I got me six little old puppies, and some twelve little shaggy hounds
And twelve little shaggy hound
It takes all them dogs to run my baby down
(Guitar finishes verse)

Yes, I’m going ‘way back, babe, ‘way back where I belong
Well, ‘way down South, babe, in the old sunny, in the old sunny land
Where the tall corn grows and man lives every day

I said baby, baby, you know you ain't doin' me right
I’m gonna catch me a great big, sixteen coaches,  sixteen coaches long
It's all right, I’m gonna ride ’til I get sane in mind

SOLO

Don’t your clothes look lonesome, hangin’ on the line?
Don’t your clothes look lonesome, hangin’ on the line?
Don’t her clothes look lonesome, hangin’ on the line?
Yes, but she done quit me, goin’ on down the line

Get me six little old puppies and twelve little shaggy hounds
And twelve little shaggy hounds
I’m gonna take them dogs and run my baby down

When your good gal quits you, man, please, don’t you cry
After your good gal quits you, man, now please, don’t cry
You can come on down, come on down, baby, help you run her down
Yes, I get my little puppies and my little old shaggy hounds

Don’t your house look lonesome when your biscuit roller’s gone?
Don’t your house look lonesome when your biscuit roller’s gone?
Yes, your little old shanty, it, little old shanty, just, it ain’t never clean

I’m gonna get me a train that’s sixteen coaches long
Yes, I’m gonna get me a train that’s sixteen coaches long
I said me and my little old dogs, they gonna find my baby somewhere

Edited 1/8 to pick up correction from Old Man Ned
Edited 1/10 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Old Man Ned]

Hi John,
In the 3rd verse, to me, the first line sounds like "I said baby, baby, you know you aint doin’ me right".
All the Best,
Ned

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Ned. You are certainly right, I don't know what I was thinking. I'll make the change. Thanks!
All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Great song, some suggestions,


3.3 Yes, I’m gonna ride, It's alright, I’m gonna ride ’til I get satisfied

Not sure on "satisfied", sounds something like "sane in mind" if that's proper english.


6.3 You can come on down, come on down, to baby help you run her dow

[Johnm]

Thanks for the suggestions, Blues Vintage. I agree with all of them, including "sane in mind", and will make the changes. Thanks!

[banjochris]

The number that Hooker's "Six Little Puppies" really reminds me of is Ishman Bracey's "Suitcase Full of Blues." Also that opening verse being associated with "Saturday Blues" makes me wonder if Hooker was thinking of Bracey with this one.
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Here is John Lee Hooker's version of "Rollin' And Tumblin'", titled "I Rolled And Turned And Cried The Whole Night Long", from his album "Burnin' Hell". It's is another non-slide version of the song, similar to R. L. Burnside's or Rosa Lee Hill's versions, though unlike theirs, Hooker's was played in Spanish tuning. Despite the title of the song on the record, John Lee sang "tumbled" rather than "turned" throughout his rendition, and also sang "try" or "tried" rather than "cried". His is the only version of the song I've heard done that way. His rendition has a wonderful loose, semi-improvised feel to it.



INTRO

Well I rolled and I tumbled, babe, and I try the whole night long
Well I rolled and I tumbled and I try the whole night long
When I rolled this mornin', I, didn't know right from wrong

Ah-ah-ahhhhhhhhhhh, man, tryin' the whole night long, (humming with signature lick)
And I rolled this mornin', found my baby gone

And I lost my babe and I, almost lost my mind (Spoken: Oh yeah!)
And I lost my baby and I almost lost my mind (humming with signature lick and bass interlude)
When I lost my baby, almost lost my mind
I just rolled and I tumbled and I just can't sleep at night

SOLO

Aaah---I-----ahhh----I------ahh--I never be the same
Never be, never be the same, no more (humming with the signature lick)
I never be the same no more, never be the same no more, never be the same no more, never be the same no more
I woke up this mornin', I found my baby gone, I just rolled and I tumbled, tried the whole night long

GUITAR RIFFING

Edited 2/25 to pick up correction from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

1.3 And When I rolled this mornin', I, didn't know right from wrong

[Johnm]

Thanks for the catch, Blues Vintage, I have made the change.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Lee Hooker recorded "Two White Horses" for his "Jack of Diamonds" album, accompanying himself out of Spanish tuning, capoed way up. The song is his version of "See that My Grave Is Kept Clean". He was certainly a wonderful singer, and I suppose there is nothing earth-shaking here, but he sure sounds good. Here is "Two White Horses":



Two white horses in a line
Yeah there's two white horses in a line
Yes, gonna take me to my buryin' ground
Gonna take me to my buryin' ground

Yes, now and dig me a grave with a silver spade
Dig my grave with a silver spade
Yes, and let me down with a golden chain
Dig my grave with a silver spade

SOLO

Yes, it's a mighty long lane, ain't got no end
Yes, it's a mighty long lane, ain't got no end
Yes, it's a mighty bad wind, don't never change
It's a long, long lane, ain't got no end

You can dig my grave with a silver spade
You can dig my grave with a silver spade, and
Let me down with a golden chain

Yes, there's two white horses in a line
Yes, there's two white horses in a line
Yes, gon' take me to my buryin' ground
Then dig my grave with a silver spade

And lay my old guitar down by my head
And lay my old guitar down by my head
Yes, and they, Lord, gonna cry, oh Lord,
Says all you can say, I'm dead and gone

Yes, there's two white horses in a line
Yes, there's two white horses in a line
They's gonna take me to my buryin' ground
My last, long lane ain't got no end

CODA

Edited 10/28 to pick up corrections from Blues Vintage

All best,
Johnm

[Blues Vintage]

Probably a typo in 1.1 and 4.2

It sounds like "on a line" in 1.1 although he sings "in a line" in 1.2.

[Johnm]

Thanks for the help, Blues Vintage. I have made the changes.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
John Lee Hooker recorded "Rabbit In A Log" for his "Jack o' Diamonds" album, accompanying himself in Spanish tuning, capoed around the fifth fret, assuming he was tuned to G. The song is a kind of Pre-Blues or Folk number that had a widespread circulation--versions were recorded by other artists, Lonzie Thomas and J. W. Warren among them. I like every version of this song I've ever heard and John Lee's version is especially pretty. I'm missing single words in a couple of places and would appreciate help with them. Here is "Rabbit In A Log":



Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit on the log
Possum up the tree

Rabbit told the possum,
"Shake those 'simmons down.
Shake those 'simmons down."

INTERLUDE

Rabbit on the, rabbit on, rabbit on the log
I ain't, got no rabbit dog,
Got no rabbit dog

Rabbit told the possum,
"Shake those 'simmons down."

INTERLUDE SOLO

Way down, way down, way down, way down
In old [           ]

Rabbit told the possum, to
"Shake those 'simmons down,
Shake those 'simmons down."

Possum told the rabbit,
Possum told the rabbit,
"You watch the dog and,
I'll shake the 'simmons down.
You watch the dog and,
I shake the 'simmons down."

INTERLUDE SOLO

Way back, way back, way back,
Headed to my shanty, way back
Way back, way back, way back, way back,

Rabbit, rabbit on the log
Rabbit on the log, I ain't
Got no rabbit dog
Got no rabbit dog

Rabbit told the possum,
"Shake those 'simmons down,
Shake those 'simmons down."

INTERLUDE (Spoken: Yeah, it's the dog.)

Ooo, ooo, ooo
Ooo, ooo, ooo
Ooo, ooo, ooo
"Shake those 'simmons down."
Ooo, ooo, ooo
"Shake those 'simmons down."

Possum told the rabbit,
"You watch out the dog,
You watch out the dog, and I'll
Shake those 'simmons down, oh."

Ooo, ooo, ooo
Ooo, ooo, ooo
Me, me and my dog
We gonna go and run
Go out in the woods
Ooo, ooo, ooo
"Shake them 'simmons down."

INTERLUDE

Headed way back, way back, way back
To my shanty, way back, way back, way back
Hounds on my track, chickens on my back
Headed way back, to my shanty, way back

INTERLUDE

Shake those 'simmons, shake 'em down
Rabbit told the possum,
"Shake those 'simmons, shake 'em down."

Possum told the rabbit, possum told the rabbit,
"You watch for the dog, I'll shake the 'simmons down.
I shake the 'simmons, shake them down."

INTERLUDE WITH HUMMING

Headed way back, to my shanty
Head way back
Moon is a-risin', moon is a-risin'
Possum in the log, possum's in the log

Headed way back, way, way back

CODA

Edited to pick up correction from jpeters609

All best,
Johnm