Topic: John Lee Hooker Lyrics

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I've had occasion recently to listen to John Lee Hooker's original recording of "Boogie Chillen" a great deal and have become somewhat obsessed with it.  It is a terrific rendition both vocally and instrumentally.  John Lee accompanied himself out of Spanish tuning at B, and the groove he sets up and maintains is one of the coolest ever.  In a certain sort of way he's not doing all that much, but when you can play time that well, you don't have to do very much to be completely satisfying, musically.
Vocally, the song is primarily a recitation with incidental singing.  I think that John Lee Hooker, much like Lightnin' Hopkins, a close contemporary of his in age, was prodigally gifted, vocally.  He sounds more musical talking than all but the best singers do singing.  If you've never heard this, I strongly encourage you to seek it out.  And make no mistake--John Lee Hooker may have been playing an electric guitar, but this is Country Blues all the way.  It is trance music, and very pared back harmonically, for John Lee goes to a IV7 chord just a couple of times and avoids the V7 chord altogether.  It is just a treat.



   (Sung) Well, my Mama, she didn't allow me just to stay out all night long, oh Lord
   Well, my Mama didn't allow me just to stay out all night long
   I didn't care if she didn't allow--I would boogie-woogie anyhow

   (Spoken) When I first come to town, people, I was walkin' down Hastings Street.  I heard everybody talking about the Henry's Swing Club. I said, "I got to drop into there tonight." And when I got there--
   (Sung) I say, yes, people, yes, they were really havin' a ball.
   (Spoken) Yes, I know.  Boogie, chillen!

   SOLO

   (Spoken) One night, I was layin' down.  I hear Mama and Papa talkin'.  I hear Papa tell Mama "to let that boy boogie.  'Cause it's in him, and it got to come out."
   (Sung) Well, I felt so good, and I went on boogie woogiein' just the same.
   (Spoken) Yes!

Edited 2/4 to pick up correction from Bunker Hill

All best,
Johnm 

[Bunker Hill]

Small observation John, the club on Hastings Street was Henry's.

Hooker had four attempts at this for Bernie Besman on November 3, 1948, all lyrically different. The first was released on Modern 20-627 (reached no. 1 Billboard's R&B chart February 1949) and a second on Modern 893. The other two takes didn't see light of day until 1970s.

[Gumbo]

He sounds more musical talking than all but the best singers do singing.

Ain't that the truth!

I went looking for a discography so i could figure out which album to dig out and found this (searchable by song or label):
http://www.johnleehooker.info/title_list.php?q=boogie+chill

and this:
http://www.angelfire.com/mn/coasters/jlhpage3.html#bodysoul

It also led me on to the acoustic 1949 Gene Dietch recordings which i hadn't even heard of.

EDIT correcting spelling on Gene Deitch's surname

[Bunker Hill]

Just to add to the list of internet discographies there's this one devoted solely to vinyl JLH that also incorporates a full JLH bibliography donated by compiler Robert Ford.

http://www.jlhvinyl.com/

[Johnm]

Thanks for the lyric fix, Bunker Hill.  I will make the change.
All best,
Johnm

[Gumbo]

Still listening to this!
I was about to suggest minor corrections but i think i must have a different take than the one you transcribed, John. There are subtle differences all the way through ... and no "Yes!" at the end.

i'll attempt an attachment ...

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Bunker Hill]

What follows is the session as given in The Blues Discography 1942-1970 (Fancourt & McGrath). Lord knows what the layout is  gonna look like when posted!


V/g.      Detroit, c. September 1948

B 7003   Sally May [or Mae] (There?s a day   Mod 20-627
           comin? baby)   
      Sally Mae [alt tk]   Mod 5, Crown CLP 5157, Kent LP 5025

B 7004   War is over (Goodbye California)   Sp SPS 2127
      See, see baby [alt tk]   Greene Bottle GBS 3130

B 7005   She was in Chicago   United Artists UAS 5512
            Crazy ?bout that woman [alt tk]   Greene Bottle GBS 3130

B 7006   Boogie chillen [or children]   Mod 20-627, 5, Kent 332
        Henry?s Swing Club [alt tk]   Sp SPS 2127
        Johnny Lee?s original boogie [alt tk]   United Artists 3-127
(MM 1926)   New boogie chillen    Grand 109, Mod 893

(Grand 109 is a 78 rpm out of  Philadelphia using a re-edited take of B 7006, with added echo.
It was likely withdrawn and reissued by Modern. The reverse, although credited  to Hooker, is
by SYLVESTER COTTON.). A shortened version of  B 7003 also appears on Kent  LP 527/
5027/United LP 7748.

[Rivers]

Johnm, have you heard the all-acoustic recordings he made for Gene Deitch in 1949?

If not I guarantee they will knock your socks off. The full story of how they turned up and got released in Europe is here:  http://www.genedeitch.com/

They are now available again after a legal wrangle was resolved. The 'US-legal' edition is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Diamonds-John-Lee-Hooker/dp/B0001Z36EG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328375655&sr=8-1

It's interesting to compare that version of Boogie Chillen' with the acoustic material. He uses the same technique and it works great on both acoustic and electric. Incredible groove and dynamics.

[Bunker Hill]

... and the cautionary footnote which accompanies them
    (Above titles informally recorded by Gene Deitch, the second with an audience. These sides
      were previously thought as 1949.  A date of 16 August 1951 may apply to one session.)

Do you have any more background on this Bunker? Why did they revisit the Gene Deitch recording date of 1949?

[Rivers: oh frick, I hit modify instead of quote. Apologies Alan, could you please post that again and we'll go from there]

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I can see that I'm an innocent when it comes to being up to speed on John Lee Hooker's discography--whew!  I think it's amazing that when there was a musician who could sensibly stake a claim to being the coolest ever, Lightnin' Hopkins, there would have been someone else, John Lee Hooker, who could also reasonably be considered just as cool or cooler.  There's no one remotely like either of these musicians out there now, and to think of the two of them living, recording and performing at the same time--what abundance!
All best,
Johnm

[JohnLeePimp]

He even does Lightnin better than Lightnin himself could most of the time

[Stuart]

http://www.amazon.com/John-Lee-Hooker-About-Definitive/dp/B0001XAMH2

[Rivers]

He even does Lightnin better than Lightnin himself could most of the time

I'm not sure he's doing anybody but John Lee there. JLH was a solid piece of work from his early days and  never had to imitate anyone. Lightnin' and Hooker were simply drawing water from the same well, IMHO. Great piece, enjoyed it a lot.

[LorVan]

Hello everybody,
I'm a young John Lee Hooker fan from Italy. I'm trying to transcribe an interesting Hooker's song, which I found on the cd Jack O'Diamonds, 1949 recordings , Rajon Music Group CDR0713, published (2004). The song's title is "Waterboy": if you have problems finding it, there is a decent quality version on Youtube.

Now, here are the lyrics of the song, or at least, what I was able to understand of it. The main theme looks like a strange mix of references to the Levee Camps and to the State Farms: he clearly talks about working on the levee, and about detention periods. The main theme is about the "captain" whom restrains him from drinking, and he has to make a runaway or die [edit: or about the role of the "waterboy", bringing water around]. Anyway, some words just keep slipping my grasp. Here is what I got. Any hint or suggestion is greatly appreciated!




Captain, captain, captain,
send the water 'round, send the water 'round.
Don't get no water, I got to go, I got to go.

Captain, captain, pour a drink o' water,    | [alt:](asked captain for a drink of water)
oh, oh boy, you want to fight?
"you don't get no water", oh boy, " 'till the sun goes down",
the sun goes down..

Captain, oh, send the water 'round.

yes I'm working, working, on the levee, send the water 'round.

Woh, captain, don't send no water, I got to go, oh boy,
I got to go.

yes, some got lifetime, oh boy, but I got ninety-nine.

wooh, some got lifetime here, this old prisoner,
I got ninety-nine

"don't get no water", oh captain, (life?) won't be long

Captain, waterboy, pour some water, oh boy, send the bucket down, oh,
send the bucket down.

these lifetime (prisoners?), oh boy, got to (best go?) here

yes, the many an ol' skinner, oh boy, oh boy, but the longest line.

I'm a hard rollin' skinner, oh boy, on this ol' country farm

yes, some got a lifetime,
some got six month boy oh yes, but I got, I got ninety nine
I got ninety nine. Oh boy,
on ol' country farm, oh boy, this ol' country farm, oh boy, oh boy, ol' country farm


Edited with cru423's suggestions.

[cru423]

I hear it a bit different, the line numbers next to corrections

send the water round  2,8,9

don?t send no water 10

asked the captain for a drink of water 4

this ol? prisoner 13

send the bucket down 16,17

many an ol? skinner 19

I?m a hard-rollin skinner on this ol? county farm 20

on this ol? county farm...24