Stackhouse was born Houston Goff, in Wesson, Mississippi, and was the son of Garfield Goff. He was raised by James Wade Stackhouse on the Randall Ford Plantation, and Stackhouse only learned the details of his parentage when he applied for a passport in later life.
Relocating in his teenage years with his family to Crystal Springs, Mississippi, he became inspired listening to records by Blind Blake, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson, and by local musicians. By the late 1930s, Stackhouse had played guitar around the Delta states and worked with members of the Mississippi Sheiks, plus Robert Johnson, Charlie McCoy and Walter Vinson. He also teamed up with his distant cousin, Robert Nighthawk, whom he taught how to play guitar. Originally a fan of Tommy Johnson, Stackhouse often covered his songs. In 1946, Stackhouse moved to Helena, Arkansas to live near to Nighthawk, and for a time was a member of Nighthawk’s band, playing on KFFA radio.
He split from Nighthawk in 1947 and alongside the drummer James "Peck" Curtis, appeared on KFFA's "King Biscuit Time" programme, with the guitar player Joe Willie Wilkins plus pianists Pinetop Perkins and Robert Traylor. Sonny Boy Williamson II then rejoined the show, and that combo performed across the Delta, using their radio presence to advertise their concert performances.
Stackhouse tutored both Jimmy Rogers and Sammy Lawhorn on guitar techniques. Between 1948 and 1954, Stackhouse worked during the day at the Chrysler plant in West Helena, Arkansas, and played the blues in his leisure time. He did not move from the South, unlike many of his contemporaries, and continued to perform locally into the 1960s with Frank Frost, Boyd Gilmore and Baby Face Turner. In May 1965, Sonny Boy Williamson II, who was by then back on "King Biscuit Time", utilised Stackhouse when he was recorded in concert by Chris Strachwitz of Arhoolie Records. The recording was issued under Williamson's name, titled King Biscuit Time. Shortly afterwards, Williamson died, but Stackhouse continued briefly on the radio program, back in tandem with Nighthawk.
In 1967, George Mitchell recorded Stackhouse in Dundee, Mississippi. Named the Blues Rhythm Boys, Stackhouse was joined by both Curtis and Nighthawk, although the latter died shortly after the recording was made. Another field researcher, David Evans, recorded Stackhouse in Crystal Springs, but by 1970 following the deaths of both Curtis and Mason, Stackhouse had moved on to Memphis, Tennessee. There he resided with his old friend Joe Willie Wilkins and his wife Carrie. At the height of the blues revival Stackhouse toured with Wilkins, and the Memphis Blues Caravan, and appeared at various music festivals. His lone trip overseas saw Stackhouse play in 1976 in Vienna, Austria.
Earlier in February 1972, Stackhouse recorded an album titled Cryin' Won't Help You. It was released on CD in 1994.
Stackhouse returned to Helena, where he died in September 1980, at the age of 69. A son, Houston Stackhouse Jr., survived him.
The acoustic stage at the annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival is named after Stackhouse.
Cool Drink Of Water
Houston Stackhouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cold winds don't call my name
Forever lost in the cloud lands
No rest for the withered head
And time is born from the wildmen
Who dream of the golden gate
Called on by unknown survivors
Don't rest for the worst of may
Turn back time
I don't belong here
When I turn my head
Time always changes me
Take me back the golden horizons
Hell you're gonna find me anyway
Torn between the wolves and the waters
Heaven's gonna find me on the way
When common tongues have expired me
Young faith to restore my name
Mode odds born out from nobility
Called out at the coming of the cage
Turn back time
I don't belong here
When I turn my head
Time always changes me
Take me back to golden horizons
Hell you're gonna find me anyway
Torn between the wolves and the waters
Heaven's gonna find me on the way
Take me back to golden horizons
Hell you're gonna find me anyway
Torn between the wolves and the waters
Heaven's gonna find me on the way
Take me back to golden horizons
Hell you're gonna find me anyway
Torn between the wolves and the waters
Heaven's gonna find me on the way
The lyrics of Houston Stackhouse's song "Cool Drink of Water" seem to talk about a sense of displacement and a longing for a time and place that is different from the current reality. The first verse describes the feeling of weariness, both physically and mentally, that comes from being old and having survived many trials ("old legs born out of the fires"). The singer desires peace and respite from the cold world around them ("cold winds don't call my name") but feels lost and unable to find a place of peace ("forever lost in the cloud lands").
The second verse introduces the concept of time being born from the wildmen, who dream of something more ("who dream of the golden gate"). However, this desire for more only leads to more work and struggle ("don't rest for the worst of may"). The chorus of the song repeats the lines "turn back time, I don't belong here" as a sort of mantra, highlighting the singer's feeling of being out of place in the world that they inhabit. The verses that follow continue to discuss a longing for a different time ("take me back to golden horizons") and the feeling of being torn between two things that are pulling the singer in different directions (the wolves and the waters).
Overall, "Cool Drink of Water" seems to be a poignant reflection on the struggle and difficulties of life, and the desire for a different reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Old legs born out of the fires
Aging and weary from a life of hardships and struggles
Cold winds don't call my name
Feeling neglected and forgotten by the world
Forever lost in the cloud lands
Feeling disoriented and without direction in life
No rest for the withered head
Unable to find peace or relaxation due to the weight of life's burdens
And time is born from the wildmen
Time is a product of the unpredictable and often chaotic nature of life
Who dream of the golden gate
Those who aspire for a better life in a world they believe to be full of opportunities
Called on by unknown survivors
Beckoned by people who have overcome challenges and risen above difficult circumstances
Don't rest for the worst of may
Cannot take it easy during times of adversity or uncertainty
Turn back time
Wishing to go back to a better, simpler time in life
I don't belong here
Feeling out of place and disconnected from one's surroundings
When I turn my head
When I look around at my surroundings and reflect on my life
Time always changes me
The passage of time alters one's perspectives, priorities, and identity
Take me back the golden horizons
Longing for a time and place with more promise and hope
Hell you're gonna find me anyway
Inevitably facing hardships and obstacles in life
Torn between the wolves and the waters
Feeling pulled in two different and conflicting directions
Heaven's gonna find me on the way
Believing that a higher power will guide and protect one's journey in life
When common tongues have expired me
Feeling silenced and unable to communicate effectively with others
Young faith to restore my name
Finding hope and rejuvenation through one's beliefs and values
Mode odds born out from nobility
Enduring difficult circumstances with resilience and grace
Called out at the coming of the cage
Feeling oppressed and constrained by the world's limitations and expectations
Contributed by Ruby Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.