House was born, the middle of three brothers, in Riverton, Mississippi, two miles from famed blues capital Clarksdale, Mississippi. Around age seven or eight, he was brought by his mother to Tallulah, Louisiana after his parents separated. The young Son House was determined to become a Baptist preacher, and at age fifteen began his preaching career. Despite the church's firm stand against blues music and the sinful world which revolved around it, House nevertheless became attracted to it and taught himself guitar in his midtwenties, inspired by the work of Willie Wilson. He began playing alongside Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, Fiddlin' Joe Martin, Leroy Williams, and Howlin' Wolf, around Robinsonville, Mississippi and north to Memphis, Tennessee until 1942.
After killing a man, allegedly in self-defense, he spent time on Parchman Farm in 1928 and 1929.
Son House recorded for Paramount Records in 1930 and for Alan Lomax from the Library of Congress in 1941 and 1942. He then faded from public view until the country blues revival in the 1960s when, after a long search of the Mississippi Delta region by Nick Perls, Dick Waterman and Phil Spero, he was "re-discovered" in June, 1964 in Rochester, New York where he had lived since 1943; House had been retired from the music business for many years, working for the New York Central Railroad, and was completely unaware of the international revival of enthusiasm for his early recordings. He subsequently toured extensively in the US and Europe and recorded for CBS records. Like Mississippi John Hurt he was welcomed into the music scene of the 1960s and played at Newport Folk Festival in 1964, the New York Folk Festival in July, 1965, and the October, 1967 European tour of the American Folk Festival along with Skip James and Bukka White. In the summer of 1970, House toured Europe once again, including an appearance at the Montreux Festival; a recording of his London concerts was released by Liberty Records.
Ill health plagued his later years and in 1974 he retired once again, and later moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he remained until his death from cancer of the larynx. He was buried at Mt. Hazel Cemetery on Lahser south of Seven Mile. Members of the Detroit Blues Society raised money through benefit concerts to put a fitting monument on his grave. He had been married five times.
Unlike some blues guitarists of the 1920s and 30s, House was not a virtuoso although there is still much that is technically impressive about his playing. He more than made up for his lack of conventional technique with his powerful and innovative style featuring very strong, repetitive rhythms, often played with the aid of a bottleneck, coupled with singing that owed more than a nod to the hollers of the chain gangs. The music of Son House, in contrast to that of, say, Blind Lemon Jefferson, was emphatically a dance music, meant to be heard in the noisy atmosphere of a barrelhouse or other dance hall. House was an important influence on not only Muddy Waters but also Robert Johnson, who would later take his music to new levels. It was House who, speaking to awe-struck young blues fans in the 1960s, spread the legend that Johnson had sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for his musical powers. More recently, House's music has influenced rock groups such as the White Stripes, who covered his song Death Letter on their album De Stijl, and later performed it at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Describing House's 1967 appearance at the De Montford Hall in Leicester, England, Bob Groom wrote in Blues World magazine,
It is difficult to describe the transformation that took place as this smiling, friendly man hunched over his guitar and launched himself, bodily it seemed, into his music. The blues possessed him like a 'lowdown shaking chill' and the spellbound audience saw the very incarnation of the blues as, head thrown back, he hollered and groaned the disturbing lyrics and flailed the guitar, snapping the strings back against the fingerboard to accentuate the agonized rhythm. Son's music is the centre of the blues experience and when he performs it is a corporate thing, audience and singer become as one.
John the Revelator
Son House Lyrics
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Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Well, who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
You know God walked down in the cool of the day, called Adam by his name
And he refused to answer, because he's naked and ashamed
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
You know Christ had twelve apostles, and three he led away
Said "Watch with me one hour, 'til I go yon' and pray"
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
Christ came on Easter morning, Mary and Martha went down to see
"Go tell my disciples, to meet me in Galilee"
Tell me who's writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Who's that writin', John the Revelator
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator wrote the book of the seven seal
The lyrics to Son House's "John the Revelator" are about the biblical figure of John, who is known for writing the Book of Revelation in the New Testament. The song starts off asking, "Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator" multiple times, emphasizing the importance of this figure's writing. The lyrics tie in elements of Adam and Eve's story when God walked down in the cool of the day, called Adam by his name, and he refused to answer, which reflects the Fall of Man story. The lyrics also mention Jesus Christ's twelve apostles and how He led three of them away to pray, emphasizing the power and influence of Christ.
The repetition of asking who is writing highlights the importance of this biblical figure and his message. The lyrics continue with the story of Christ, where Mary and Martha were told to tell His disciples to meet Him in Galilee, demonstrating the importance of the message being communicated to Christ's followers. Overall, the lyrics capture the narrative of the Bible and its religious significance, with John the Revelator being the central biblical figure that wrote the Book of Revelation.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me who's that writin', John the Revelator
Asking about the identity of the author of the Book of Revelation
wrote the book of the seven seal
Referring to the Book of Revelation, which contains seven seals
You know God walked down in the cool of the day, called Adam by his name
Describing the biblical story of God walking in the Garden of Eden and calling out to Adam
And he refused to answer, because he's naked and ashamed
Adam's response to God's call in the story, due to his shame over being naked and disobedient
You know Christ had twelve apostles, and three he led away
Relaying the fact that Jesus had 12 apostles, but only took three with him to pray
Said "Watch with me one hour, 'til I go yon' and pray"
Quoting Jesus asking his apostles to stay and watch with him while he prayed
Christ came on Easter morning, Mary and Martha went down to see
Recalling the biblical story of Jesus rising on Easter and Mary and Martha visiting his tomb
"Go tell my disciples, to meet me in Galilee"
Quote from Jesus instructing Mary to tell his disciples to meet him in Galilee after he had risen
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Son House, Tom Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind