Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, RnB, and reggae. Harper's blend of groove-laden funky soul and folky handcrafted acoustics helped him to gain cult status during the course of the 1990s and widespread attention toward the end of the decade. Harper combines elements of classic folk singers, blues revivalists and jam bands and is embraced by critics and college kids alike. Harper's body of work sells consistently and he tours constantly, building a solid, dedicated fan base.
Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont, California (in California's Inland Empire). He eventually specialized in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).
This was followed by the incendiary Fight For Your Mind (1995) which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs which still fill his set list to this day.
In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.
From early on in his career, his music received more attention in Europe than it did in his home country. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the States, in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and The Netherlands he was a star, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside played to packed arenas across the continent.
In 2004, Harper recorded the album "There Will Be a Light " as the collaboration Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organised to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was cancelled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."
In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.
Next Harper did a worldwide tour, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
In 2007, Harper released the album Lifeline, recorded in Paris just after his tour.
In 2009, Harper recorded the album "White Lies for Dark Times", as the collaboration Ben Harper and Relentless7.
In 2014, Harper recorded the album "Childhood Home" as the collaboration Ben & Ellen Harper.
In 2018, Harper recorded the album "No Mercy in This Land" as the collaboration Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'.
Waymore's Blues
Ben Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Around the curve come a passenger train
I heard somebody yodel and a hobo moan
Jimmy he's dead, it's been a long time gone
Been a long time gone
A long time gone
If you want to get to heaven got to D I E
Want to get the rabbit out of the L O G
Gotta make a commotion like a D O G
Like a D O G
Like a D O G
I gotta good woman, what's the matter with me?
What makes me want to love every woman I see?
I was traveling when I met her, now I'm traveling again
And every women she sees looks like a place I came in
Looks like a place I came in, place I came in
I got my name painted on my shirt
I ain't no ordinary dude, I don't have to work
I don't have to work
The lyrics to Ben Harper's song Waymore's Blues are quite interesting as they include a mix of themes such as death, heaven, and infidelity. The opening lines state that the singer woke up to the sound of drizzling rain and then heard a passenger train passing by, where he heard somebody yodel and a hobo moan. The lyrics indicate that Jimmy is dead, and it's been a long time gone. This is a reference to the death of Jimmie Rodgers, one of the earliest country music stars who died in 1933. Ben Harper uses Jimmy Rodgers' signature style in the opening yodel that he sings.
The next part of the lyrics goes on to say that if you want to go to heaven, you need to "D I E" and "T I E." This is a reference to the fact that to get to heaven, you have to die and then tie your coat, which is another metaphorical way of saying that one needs to put their affairs in order before they die. Furthermore, the lines "Want to get the rabbit out of the L O G, Gotta make a commotion like a D O G" refers to a tradition in Southern America where dogs are used to hunt rabbits that hide in logs, and the dogs must make enough noise and commotion to get the rabbit out of the log.
The final stanza of the lyrics talks about the singer's love life. He mentions that he has a good woman, but he wonders why he wants to love every woman he sees. The singer then says that he met his woman while traveling, and now, he's traveling again. Every woman he sees looks like a place he came in. This line is a play with words that symbolizes a pun. ‘Looks like a place I came in’ might make the listener think of "came" as a slang term for ‘ejaculated’ or even birth, but in this case, the song infers it more generally that the women he sees look like places he has visited or where he has previously entered, symbolizing his infidelity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I woke up this morning it was drizzling rain
I awoke to a sky filled with clouds and light showers
Around the curve come a passenger train
A train arrived in the distance, curving its way closer
I heard somebody yodel and a hobo moan
The sound of someone singing and a vagabond in distress filled the air
Jimmy he's dead, it's been a long time gone
Jimmy has passed away, a significant amount of time has passed
Been a long time gone
Time has passed by greatly
A long time gone
Time has passed by greatly
If you want to get to heaven got to D I E
To reach heaven, one must die
You got to put on your coat and T I E
To prepare for the afterlife, wear your best clothing
Want to get the rabbit out of the L O G
To achieve a goal, you must make an effort
Gotta make a commotion like a D O G
To create the necessary movement, act like a dog
Like a D O G
Acting like a dog is necessary
I gotta good woman, what's the matter with me?
I have a great partner, why do I still desire other women?
What makes me want to love every woman I see?
Why do I feel a strong attraction towards every woman that I meet?
I was traveling when I met her, now I'm traveling again
I was journeying when I met my partner and now, I must continue traveling
And every women she sees looks like a place I came in
To my partner, every woman resembles a location where I had previously visited
Looks like a place I came in, place I came in
To my partner, every woman reminds them of a place I had previously been
I got my name painted on my shirt
My name is displayed prominently on my shirt
I ain't no ordinary dude, I don't have to work
I'm no regular person, I don't need to labour for my livelihood
I don't have to work
I'm fortunate enough to not need to work for my livelihood
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Curtis Buck, Waylon Jennings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind