His family considered it normal to play music, with his father playing guitar and harmonica, his mother playing piano, and a relative who was a one-man band. At the age of three, Musselwhite moved to Memphis, Tennessee. When he was a teenager, Memphis experienced the period when rockabilly, western swing, electric blues, and some forms of African American music were combining to give birth to rock and roll. The period featured legendary figures such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash, as well as minor legends such as Gus Cannon, Furry Lewis, Will Shade, Royal Bell, Memphis Willie B., Johnny Burnette, Red Roby, Abe McNeal, and Slim Rhodes. Musselwhite supported himself by digging ditches, laying concrete and running moonshine in a 1950 Lincoln. This environment was Musselwhite's school for music as well as life, and he acquired the nickname "Memphis Charlie."[citation needed]
In true bluesman fashion, Musselwhite then took off in search of the rumored "big-paying factory jobs" up the "Hillbilly Highway", legendary Highway 61 to Chicago, where he continued his education on the South Side, making the acquaintance of even more legends including Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and Big Walter Horton. Musselwhite immersed himself completely in the musical life, living in the basement of, and occasionally working at Jazz Record Mart (the record store operated by Delmark Records founder Bob Koester) with Big Joe Williams and working as a driver for an exterminator, which allowed him to observe what was happening around the city's clubs and bars. He spent his time hanging out at the Jazz Record Mart at the corner of State and Grand and the nearby bar, Mr. Joe's, with the city's blues musicians, and sitting in with Big Joe Williams and others in the clubs, playing for tips. There he forged a lifelong friendship with John Lee Hooker; though Hooker lived in Detroit, Michigan, the two often visiting each other, and Hooker serving as best man at Musselwhite's wedding. Gradually Musselwhite became well known around town.
In time, Musselwhite led his own blues band, and, after Elektra Records' success with Paul Butterfield, he released the classic[citation needed] Stand Back! album in 1966 on Vanguard Records (as "Charley Musselwhite"), to immediate and great success. He took advantage of the clout this album gave him to move to San Francisco, where, instead of being one of many competing blues acts, he held court as the king of the blues in the exploding countercultural music scene, an exotic and gritty figure to the flower children. Musselwhite even convinced Hooker to move out to California.
Since then, Musselwhite has released over 20 albums, as well as guesting on albums by many other musicians, such as Bonnie Raitt's Longing in Their Hearts and The Blind Boys of Alabama's Spirit of the Century, both winners of Grammy awards. He also appeared on Tom Waits' Mule Variations and INXS' Suicide Blonde. He himself has won 14 W. C. Handy awards and six Grammy nominations, as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Monterey Blues Festival and the San Javier Jazz Festival in San Javier, Spain, and the Mississippi Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.
In 1979, Musselwhite recorded The Harmonica According to Charlie Musselwhite in London for Kicking Mule Records, intended to go with an instructional book; the album itself became so popular that it has been released on CD.
Unfortunately, Musselwhite, as with many of his peers, fell victim to alcoholism; by his own admission[citation needed], he had never been on stage sober until after he stopped drinking entirely in 1987.
In 1990 Musselwhite signed with Alligator Records, a step led to a resurgence of his career.
Over the years, Musselwhite has branched out in style. His 1999 recording, Continental Drifter, is accompanied by Quarteto Patria, from Cuba's Santiago region, the Cuban music analog of the Mississippi Delta. Because of the political differences between Cuba and the United States, the album was recorded in Bergen, Norway, with Musselwhite's wife ironing out all the details.
Musselwhite believes the key to his musical success was finding a style where he could express himself. He has said, "I only know one tune, and I play it faster or slower, or I change the key, but it’s just the one tune I’ve ever played in my life. It’s all I know."[1]
His past two albums, Sanctuary and Delta Hardware have both been released on Real World Records.
Leaving Your Town
Charlie Musselwhite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your sweet voice was the melody
And I like your town, thought I′d stay in your town
I like your town, I thought I'd hang around
Everything was mellow, everything was fine
You had your reefer, I had my wine
And we had a good time, had a high old time
Time went by, things begin to change
Stayed so high, couldn't feel the pain
Got tired of your town, up to hell with your town
Had enough of your town, couldn't stand to hang around
Every day bring, a change, that′s what they say
Don′t worry about tomorrow, just live for today
I'm leaving your town (I′m leaving your town)
Had enough of your town (had enough of your town)
Gettin' outta your town, I ain′t gonna hang around
Love comes and goes, you know it's true
If you fall in love, be prepared to lose
And leave that town (and leave that town)
Get on outta that town (get on outta that town)
Get on down the line, don′t bother to hang around
Oh, yeah (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Gettin' on outta your town
Oh, yeah (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Moving on down the line
I'm leaving your town, don′t need to hang around
The lyrics to Charlie Musselwhite's song "Leaving Your Town" tell the story of a relationship that starts off well but eventually deteriorates. In the beginning, the singer is enchanted by their partner and their town. Everything is pleasant and enjoyable, leading them to believe that they will stay there indefinitely. The imagery of her sweet voice being the melody and the mention of drugs (reefer) and alcohol (wine) suggests a carefree and euphoric time.
However, as time passes, things change. The singer becomes disillusioned and tired of the town. They have had enough of the relationship and the place they once found appealing. The line "Got tired of your town, up to hell with your town" conveys a strong sense of frustration and the desire to escape. It becomes clear that the relationship has soured, and the singer no longer wants to be involved.
The lyrics also touch upon the universal theme of love and its transience. The line "Love comes and goes, you know it's true" suggests that love is not always permanent and that one should be prepared to lose it. The singer decides to leave the town and move on, emphasizing their determination to start anew and not dwell on the failed relationship.
Overall, "Leaving Your Town" portrays the journey of a relationship from a promising beginning to a bitter end. It also explores the idea of letting go and moving forward when things become stagnant or toxic.
Line by Line Meaning
When we first got together, you were nice to me
At the beginning of our relationship, you treated me well and showed kindness
Your sweet voice was the melody
Your gentle and pleasant voice was like a beautiful tune
And I like your town, thought I′d stay in your town
I enjoyed being in your town and believed I would make it my home
I like your town, I thought I'd hang around
I had a positive impression of your town and intended to stay there
Everything was mellow, everything was fine
Life was relaxed and enjoyable, everything seemed to be in order
You had your reefer, I had my wine
You had your marijuana, and I had my wine, indulging in our respective pleasures
And we had a good time, had a high old time
We had a great time together, experiencing euphoria and enjoyment
I like your town and I thought I′d hang around
I continued to appreciate your town and planned to remain there
Time went by, things begin to change
As time passed, circumstances started to shift
Stayed so high, couldn't feel the pain
We remained under the influence, unable to detect the emotional distress
Got tired of your town, up to hell with your town
I grew weary of your town and became fed up with it
Had enough of your town, couldn't stand to hang around
I reached a point of saturation with your town and could no longer tolerate staying there
Every day bring, a change, that′s what they say
Each day brings new alterations or developments, as commonly stated
Don′t worry about tomorrow, just live for today
It is advised not to fret about the future, but rather focus on the present moment
I'm leaving your town (I′m leaving your town)
I am departing from your town
Had enough of your town (had enough of your town)
I have reached my limit with your town
Gettin' outta your town, I ain′t gonna hang around
I am escaping from your town and have no intention of staying
Love comes and goes, you know it's true
Love can enter and exit one's life, as you are aware of
If you fall in love, be prepared to lose
When you deeply love someone, be ready to face the possibility of losing them
And leave that town (and leave that town)
Move away from that town
Get on outta that town (get on outta that town)
Depart from that town
Get on down the line, don′t bother to hang around
Continue on your journey, without bothering to stay
Oh, yeah (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Expression of affirmation or agreement
Gettin' on outta your town
Moving away from your town
Oh, yeah (oh yeah, oh yeah)
Expression of affirmation or agreement
Moving on down the line
Continuing to progress forward in life
I'm leaving your town, don′t need to hang around
I am departing from your town, as I have no desire to remain there
Writer(s): Charles Musselwhite
Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.