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.
Seemed Like the Whole World Was Crying
Charlie Musselwhite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When my friend called and said Muddy Waters had died
I'll never forget this sad phone call
When Sam Lay called to tell me Muddy Waters had died
You know it hurt me to my heart
Like the whole world was crying
Women were screamin' and howlin'
The women were screamin' and cryin'
Grown men were heartbroken, I ain't lyin'
I'll never forget when my friend called to tell me Muddy died
Seemed like the whole world was crying
I'm gonna sing this last verse, mama
You know I met him, well years on back down the line
Well I'm gonna sing this last verse, mama
He bein' out I think I move all back down the line
He tell me Muddy Waters has died
And my heart, the whole world was crying
Good-bye Muddy
The lyrics to Charlie Musselwhite's song "Seemed Like the Whole World Was Crying" are about the profound impact that the death of blues legend Muddy Waters had on the music world. The first two verses describe the moment that Musselwhite learned of Waters' passing. He received a phone call from a friend, Sam Lay, who told him the sad news. Musselwhite is overcome with emotion and describes the feeling as if "the whole world was crying." In the second verse, Musselwhite describes the scene of people reacting to the news of Waters' death. Women were screaming and howling, while grown men were heartbroken.
The final verse is Musselwhite's personal anecdote about his relationship with Muddy Waters. He recalls meeting him years ago and how Waters told him about the death of another blues musician. Now that Waters himself has passed away, Musselwhite feels a deep sense of loss that echoes throughout the music community.
The lyrics of the song are a tribute to Muddy Waters and the impact he had on the blues genre. The song highlights the sense of community among blues musicians and the profound impact that the loss of one can have on all. The song also touches on the themes of grief and loss, reflecting on how deeply musicians and their fans can be affected by the death of a beloved artist.
Overall, "Seemed Like the Whole World Was Crying" is a poignant and emotional tribute to Muddy Waters and the impact he had on blues music.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll never forget this sad phone call
The moment my friend called to inform me of Muddy Waters' passing was indelibly etched in my memory.
When my friend called and said Muddy Waters had died
My friend Sam Lay called and informed me of Muddy Waters' passing, and it left me deeply saddened.
You know it hurt me to my heart
The news of Muddy Waters' demise was devastating, and it pierced me to my core.
Like the whole world was crying
Such was the enormity of Muddy Waters' loss that it seemed like the entire world was collectively mourning him.
Women were screamin' and cryin'
Even the ladies who loved Muddy Waters' music were so overwhelmed by his passing that they couldn't stop their tears.
Grown men were heartbroken, I ain't lyin'
The men who looked up to Muddy Waters and admired his talent were severely saddened and couldn't control their emotions either.
I'll never forget when my friend called to tell me Muddy died
The memory of Sam Lay calling and breaking the news about Muddy Waters' demise will remain with me forever.
Seemed like the whole world was crying
Muddy Waters' loss was so profound that it felt like the global community had lost a dear friend, and tears flowed from every corner of the world.
I'm gonna sing this last verse, mama
I'll dedicate my final verse to the memory of Muddy Waters and pay my respects to him through my music.
You know I met him, well years on back down the line
I had the privilege of meeting Muddy Waters many years ago, and his music has resonated with me ever since.
He being out I think I move all back down the line
Now that Muddy Waters is no more, his absence makes me feel like going back to the times when I first met him.
He tell me Muddy Waters has died
When Muddy Waters passed away, it was his friend who shared the news with me.
And my heart, the whole world was crying
Such was the profound impact of Muddy Waters' death on me that it felt like the entire world was in mourning with me.
Contributed by Penelope B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@michaelharrison4423
One of my favorite songs