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.
The Big Boat
Charlie Musselwhite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My little woman, she don't believe in me
My little woman, my little woman
My little woman, she don't believe in me
Now she left me early this mornin'
Went down on to Hadley
I believe I'll go over to the drugstore
I believe I'll go over to the drugstore
Call my baby up on the telephone
Now, I want you to give me Central
Tell me how long has the big boat been gone
I was standin' at the landing
Wonderin' what boat, Lord, boys must I ride
I was standin' at the landing
Wonderin' what boat, Lord, boys must I ride
Now, since I ain't no hurryin'
I believe I'll wait till the Katy flies
Once I was down by the landing
When the big boat, Lord, pulled of his load
Once I was down by the landing
When the big boat, Lord, pulled off his load
Now, that really hurt me to my heart
Where in the world did my baby go
The song "The Big Boat" by Charlie Musselwhite tells the story of a man whose woman has left him and doesn't believe in him. He is determined to find out where she went and how long the "big boat" has been gone, so he heads to the drugstore to call her on the telephone. He recalls standing at the landing and wondering which boat he should ride, but since he is in no rush, he decides to wait until the "Katy flies." He then remembers a time when he saw the big boat pull off its load, and he becomes distressed wondering where his lady has gone.
There are many interpretations of the lyrics in "The Big Boat." Some speculate that the big boat symbolizes something significant in the singer's life, perhaps his love or a metaphor for the passage of time. Others see the song as a lament for lost love or a tribute to the blues tradition of storytelling. Regardless of the interpretation, the song is a haunting portrayal of loneliness, longing, and the desire for connection.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was originally recorded by John Lee Hooker in 1955 as "The Big Boogie." Charlie Musselwhite later adapted the song and added his own bluesy harmonica riffs. The song has also been covered by various other blues artists over the years, including Canned Heat, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck.
Another interesting fact is that the "Katy" referred to in the song is likely the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The line was known as the "Katy" due to its initials, and it ran through Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The railroad was one of the major transportation routes for people and goods in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and it was also a significant factor in the growth of many small towns and communities throughout the region.
Line by Line Meaning
My little woman, my little woman
Charlie is referring to his girlfriend who he deeply cares for.
My little woman, she don't believe in me
Charlie's girlfriend lacks faith in him.
Now she left me early this mornin'
Charlie's girlfriend left him earlier in the morning.
Went down on to Hadley
Charlie's girlfriend had gone down to Hadley.
I believe I'll go over to the drugstore
Charlie decided to go over to the drugstore.
Call my baby up on the telephone
Charlie decided to call his girlfriend.
Now I want you to give me Central
Charlie is asking the telephone operator for assistance.
Tell me how long has the big boat been gone
Charlie wants to know how long a specific boat has been gone.
I was standin' at the landing
Charlie was waiting at the dock.
Wonderin' what boat, Lord, boys must I ride
Charlie is unsure which boat he should take.
Now, since I ain't no hurryin'
Charlie is okay with waiting.
I believe I'll wait till the Katy flies
Charlie will wait for a long time.
Once I was down by the landing
Charlie remembers being at the dock.
When the big boat, Lord, pulled of his load
Charlie is referring to a specific boat that recently left.
Now, that really hurt me to my heart
Charlie is feeling emotional, hurt.
Where in the world did my baby go
Charlie is seeking to find his girlfriend.
Writer(s): WILLIAMSON
Contributed by Cole G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.