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 Dark
Charlie Musselwhite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or the heart of the one next to you
The house settles down after holding itself up all day
Shoulder slumps, gives a big sigh
You hear no ones foot fall in the hall
That drip in the kitchen sink marking time
Junebug on the window screen can't get in but he keeps on trying
Fireflies, sparks, lightning, stars
Campfires, the moon, headlights on cars
The Northern Lights and the Milky Way
You can't see that stuff in the day
When the truth turns its back on the sun
The stars come out and the planets start to run around
Now they call that 'day is done'
But really it's just getting started
Some folks take comfort in that
How dark is it?
It's too dark for goblins
How dark is it?
It's so dark you can smell the moon
How dark is it?
It's so dark, the wind gets lost
How dark is it?
It's so dark, the sky's on fire
How dark is it?
It's so dark you can see Clarksdale, Mississippi from here
"The Dark" by Charlie Musselwhite is a contemplative song that explores the profound solitude and mystery found in darkness. The opening lines set the tone by emphasizing the heightened senses one experiences in the dark, like hearing their own heartbeat or the heartbeat of someone close to them. The imagery of a house settling and sighing after a long day suggests a release or relaxation that comes with the absence of light.
The second stanza introduces contrasting elements that can only be fully appreciated in the darkness. Fireflies, sparks, lightning, stars, campfires, the moon, and headlights on cars all take on a different significance when viewed against the backdrop of darkness. The mention of the Northern Lights and the Milky Way highlights the vastness and beauty of the universe that remains hidden during daylight hours.
The following lines delve into the metaphorical significance of darkness. When the truth turns its back on the sun, the stars come out, symbolizing the emergence of hidden realities and secrets that lie beneath the surface. The mention of "day is done" suggests that darkness represents a time for reflection, where deeper truths may be uncovered. Some people find solace in the idea that darkness is not an end, but rather a beginning.
The song concludes with a series of playful and enigmatic lines that evoke the expansiveness and intensity of darkness. The descriptions of the darkness being so thick that it's too dark for goblins, the moon being so close that it can be smelled, the wind getting lost, and the sky being on fire create a sense of wonder and mystery.
Overall, "The Dark" explores the multifaceted nature of darkness, revealing its ability to reveal hidden truths, evoke sensory experiences, and foster introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
In the dark you can sometimes hear your own heartbeat
When everything is silent and obscured, you become aware of the rhythm of your own life
Or the heart of the one next to you
In the darkness, you can also feel the presence and emotions of those close to you
The house settles down after holding itself up all day
When night falls, the house relaxes and finds relief from the burden it carried throughout the day
Shoulder slumps, gives a big sigh
Metaphorically, the house metaphorically releases tension, similar to how a person's posture and breathing can change when they let go of stress
You hear no ones foot fall in the hall
In the darkness, there are no audible signals of anyone's presence or movement in the hallway
That drip in the kitchen sink marking time
The constant sound of a dripping faucet reminds you of the passing moments in the dark
Junebug on the window screen can't get in but he keeps on trying
Despite being blocked from entering, the persistent Junebug continues its attempts, illustrating the determination to overcome obstacles
One way or another, we're all in the dark
Metaphorically, regardless of our circumstances, uncertainties surround and affect everyone
Fireflies, sparks, lightning, stars
The dark provides a backdrop for the mesmerizing beauty of various illuminations like fireflies, sparks, lightning, and stars
Campfires, the moon, headlights on cars
The darkness reveals the enchantment of campfires, the soothing presence of the moon, and the guiding lights of car headlights
The Northern Lights and the Milky Way
In the absence of daylight, the ethereal spectacles of the Northern Lights and the Milky Way become visible
You can't see that stuff in the day
These captivating phenomena are only perceivable when darkness obscures the mundane aspects of daylight
When the truth turns its back on the sun
When reality is concealed and hidden from the brightness of the sun
The stars come out and the planets start to run around
In the absence of illumination, celestial bodies become prominent, engaging in their celestial dance
Now they call that 'day is done'
This transition is commonly referred to as the end of the day
But really it's just getting started
Contrary to the belief that night is the end, it signifies a beginning, unveiling a different realm of possibilities
Some folks take comfort in that
Certain individuals find solace and reassurance in this perspective
How dark is it?
A rhetorical question posed to emphasize the depth and intensity of darkness
It's too dark for goblins
To the extent that even supernatural creatures like goblins cannot navigate in such profound darkness
How dark is it?
Reiteration of the previous question, amplifying the magnitude of darkness
It's so dark you can smell the moon
A poetic exaggeration to convey the complete absence of light and the inability to perceive anything, even the moon
How dark is it?
Reiteration of the previous questions, building upon the imagery of profound darkness
It's so dark, the wind gets lost
The darkness is all-encompassing to the point that even the wind, typically invisible and omnipresent, becomes disoriented and obscured
How dark is it?
Reiteration of the previous questions, further emphasizing the extreme nature of darkness
It's so dark, the sky's on fire
A vivid metaphor to describe the mysterious beauty that emerges when the dark sky is illuminated with extraordinary phenomena
How dark is it?
Reiteration of the previous questions, adding to the escalating anticipation and intensity of the darkness
It's so dark you can see Clarksdale, Mississippi from here
An exaggerated statement suggesting that the profound darkness allows visibility across a great distance, highlighting the absence of light pollution and the clarity of sight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Buddy Mondlock, Guy Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind