Born Earl Zebedee Hooker in Quitman County, Mississippi, his impoverished family moved to Chicago, Illinois when he was still an infant. Influenced by parents and relatives who played music, he was a cousin of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar as a teenager. An instrumentalist, within a few years Hooker put together a band that toured the United States and made some of his first recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. He eventually became an important part of the Chicago blues scene. Hooker played in the American Folk Blues Festival in England in 1969. Although he never received the public recognition to the same extent as some of his contemporaries, Jimi Hendrix proclaimed Earl Hooker as the "master of the wah-wah" and his talent was greatly respected by other notable musicians such as B.B. King, Ike Turner, Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy. Hooker played slide guitar on the 1962 Muddy Waters recording, "You Shook Me." He was the only slide player on a Muddy Waters recording besides Muddy himself. Hooker also helped popularized the double-neck guitar.
Earl Hooker died at the age of 40 after a lifelong struggle against tuberculosis, which is alluded to in the title of a 1972 compilation album of his work, "There's a Fungus Among Us." He was interred in the Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. His story was told in a 2001 book by author Sebastian Danchin titled Earl Hooker, Blues Master.
Universal Rock
Earl Hooker Lyrics
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you stop up your ears to everything I say
Little by little, I'm losing you, I can see,
bit by bit, your love is drifting away from me
What you doing, baby, you know it ain't right
I wonder what you doing that it takes all night
Little by little, I'm losing you, I can see
You look so disgusted when I try to kiss you
I guess I don't thrill you like I used to do
Little by little, I'm losing you, I can see
Bit by bit, your love is drifting away from me
I tried to tail you last sitting in my car,
but I was scared that I would see what I was looking for
Little by little, I'm losing you, I can see
Bit by bit, your love is drifting away from me
In Earl Hooker's "Universal Rock", the singer laments the gradual loss of their relationship. The lyrics reveal the inner turmoil of the singer as they observe the ways their partner is distancing from them. The singer notes how the partner is staying out all night until the break of day and not listening to anything they say. This shows a lack of communication and trust in their relationship. The singer expresses that they are slowly losing their partner's love, highlighting the growing distance between them.
The lyrics also discuss the singer's attempts to reconnect with their partner. The singer tries to kiss their partner but is met with a look of disgust suggesting that things are not as they used to be. The singer also attempted to tail their partner to see where they are going but ultimately didn't follow through, showing a lack of trust in their relationship. Overall, the lyrics of "Universal Rock" convey a sense of adoration and helplessness as the singer watches their relationship slowly fade away.
Line by Line Meaning
You stay out all night till the break of day,
You spend your nights away from home until morning comes,
you stop up your ears to everything I say
You ignore and refuse to listen to anything I tell you,
Little by little, I'm losing you, I can see,
Gradually, I am losing your affection and it's becoming evident to me,
bit by bit, your love is drifting away from me
Your love for me is diminishing over time in small increments,
What you doing, baby, you know it ain't right
I am questioning why you are doing what you're doing, because it's not the right thing,
I wonder what you doing that it takes all night
I am curious about what you could possibly be doing that requires you to be gone all night,
You look so disgusted when I try to kiss you
I notice you expressing disgust when I try to embrace or kiss you,
I guess I don't thrill you like I used to do
I conclude that I no longer excite or stimulate you like I previously did,
I tried to tail you last sitting in my car,
I attempted to follow you while sitting in my car,
but I was scared that I would see what I was looking for
But I was afraid that I might discover what I was searching for,
Little by little, I'm losing you, I can see
Gradually, I can see that I am gradually losing your fondness,
Bit by bit, your love is drifting away from me
Your affection for me is fading away slowly,
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GORDON MILLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind