James was born fifty miles north of Jackson (not to be confused with another Richland just south of Jackson). He began playing as a teen, under the names "Cleanhead" and "Joe Willie James", alongside musicians such as the first Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin' Wolf, and Robert Johnson. During World War II James joined the United States Navy and was stationed in Guam.
Upon his discharge James returned to central Mississippi and eventually settled in Canton. He began recording with Trumpet Records in nearby Jackson in January 1951, first as sideman to the second Sonny Boy Williamson and others, then debuting as a session leader in August with what became his signature song, "Dust My Broom". It was a surprise R&B hit in 1952 and turned James into a star. His "I Believe" was another hit a year later. During the 1950s he recorded for the Bihari Brothers' Flair and Modern labels, as well as for Chess Records. His backing musicians were known as the Broomdusters. In 1959 he began recording what are perhaps his best sides for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records label. These include "The Sky Is Crying" (credited to Elmo James and His Broomdusters), "Stranger Blues", "Look On Yonder Wall", "Done Somebody Wrong", and "Shake Your Moneymaker", all of which are among the most famous of blues recordings.
The slide guitar riff from "Dust My Broom" is one of the best-known openings in all of blues.
Elmore James died of his third heart attack in Chicago in 1963, already a major influence on guitarists such as The Rolling Stones' Brian Jones. His classic "Done Somebody Wrong" and "One Way Out" were often covered by The Allman Brothers Band, who cited James as a major influence. James was also covered by blues-rock band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble many times in concert. The most famous of these covers is Vaughan's take on James's legendary recording, "The Sky Is Crying". James is mentioned in The Beatles' song "For You Blue". While John Lennon plays the slide guitar, James' trademark, George Harrison says "Go, Johnny, go ... Elmore James got nothin' on this, baby." Another famous guitarist who admired Elmore James was Jimi Hendrix. On a sleeve of the posthumously released Hendrix CD Blues, there is a photo of Hendrix wearing his famous military jacket and holding Elmore James's vinyl.
Person to Person
Elmore James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stay away from your telephone
I need you person to person
Send your little fine self on home
Don't send me no message
You know I'm all alone
I need you person to person
Bring your little fine self on home
Ain't no use to telephonin' me
I can't love no telephone
All the time you're telephonin' me
You could be coming home, oh baby
Don't call me on the phone
I need you person to person
Bring your little fine self on home
Oh yeah, babe, don't talk to me on the phone
I need you person to person
Bring your little fine self on home
Ain't no use to telephonin' me
I can't love no telephone
All the time you're telephonin' me
You could be coming home, oh baby
Don't call me on the phone
I need you person to person
Bring your little fine self on home
Ain't no use to send no letter
I can't hold no paper tight
Ain't no use to send no message
It can't talk to me all night
Oh baby, don't call me on the telephone
I need you person to person
Bring your little fine self on home
The lyrics to Elmore James's song 'Person to Person' are about the desire for human connection in the face of distance and communication barriers. The singer pleads for his lover to come home in person instead of sending messages or calling over the phone. The repetition of the phrase 'person to person' underscores the importance of physical presence and personal contact in a relationship.
The singer expresses frustration with technology, stating that it cannot replace the feeling of being with someone in person. This sentiment is echoed in the lines, "Ain't no use to telephonin' me / I can't love no telephone." In contrast to the technological barriers, the singer longs for the intimacy of touching his lover's body, suggested by the phrase, "Bring your little fine self on home."
Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of loneliness and yearning for connection, and emphasize the value of human touch and presence in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't send, don't write no letter
Please don't bother sending me a letter or writing to me.
Stay away from your telephone
Please don't call or text me.
I need you person to person
I need to see you face to face and have a real conversation with you.
Send your little fine self on home
Please come home to me as soon as possible.
Don't send me no message
Please don't try to communicate with me through any other means than in person.
You know I'm all alone
You know I feel lonely and disconnected from you.
Ain't no use to telephonin' me
Calling or texting me won't get us anywhere.
I can't love no telephone
We can't build a real connection through technology alone.
All the time you're telephonin' me
You could be spending that time and energy coming to see me in person.
Don't call me on the phone
Please don't try to catch up with me over the phone.
Bring your little fine self on home
Please come home to me and let's connect in real life.
Oh yeah, babe, don't talk to me on the phone
I need to see you in person to really connect with you.
Ain't no use to send no letter
Writing doesn't properly convey what we need to say to each other.
I can't hold no paper tight
I can't hold onto a piece of paper and feel close to you.
It can't talk to me all night
A message won't be able to comfort me like seeing you in person would.
Oh baby, don't call me on the telephone
I don't want to catch up with you over the phone, let's meet in person.
Bring your little fine self on home
Please come home so we can properly connect with each other.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, GULF COAST MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ELMORE JAMES, MARSHALL SEHORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
srdd nrsmn
In my opinion this is the best blues song ever written, and the stats on this video are just shameful. I hope it's only because everybody's rockin' out to it on their walkmans....
Juan Manuel Martinez Corte
I'm sorry Sir, but walkmans went extinct long ago. Sad...
Karl Jensen
Im 14 Years old, but I agree with you
Norman Snider
Does Elmore really sing, in the first verse, “ Sing your big box back home”? I think he does.
AJ B
Send your big fine self on home.
Randy Borst
@AJ B it could depend on the audience!
el rey del ripio
Raw. Rip your open. Awesome.