No More Elmore
Eric Burdon Lyrics
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I begin working for living
Came home one day
From a hard day's digging
Went down to my blues collection
Just for some peace of mind
And I got the word Elmore James is gone
Seems like I lost a friend of mine
No more Elmore, no more Elmore James
No more Elmore, no more Elmore James
It's a shame, crying shame
No more Elmore James
When I was mannish boy
When I was in high school
My biggest influence was a 45 record
Made me wanted to dance
The music freaks would gather
From all over town
'Til early in the morning
We laid the beat on down
No more Elmore, no more Elmore James
No more Elmore, no more Elmore James
It's a shame, crying shame
No more Elmore James
As I grew older
The music grow within me
I knew that soon one of these days
I'd be out on the road
Fronting my own rock'n'roll show
We made the people sing
We made the people dance
True blue music
Puts everybody in a trance
We kicked in the guitar
No more Elmore James
When I'm feeling down
And all messed up inside
Put an Elmore on the box
And groovin'n'slip'n'slidin'
Elmore, I take him everywhere
As I travel down the long road
Lord, I hop he's down there
I sang at the crossroads
At the full of the moon
And I know for sure
It's true true love that counts
And I'm in love, yes
Couldn't believe my ears
Couldn't believe my eyes
Have to go through life
Without hearing that slide
Take him everywhere
I got it on my back
As I walk down this long road
No more Elmore James
No more Elmore James
Eric Burdon's song "No More Elmore" is an emotional tribute to the late blues musician Elmore James. The lyrics describe the impact that Elmore's music had on Burdon's life and career. They start with Burdon recalling his experiences after leaving school and going to work, and how he turned to his blues collection for comfort after a hard day's work. He then learns the news of Elmore's death, which he compares to losing a friend.
Burdon goes on to describe how Elmore's music influenced his formative years in high school, where he could dance and connect with other music lovers. He then details how he made a career out of music, and how the blues genre continued to inspire him. Burdon asserts that he takes Elmore's music with him everywhere he goes, and that even after all these years, he is still in love with Elmore's sound.
Through this song, Burdon is paying homage to the blues legend that contributed so much to not only Burdon's life but the music industry as a whole. The lyrics demonstrate the profound and lasting impact that music can have on our lives and how losing something so integral can be truly heart-wrenching.
Line by Line Meaning
Just after I left school
Right after I left college
I begin working for living
Started earning money for a living
Came home one day
After a tiring day at work
From a hard day's digging
From a physically exhausting day at work
Went down to my blues collection
Went to my collection of blues music
Just for some peace of mind
For some relaxation and calmness
And I got the word Elmore James is gone
Found out that Elmore James had passed away
Seems like I lost a friend of mine
Felt like I lost a close friend
No more Elmore, no more Elmore James
No more of Elmore James' music
It's a shame, crying shame
It's unfortunate and sad
When I was mannish boy
When I was a young adult
When I was in high school
During my high school days
My biggest influence was a 45 record
The most significant musical influence was a 45 record
Made me wanted to dance
Made me want to dance
The music freaks would gather
Music lovers would get together
From all over town
From various parts of the town
'Til early in the morning
Until the early hours of the morning
We laid the beat on down
We played the music with a great rhythm
As I grew older
As I became older
The music grow within me
The passion for music grew in me
I knew that soon one of these days
I had a feeling that soon enough
I'd be out on the road
I would be on the road as a musician
Fronting my own rock'n'roll show
Leading my own rock and roll performance
We made the people sing
We made the audience sing
We made the people dance
We made the audience dance
True blue music
Authentic blues music
Puts everybody in a trance
Enthralls everyone
We kicked in the guitar
We played the guitar with energy
When I'm feeling down
When I'm feeling low
And all messed up inside
Feeling emotionally disturbed
Put an Elmore on the box
Play Elmore James music
And groovin'n'slip'n'slidin'
Dance and enjoy the music
Elmore, I take him everywhere
I carry Elmore James' music everywhere with me
As I travel down the long road
As I travel through life
Lord, I hop he's down there
I hope he's in the afterlife
I sang at the crossroads
I sang at the crossroads, where Elmore legend began
At the full of the moon
During the full moon
And I know for sure
I'm confident
It's true true love that counts
Love for music matters most
And I'm in love, yes
I'm in love with the blues
Couldn't believe my ears
Couldn't believe what I heard
Couldn't believe my eyes
Couldn't believe what I saw
Have to go through life
Have to live my life
Without hearing that slide
Without listening to that sliding blues sound
Take him everywhere
Listen to Elmore James' music anywhere I go
I got it on my back
Carrying Elmore James' music with me
As I walk down this long road
As I walk through life
No more Elmore James
No more Elmore James' music
Contributed by Xavier W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mari Radnai
Long live the blues, long live Eric Burdon!
Elisabeth Axelsson
Yes
screwmaster404
Eric Burdon one of a kind :-)
Elisabeth Axelsson
Yes
Edi Alves de Sousa
Wonderful! I love him and his songs, special blues!
Elisabeth Axelsson
Me too
Elisabeth Axelsson
Eric is one True blues man ,I love when he sings blues
Emiliano Ortega-Guerrero
the soundtrack our lives... rock n roll yeah
Elisabeth Axelsson
The original Animals
Elisabeth Axelsson
Yes and Eric Burdon and The Animals is The best ever for me