King's mother, Ella May King, and her brother, who both played the guitar, began teaching him to play at the age of six. He liked and imitated the music of Lightnin' Sam Hopkins and saxophonist Louis Jordan. He moved with his family from Texas to the southside of Chicago in 1950. There, at age 16 he used to sneak in to local clubs, where he heard blues music performed by the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Howlin Wolf took him under his wing (or paw), and Freddie also began jamming with Muddy Waters' sidemen, who included Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Lockwood Jr. and Little Walter.
By 1952 he had started gigged at night and working days in a steel mill (by then he had married a Texas girl, Jessie Burnett). He got occasional work as a sideman on recording sessions. Two bands that he played with during this period were the Sonny Cooper Band, and Early Payton's Blues Cats. He formed the first band of his own, the Every Hour Blues Boys, with guitarist Jimmy Lee Robinson and drummer Sonny Scott.
In 1953 he made some recordings for Parrot. In 1956 he recorded "Country Boy", a duet with Margaret Whitfield, and "That's What You Think", an uptempo blues. This was for a local label, El-Bee. Robert Lockwood Jr. appeared as a sideman on guitar.
In 1959 he met Sonny Thompson, a pianist who worked for the King/Fedreal label. In 1960, he himself signed with that label; while there he often shared songwriting credits, and participated in marathon recording sessions, with Thompson. On August 26, 1960, he recorded "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and "Hide Away", which were to become two of his most popular tunes. His debut release for the label was "You've Got To Love Her with Feeling". His second release on King/Federal was "I Love the Woman". "Hide Away" was used as the B side for this disk; that tune, a 12-bar mid-tempo shuffle in E with an infectious theme in the head section, and a memorable stop-time break that featured some robust-sounding work on the bass strings, was destined to become one of his signiature numbers. It was an adaptation of a tune by Hound Dog Taylor. It was named "Hide Away" after a popular bar in Chicago. Strictly an instrumental -- guitar with rhythm section -- it delighted everyone by crossing over and reaching #29 on the pop chart. It was later covered by Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Canadian guitarist Jeff Healy, and likely a majority of the bar blues bands on Planet Earth. After the success of "Hide Away", the label, which was presided over by one Syd Nathan, got Freddie and Sonny Thompson to work on making more instrumentals. This they did, producing over 30 of them during the next five years. The following is a partial list: "The Stumble," "Low Tide," "Wash Out," "Sidetracked", "San-Ho-Zay," "Heads Up," "Onion Rings," and "The Sad Nite Owl". Freddie became popular with a young white audience, in Britain as well as the United States, and his playing was a major influence on the upcoming breed of rock guitarists. During this period he was touring frequently along with the big R&B acts of the day such as Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, James Brown. His band included his brother Benny Turner on bass; and Tyrone Davis, who would later become known in his own right, was the driver and valet.
On the personal side, Freddie was fond, perhaps overly fond, of the Chicago night life. His official website refers to him "Gambling til dawn in the backroom of Mike's cleaners." His wife, now with six children, decided to move back to Texas. Once there, she called Syd Nathan and demanded that he send her some of the royalty money due to her husband. To his credit, he sent her two thousand dollars, with which she made the down payment on a house. Realising that the family were definitely not coming back to Chicago, Freddie, in the spring of 1963, himself moved back to Texas to rejoin them.
His contract with King/Federal expired in 1966. That same year, while making a series of appearances on an R&B program called "The!!!Beat", he was noticed by Atlantic Records front man King Curtis, and in 1968 he signed with the Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion Records. He released two records for them (see Recordings), both of which showcased his vocal talents. They were not overwhelming commercial successes; however, his first overseas tour, in 1968, was a resounding triumph, being extended from one month to three. He was "amazed by his popularity in England."1
In 1969 he hired a young member of the "counter culture", Jack Calmes, to be his manager. Calmes got him booked at the 1969 Texas Pop Festival, alongside Led Zeppelin and others; and got him signed to Leon Russell's new label, Shelter Records. Shelter records was based in Oklahoma, and featured blues/rock performers such as Linda Ronstadt and Joe Cocker. The company treated Freddie as an important artist, flying him to Chicago to the former Chess studios for th recording of his first album, and giving him a supporting cast of top-calibre session musicians -- including Russell, a rock pianist.
As were many of the top bluesmen of his generation, he was now playing what he affectionately called the "Fillmore circuit", playing alongside the big rock acts of the day for a young, mainly white, audience. As a result of his touring with Eric Clapton, the two became good friends -- Clapton held him in very high esteem -- and following his term at Shelter Records, Freddie signed with the label Clapton was recording for, RSO. His first album there, Burglar, was produced by Clapton, and had him playing on several tracks.
He continued to tour heavily. He died in Dallas in 1976 from a heart attack and complications arising from bleeding ulcers and pancreatitis. He was just 42 years of age.
Big Legged Woman
Freddie King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause you're a big legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin', you'll never make me feel like dirt
Just like the vine, goes around the stump, you are mine, call me sugar lump
'Cause you're a big-legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin, you'll never make me feel like dirt
'Cause you're a big legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin, you'll never make me feel like dirt
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, you mess with my woman, I'm gonna hurt you first
'Cause she's a big-legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin, you'll never make me feel like dirt
I love my big-legged woman, I love my big-legged woman
I love my big-legged woman, I love my big-legged woman
I love my big-legged woman, I love my big-legged woman
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright she's alright
She's alright she's
alright
The lyrics of Freddie King's song "Big Legged Woman" are about a man who is completely enamored with a woman who has a short short miniskirt and big legs. The singer admits that he is so crazy about her that he loves her "better than a hog loves slop." He compares their relationship to a vine going around a stump, suggesting that they are inseparable. He also warns others not to mess with his woman, or else he will hurt them. The song is both an ode to the singer's object of desire and a warning to others to stay clear of her.
At the heart of the song is the singer's intense physical attraction to this woman. He is enamored by her big legs and short skirt, which suggests that he is drawn to her because of her physical appearance. However, he also seems to be genuinely fond of her, promising that she will never make him feel like dirt. In addition, there is a sense of possessiveness and danger in the lyrics when the singer warns others not to mess with his woman. This suggests that he views her as an object or possession, rather than a person.
Interestingly, the song is part of a larger tradition of blues music that romanticizes the beauty of larger women. Many blues songs, especially those from the early 20th century, expressed appreciation for "big legged women" and other larger body types. This tradition has been attributed to the fact that larger women were often considered undesirable in mainstream American culture, and the men who sang these songs may have seen them as a way of rebelling against those norms.
Overall, "Big Legged Woman" is a playful, tongue-in-cheek love song that celebrates a particular type of physical beauty. However, there is also an element of danger and possessiveness in the lyrics, which could be interpreted as a reflection of the sexist cultural attitudes of the time.
Line by Line Meaning
I love the tip, I love the top, I love you better than a hog loves slop
I love every inch of you - from head to toe - more than anything, just like a hog loves its food.
'Cause you're a big legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin', you'll never make me feel like dirt
I find you so attractive because of your big legs and short miniskirt, but I also need you to promise me that you won't treat me poorly or make me feel worthless in this relationship.
Just like the vine, goes around the stump, you are mine, call me sugar lump
'Cause you're a big-legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin, you'll never make me feel like dirt
Just like the vine wraps around the stump, I want you to be mine only and call me honey. I am deeply attracted to you because you have big legs and wore a short miniskirt, but again, I urge you to promise me that you won't mistreat or belittle me.
I've told you once, I've told you twice, we go together, like fried beans and rice
'Cause you're a big legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin, you'll never make me feel like dirt
I've said it before and I'll say it again, we belong together just like fried beans and rice. Your big legs and short miniskirt turn me on, but again, I ask you to never disrespect me or make me feel worthless.
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, you mess with my woman, I'm gonna hurt you first
'Cause she's a big-legged woman, with a short short miniskirt
Promise me darlin, you'll never make me feel like dirt
If someone tries to harm or take away my woman, I will take action and defend her. She's beautiful to me because of her big legs and short miniskirt, but please promise me that you won't ever treat me poorly.
I love my big-legged woman, I love my big-legged woman
I love my big-legged woman, I love my big-legged woman
I love my big-legged woman, I love my big-legged woman
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright, she's alright
She's alright she's alright
I adore and cherish my big-legged woman, and I want the world to know it. She's perfect for me, and I wouldn't change a thing about her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Jalapablo
What a lot of folks don't realize is this man was probably the single most influential guitarist to the blues-based hard rock transition there was. He is the bridge between the old-school Chuck Berry sound and the 70's Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Billy Gibbons, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck generation, etc. Freddie King's cannonball assault sound on that Gibson was the catalyst for countless white 1970's classic hard rock bands. The blues ambassador to hard rock. They should honor him with a monument in Texas.
@blkmamba40
Paul, not a lot of people know this. I didn't but when I began to watch his videos, I knew I had found the "missing link" so to speak.
@Brian31881
Freddy was another victim of the road. Dead at the age of 42.
@JoeyFiveandDimes
Aaron 'T-Bone' Walker was the Lester Young 'Prez' of blues guitar. Then Chuck B. with the rock-a-billy, but Freddie brought the funk . Buddy Guy early days. Then the Brit invasion and Jimi made people forget the pioneers. I was friends with another legend: Hubie Sumlin ( who Keef and Eric do give plenty of credit ).
@obscurebandfan
Texan here, agreed!
@ar-sithf.austin3744
Man and men owned it...! #Texan proud
@2skyland
Collar got its own time zone.
@mmccartney6579
And zip code. lol :)
@Brazileiro-
Lol.
@dutchdettweiler
is it a collar anymore when it drapes your shoulders like a cape? lmao dude had that Ric Flair wooo!