Dust My Broom
Henry Vestine Lyrics


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I'm goin' get up in the mornin',
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm goin' get up in the mornin',
I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can't get my room

I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena, she must be in East Monroe I know

I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
She's a no good doney, they shouldn't 'low her on the street

I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here, babe, but you can't when I go home

And I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can't get my room

I'm 'on' call up Chiney, see is my good gal over there




I'm 'on' call up Chiney, see is my good gal over there
If I can't find her on Philippine's Island, she must be in Ethiopia somewhere

Overall Meaning

The song Dust My Broom by Henry Vestine is a blues classic that speaks about a relationship gone sour. The lyrics revolve around the singer's decision to leave his girlfriend because she's been unfaithful to him. The first stanza implies that the singer is leaving his girlfriend behind and dusting off his broom, which is a metaphor for leaving her household dirt behind. The next stanza speaks about his plan to search everywhere to find his girlfriend, and his determination not to give up until he does. He is willing to write letters and make calls to every town he knows until he finds her.


The third stanza makes it clear that the singer is not willing to take his girlfriend back even if he finds her. He accuses her of being a promiscuous woman who has had affairs with every man she meets downtown. He calls her a "no good doney" and suggests that she shouldn't be allowed on the street. The fourth stanza indicates that the singer is ready to leave the town and go back home where he will not be mistreated anymore.


The fifth and final stanza repeats the first, emphasizing the singer's intention to leave his girlfriend and dust his broom. He is still angry with her for having an affair with a black man and warns her that she cannot have his room anymore. Overall, Dust My Broom is a blues classic that portrays the pain and anger of a broken relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm goin' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
I plan to rise early tomorrow and start afresh. Specifically, I'll tidy up my surroundings.


Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can't get my room
I'm addressing my girlfriend directly. She's been messing around with a black man and if she continues to do so, she won't be welcome in my room.


I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
I'm going to employ every resource at my disposal to find whoever I'm looking for. I'll send letters and make phone calls to everyone I know.


If I can't find her in West Helena, she must be in East Monroe I know
I'm looking for a specific person and I've already searched West Helena. If I don't find her there, then I know she must be in East Monroe.


I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
I'm fed up with women who sleep with every man they come across. I don't want to be involved with someone like that.


She's a no good doney, they shouldn't 'low her on the street
I have a low opinion of the woman in question. In fact, I think she's so worthless that she shouldn't be allowed on the street at all.


I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I miss my hometown and I think I'd be better off going back there. I'm tired of being in this place.


You can mistreat me here, babe, but you can't when I go home
I'm putting my foot down. I won't tolerate being mistreated any longer, but when I return home, I won't have to deal with it anymore.


And I'm gettin' up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
In case you forgot, I'm still going to tidy up my surroundings tomorrow morning.


I'm 'on' call up Chiney, see is my good gal over there
I'm willing to go to great lengths to locate the person I'm looking for. I'll even call up friends in other countries like China.


If I can't find her on Philippine's Island, she must be in Ethiopia somewhere
I'm determined to find her no matter what. I'm even willing to look for her on far-off islands like the Philippines or in countries as distant as Ethiopia.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: James Elmore, Robert Johnson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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