By the mid 1930s he was based in Chicago, and working with Horace Henderson's band at the Circle Inn, and with pianist Jimmy Walker at the Square Deal Club. He may have first recorded for RCA Victor in 1937, but this is also unconfirmed, and by 1938 may have begun playing electric guitar. His first known recordings were in 1952 for Chance Records, recording the tracks "Lonesome Ole Train" and "Homesick" which gave him his stage name.[3] During the late 1940s and 1950s he worked with both Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller), and with Elmore James, and in the early 1950s he worked in bands including Baby Face Leroy Foster, Snooky Pryor, Floyd Jones, and Lazy Bill Lucas. He was a longtime member of James' band from 1955 to 1963, contributing to such tracks as "Dust My Broom," "The Sky Is Crying," and "Roll and Tumble." Elmore James is said to have died on Homesick's couch, while the latter frantically searched for the former's heart pills.
As a solo performer, he recorded for the Colt and USA labels in 1962, including a cover version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads". Homesick James's slide guitar style, not as refined as Elmore James', traces back to Johnson's. He also recorded a 1964 album for Prestige Records, Blues On the South Side (Prestige OBCCD 529-2), including another of his best-known covers, "Stones In My Passway", and some tracks for Vanguard that are available on the compilation album Chicago: The Blues Today. One of his own songs, "Gotta Move" (also on Blues On the South Side) was covered (as "Got To Move") both by Elmore James and Fleetwood Mac.[citation
Crossroads
Homesick James And His Dusters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my head hung down and cryin'
Well I'm standin' at the crossroads,
With my head hung down and cryin'
Well I was thinkin' about my baby,
And I know she can't be found
I work hard for my baby,
I work hard for my baby,
And she treats me like a slave
Well she was be tired of livin',
I'll put her six feet in the grave
I was standin' at the crossroads,
And my baby's not around
Well I was standin' at the crossroads,
And my baby's not around
Well I began to wonder,
If this is Elmore's second down
I' standin' here waitin' baby,
With my heart right in my hand
I' standin' here waitin' baby,
With my heart right in my hand
Well I'm thinkin' about my baby,
And she's out with another man
The song "Crossroads" by Homesick James And His Dusters portrays the emotional turmoils of a man standing at a crossroads in his life, both metaphorically and literally. The first verse presents the despair he experiences, shedding tears as he thinks of his lost lover. The subsequent verses unravel the underlying cause of his gloom - his unrewarded efforts in the relationship. As he lamentably recounts his plight of being treated like a slave by his significant other, he bitterly muses about the possibility of her being dead.
The lyrics highlight the sense of abandonment and aimlessness that the singer feels as he stands at the crossroads. His lover has left him, and he does not know which way to go. He is lost, with his heart in his hands, waiting for her to return. The use of the phrase 'crossroads' conveys a sense of momentous choice that the singer must make regarding his future. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the crossroads represent the deep emotional abyss he finds himself in, with no clear direction to turn to.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm standin' at the crossroads,
With my head hung down and cryin'
I'm feeling lost and sad, standing at a point where I have to make a decision about which direction to take in my life.
Well I was thinkin' about my baby,
And I know she can't be found
I'm missing my loved one who seems to have disappeared from my life, and I can't help but think about her constantly.
I work hard for my baby,
And she treats me like a slave
I put in all my effort to take care of my partner, but I feel like I'm not appreciated and taken advantage of.
Well she was be tired of livin',
I'll put her six feet in the grave
If my partner keeps treating me badly, I might have to resort to extreme measures and end our relationship once and for all.
Well I began to wonder,
If this is Elmore's second down
I'm starting to question if I'm on the right path or if I need to make a change in my life, just like Elmore James did in his own life.
I' standin' here waitin' baby,
With my heart right in my hand
I'm putting myself out there, vulnerable and exposed, waiting for my partner to come back to me so we can work things out.
Well I'm thinkin' about my baby,
And she's out with another man
My partner has caused me so much pain and betrayal that I can't stop thinking about her being with someone else instead of me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELMORE JAMES, JOE BIHARI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@savvakissss
I wish I could know more about those blues legends... You can find almost nothing in this small country.. What a performance
@CrossBonesAlex
Blues From The South Side - Maybe the best blues album I have ever heard - It is so unique, so blue and so groovy - every track is great - Homesick James is pure blues
@lazik48
Ce n'est pas deux minutes 48 mais des heures que ce morceau devrait durer...pour le plaisir Pierre NOËL
@jlemko
This is the real deal stuff!
@hondanut13
@macinfloydvolk Homesick was not Elmore's brother...Homesick was born John William Henderson but later used the name James A. Williamson (April 30, 1910 - December 13, 2006)
@msaintpc
Billy, I agree with you. It's good to see someone not attempting to imitate Clapton or Robert Johnson.
@tehmaninblack
@Bluuwise1 Not to disrespect his memory or anything, but do you have any old family videos of Homesick layin around?
@msaintpc
Hey my bretheren, Are you down with " Lightnin Slim" ? Look him up. He was a bad mutha......
@Glendoras
This is great! It's silly comparing blues artists with each other, they all had influences and influenced others. BTW, I am the greatest Elmore fan sayin' that.
@surfin64
July '63