Twelve fingered rough and ready blues maestro.

Theodore Roosevelt "H… Read Full Bio ↴Twelve fingered rough and ready blues maestro.

Theodore Roosevelt "Hound Dog" Taylor (April 12, 1915 - December 17, 1975) was an American Chicago blues guitarist and singer.

Career

Taylor was born in Natchez, Mississippi in 1915 (although some sources say 1917). He originally played piano, but began playing guitar when he was 20. He moved to Chicago in 1942.

He became a full-time musician around 1957 but remained unknown outside of the Chicago area where he played small clubs in the black neighborhoods and also at the open-air Maxwell Street Market. He was known for his electrified slide guitar playing roughly styled after that of Elmore James, his cheap Japanese Teisco guitars, and his raucous boogie beats. He was also famed among guitar players for having six fingers on his left hand.

After hearing Taylor with his band, the HouseRockers (Brewer Phillips on second guitar and Ted Harvey on drums) in 1970 at Florence's Lounge on Chicago's South Side, Bruce Iglauer - at the time a shipping clerk for Delmark Records - tried to get him signed by his employer. Having no success getting Delmark to sign Taylor, Iglauer formed a small record label with a $2500 inheritance and recorded Taylor's debut album, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, on his fledgling Alligator Records in 1971. It was the first release on Alligator, now a major blues label. It was recorded in a studio in just two nights. Iglauer began managing and booking the band, which toured nationwide and performed with Muddy Waters and Big Mama Thornton.[citation needed] The band became particularly popular in the Boston area, where Taylor inspired a young protégé named George Thorogood. A live album Live At Joe's Place documented a Boston appearance from 1972.

Their second release, Natural Boogie, was recorded in late 1973, and led to greater acclaim and touring. In 1975, Taylor and his band toured Australia and New Zealand with Freddie King and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. His third Alligator album, Beware of the Dog, was recorded live in 1974 but was only released after his death. More posthumous releases occurred as well, including Genuine Houserocking Music and Release the Hound, on the Alligator label as well as some bootleg live recordings.

Taylor died of lung cancer in 1975, and was buried in Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.

Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984.[citation needed]
Discography

Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers (1971)(Alligator Records)

Natural Boogie (1974)(Alligator Records)

Beware The Dog! (1976)(Alligator Records)

Genuine Houserocking Music (1982)(Alligator Records)

Hound Dog Taylor - Deluxe Edition (1999)(Alligator Records)

Release The Hound (2004)(Alligator Records)
Legacy

George Thorogood dedicated "The Sky Is Crying" (song 9) to "the memory of the late great Hound Dog Taylor" on his Live album (EMI America CDP 7 46329 2).

My Baby's Coming Home
Hound Dog Taylor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Taylor & Eatmon)

Yes I ain't worried 'bout my baby
She'll be home tomorrow night
Yes I ain't worried 'bout my baby
She'll be home tomorrow night
She called me this morning
Told me "Hound Dog everything's alright"

Yes she called me this morning
She called me on the phone
Yes she called me this morning, babe
She called me on the phone
She said baby don't you worry
Ain't nothing going on wrong

Well I felt so good I almost broke down and cried
Yes I felt so good boy, I almost broke down and cried
My baby's coming home and this time it ain't no lie

She said babe
Everything is really alright
She said babe
Everything is really alright

I don't be there Saturday morning darling
I'll be there early tomorrow night

Overall Meaning

The song “My Baby’s Coming Home” by Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers is a blues song that talks about a man anxiously waiting for his lover's return home. The lyrics show that the man was worried about his baby, but his worries were quelled when she called him on the phone and assured him that everything was alright. The man’s joy and relief about her return is evident in the lyrics as well, as he almost breaks down in tears at the news of her coming back home.

The song employs a simple and repetitive structure which is characteristic of blues music, particularly the 12-bar blues structure. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, which, when coupled with Hound Dog Taylor's signature guitar riffs, create a raw and emotive sound that is typical of blues music. The song taps into the universal themes of love, longing, and loss, making it relatable to a wide audience that appreciates quality blues music.

Overall, “My Baby’s Coming Home” is a classic blues song that showcases the talents of Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers, particularly Taylor's distinctive and innovative guitar playing style. The simple yet emotive lyrics add to the song’s charm, making it a timeless classic in the blues genre.

Line by Line Meaning

Yes I ain't worried 'bout my baby
I am not anxious about my significant other

She'll be home tomorrow night
She will arrive back home the following night

Yes she called me this morning
My partner called me earlier today

Told me 'Hound Dog everything's alright'
She informed me that everything is okay

She called me on the phone
She dialed me up on the telephone

She said baby don't you worry
She reassured me not to tense up

Ain't nothing going on wrong
Nothing is amiss or erroneous

Well I felt so good I almost broke down and cried
I experienced such elation that tears nearly fell from my eyes

My baby's coming home and this time it ain't no lie
My sweetheart is returning and it is not a falsehood as it may have been in the past

She said babe everything is really alright
She informed me that everything is genuinely okay

I don't be there Saturday morning darling
I will not arrive there on Saturday morning, my dear