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).

Roll Your Moneymaker
Hound Dog Taylor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Roll your moneymaker, honey you really can shake her
Shake your moneymaker, honey you're really alright
Roll your moneymaker, yeah
I got a gal who lives up on the hill
Well I got a gal, she lives up on the hill
Well the fool tried to quit me but man I love her still
She rolled her moneymaker, oh boy she really can shake her
Shake your moneymaker, honey you're really alright

Roll your moneymaker
Well I'm leaving in the morning I won't be here till fall
Well I'm leaving in the morning I won't be here in the fall
Well my mind won't change I won't be here at all
Roll your moneymaker, honey you really can shake her
Shake your moneymaker, baby your really alright

Roll your moneymaker
Well I'm leaving in the morning I won't be here till fall
Well I'm leaving in the morning I won't be back till fall
Well my mind only chance I won't be here at all
Roll your moneymaker, honey you really can shake her

Baby your really alright, yeah your out of sight
Roll your moneymaker

Overall Meaning

In "Roll Your Moneymaker," Hound Dog Taylor is urging his lover to dance for him. This "moneymaker" metaphorically refers to his lover's hips, and he admires her ability to dance and shake them. He encourages her to keep dancing, telling her that she is "really all right." It seems like the singer is saying that he will no longer be with his lover after the morning and that he won't come back until autumn. He says that he won't change his mind and that he won't be back at all. Despite his absence from her, he still thinks about her dancing and how good she is at it.

The song's meaning is quite direct and uncomplicated: it's about a man who loves a woman for her dancing skills. Despite the somewhat simplistic meaning of the song, there are a number of possible interpretations. Some might suggest that the song is about objectifying women or prioritizing their bodies over their minds or personalities. Others might view the song as a celebration of female sexuality and rhythmic ability. Ultimately, it is up to the listener to determine how they feel about this straightforward but controversial song.

Line by Line Meaning

Roll your moneymaker, honey you really can shake her
Encouraging someone to dance and move their body while acknowledging their impressive skills

Shake your moneymaker, honey you're really alright
Confirming that the person dancing is doing a great job and is attractive

I got a gal who lives up on the hill
Referring to a romantic partner who lives in a privileged area

Well the fool tried to quit me but man I love her still
Acknowledging that the partner has attempted to leave the relationship, but the artist still loves them

Roll your moneymaker, yeah
Repeating the main message of the song to urge people to dance

Well I'm leaving in the morning I won't be here till fall
Announcing plans to leave soon and not return for a long time

Well my mind won't change I won't be here at all
Stating firmly that the singer will not change their mind and will not return at all

Baby your really alright, yeah your out of sight
Complimenting the dance skills of the person and expressing admiration for them

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., ALLIGATOR RECRDS/EYEBALL MUSIC
Written by: THEODORE R TAYLOR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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