With a booming voice and looming physical presence, Burnett is commonly ranked among the leading performers in electric blues; musician and critic Cub Koda declared, "no one could match Howlin' Wolf for the singular ability to rock the house down to the foundation while simultaneously scaring its patrons out of its wits." A number of songs written or popularized by Burnett—such as "Smokestack Lightnin'", "Back Door Man", "Killing Floor" and "Spoonful"—have become blues and blues rock standards.
At 6 feet, 6 inches (198 cm) and close to 300 pounds (136 kg), he was an imposing presence with one of the loudest and most memorable voices of all the "classic" 1950s Chicago blues singers. This rough-edged, slightly fearsome musical style is often contrasted with the less crude but still powerful presentation of his contemporary and professional rival, Muddy Waters. Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller), Little Walter Jacobs, and Muddy Waters are usually regarded in retrospect as the greatest blues artists who recorded for Chess in Chicago. Sam Phillips once remarked, "When I heard Howlin' Wolf, I said, 'This is for me. This is where the soul of man never dies.'" In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #51 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
Burnett died at Hines VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois on January 10, 1976 and was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Hillside, Cook County, Illinois in a plot in Section 18, on the east side of the road. His large gravestone, allegedly purchased by Eric Clapton, has an image of a guitar and harmonica etched into it.
The Howlin' Wolf Memorial Blues Festival is held each year in West Point, Mississippi. Wolf's Juke Joint Jam is another annual Howlin' Wolf tribute festival held in West Point. Some of the artists who have played 'Wolf Jam' include Wolf's lead guitarist Hubert Sumlin, Muddy Waters' back band of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones and "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin, Willie King, Blind Mississippi Morris, Kenny Brown, Burnside Exploration, etc. The festival is held at the 500-acre (2.0 km2) festival grounds known as Waverly Waters Resort.
A popular music venue in New Orleans, Louisiana was named The Howlin' Wolf when it opened in 1988.
Burnett was portrayed by Eamonn Walker in the 2008 motion picture Cadillac Records.
All My Life
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's hot like red pepper. Sweet like cherry wine
I'm so glad she love me. Love me all the time
She's my little baby, sweet as she can be
All this love she's got, do belongs to me
If you hear me howlin', calling on my darling
If you hear me howlin', calling on my darling
Every time she kiss me, she makes the lights go out
From early in the morning, she makes me jump and shout
This bad love she got, makes me laugh and cry
Makes me really know, that I'm too young to die
If you hear me howlin', calling on my darling
Come on. I love you. Pretty baby
If you hear me howlin', calling on my darlin'
In Howlin' Wolf's song "My Life," the singer expresses his passionate love for his partner through animalistic imagery. The title itself references the howl, which can be associated with both wolves and humans crying out in pain or loneliness. But in this case, the howling is a joyful expression of the singer's love for his "darling." He describes her as "hot like red pepper" and "sweet like cherry wine," highlighting her contrasting but complementary qualities. She is his "little baby" and he revels in her love and devotion, claiming that all the love she has do belongs to him.
The song's lyrics also reflect the electrifying effect his partner has on him. Every time she kisses him, "she makes the lights go out" and he "jumps and shouts" from early in the morning. The chorus, which repeats the lines "come on home" and "I love you," adds an urgent and desperate tone to the song, making it clear that the singer wants his lover to return to him as soon as possible.
Overall, the song exudes passion, love, and desire, using vivid imagery and repetition to emphasize just how much the singer cares for his partner.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear me howlin', calling on my darlin'
I'm expressing my love for my woman and calling her to come back to me
She's hot like red pepper. Sweet like cherry wine
I find my woman attractive both physically and romantically
I'm so glad she love me. Love me all the time
I feel fortunate for my wife's unconditional and constant love
She's my little baby, sweet as she can be
I see my woman as being gentle and kind
All this love she's got, do belongs to me
I am possessive of my lover and her affection
My baby. Come on home. I love you. Come on home
I am calling out to my beloved to hurry home to my arms
Every time she kiss me, she makes the lights go out
Her kisses are so impactful that they effect my senses
From early in the morning, she makes me jump and shout
My lover fills me with joy and enthusiasm even from the beginning of the day
This bad love she got, makes me laugh and cry
The intensity of my wife's love for me brings forth both positive and negative emotions
Makes me really know, that I'm too young to die
The depth of love we share assures me of my youth and vitality
Come on. I love you. Pretty baby
I appeal to my significant other to come back to me, expressing my love for her
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHESTER BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind