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 Night Boogie
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come here baby, sit down on daddy's knee
I got stuff to tell you
Baby, that worry me
You went out last night, baby, you stayed all night
You went out last night, baby, you stayed all night
You've been snubbing and what
I cried, cried, cried, all day long
I cried, cried, I cried all day long
You got to wear your own
Baby, you can't have your way
Woke up this mornin', baby, I found you gone
Woke up this mornin', baby, I found you gone
I'm crazy 'bout you
But you know you've done me wrong
The lyrics to Howlin Wolf's "All Night Boogie", while seemingly simple, delve into themes of love, loyalty, and trust in a relationship. The song tells the story of a man who is worried about his partner's loyalty, as she went out and stayed out all night the night before. He confronts her about her infidelity and her disrespect towards him, begging her to listen to him and to stop taking him for granted. He mourns the loss of his lover, admitting that he is "crazy 'bout" her despite her wrongdoings.
The opening lines of the song invite the listener into a fatherly figure, someone who will protect and care for their partner. However, the tone shifts as the man confronts his partner about her actions. His raw emotions, from sadness to anger to frustration, are palpable in the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "I cried, cried, cried" emphasizes just how hurt he is by her actions.
"All Night Boogie" is a classic example of a blues song, both in its lyrics and its musical style. The slow, emotive guitar riffs set the tone for the lyrics, and the use of call and response in the chorus further emphasizes the man's desperation. The song was originally released in 1951 as the B-side to Howlin' Wolf's "Moanin' at Midnight" and has since been covered by various artists, including The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds.
Line by Line Meaning
Come here baby, sit down on daddy's knee
The singer wants his woman to come to him and listen to what he has to say.
I got stuff to tell you, Baby, that worry me
The singer has concerns he wants to express to his woman.
You went out last night, baby, you stayed all night
The singer's woman was out all night.
You've been snubbing and what, Well, woman, you ain't treat me right
The woman has been ignoring and mistreating the singer.
I cried, cried, cried, all day long
The singer has been upset all day.
You got to wear your own, Baby, you can't have your way
The woman can't always have things her way.
Woke up this mornin', baby, I found you gone
The woman has left the singer's side.
I'm crazy 'bout you, But you know you've done me wrong
The singer cares for the woman, but she has hurt him.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHESTER BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ianhope3203
Willis Johnson in guitar. There's never been better.
@harlanroeser7546
The instrumentation is ageless! Thank you Wolf!
@garyrose5868
Guitar licks way ahead of there time
@Mustang_Sally_
right!
@RichardLloyd1951
Boogie on Brother, Dance on Sister...
@luvsavengedsevenfold
Nice catchy song. Gotta love the Wolf!! <3
@marSLaZZ66
high energy!!
@dennislarson9560
The Wolf was not famous for the "boogie", he is very hard to put in single category. Get his London Sessions recordings and you'll see how versatile he really was!
@kinkajou777
At the world famous Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago the Wolf is a part of Mount Bluesmore. Check out the famous club at 700 South Wabash to see what I mean!
@edwardgeorge8025
raw.