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.
Mr. Airplane Man
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mr. Airplane man, will you fly to Jackson for me
I want you fly to my baby, and give her this here message for me
Ahhoooo, ahhoooo, ahhhoooo, ahhhoooo
My baby not at home, you didn't worry about knockin' on her door
My baby not at home, you didn't worry about knockin' on her door
Ahhoooo, ahhoooo, ahhhoooo
She might be visitin', at the next door neighbor's you know
If you don't find my baby, come on to Chicago to me
Ahhoooo, ahhoooo, ahhhoooo, come on back to me
The lyrics to Howlin' Wolf's "Mr. Airplane Man" convey a sense of urgency and longing for a lover who is far away. The singer is asking the titular "Mr. Airplane Man" to fly to Jackson and deliver a message to his lover. He is worried because she is not at home, and he suggests that maybe she is visiting the next door neighbor. The singer tells the airplane man that if he doesn't find his lover in Jackson, he should come back to Chicago and deliver the message to him instead.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the distance and isolation that can come with relationships in a rapidly changing world. The airplane is a modern convenience that allows people to travel vast distances quickly, but it also creates a sense of disconnection. The singer is so far away from his lover that he has to rely on a stranger to deliver a message, and he doesn't even know if she will be home to receive it. The repetition of the mournful "ahhoooo" at the end of the verses underscores the sense of longing and loneliness that the singer feels.
Overall, "Mr. Airplane Man" is a haunting and evocative blues tune that captures the essence of romantic longing and the sense of isolation that can come from distance and travel.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. Airplane man, will you fly down to Jackson for me
Oh Mr. Airplane man, could you please fly to Jackson, Mississippi for me?
I want you fly to my baby, and give her this here message for me
I need you to fly to my sweetheart and deliver a message to her for me.
Ahhoooo, ahhoooo, ahhhoooo, ahhhoooo
Instrumental break
My baby not at home, you didn't worry about knockin' on her door
If my lover isn't home, please don't bother knocking on her door.
My baby not at home, you didn't worry about knockin' on her door
If my lover isn't home, please don't bother knocking on her door.
Ahhoooo, ahhoooo, ahhhoooo
Instrumental break
She might be visitin', at the next door neighbor's you know
Maybe she's next door visiting the neighbors.
If you don't find my baby, come on back to Chicago to me
If you don't find my sweetheart, please come back to me in Chicago.
Ahhoooo, ahhoooo, ahhhoooo, come on back to me
Instrumental break
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHESTER BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind