Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 in White Station, Mississippi, Unite… Read Full Bio ↴Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910 in White Station, Mississippi, United States – January 10, 1976 in Hines, Illinois, United States), known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player.

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.

My Baby Walked Off
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, my baby walked off, she musta layed down and died
Well, my baby walked off, she musta layed down and
died
Lord, I wish she was here, layin' up by my side
Well, I'm so doggone worried, I can't be satisfied
Well, I'm so doggone worried, can't be satisfied
Well, the woman walked off from me, boy, she musta
walked off and died

I'm gonna call the highway man, tell him, my baby
musta been out and died
I'm gonna call the highway man an tell him, my baby
done walked off and died
Please find my baby, cause then I'm satisfied
Well she just walked off, know she's just my kind
Well she just walked off, know she's just my kind

Lord, I'm crazy 'bout the woman, she done walked off
an died

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Howlin' Wolf's song "My Baby Walked Off" express the heartbreak and despair of the singer who has been abandoned by his lover. He speculates that she may have died, and wishes that she was still with him so he could hold her once more. This is evident in lines like "Well, my baby walked off, she musta layed down and died" and "Lord, I wish she was here, layin' up by my side." Despite feeling overwhelmed with worry and sadness, the singer can't help but have feelings of love and devotion towards this woman. He admits to being "crazy 'bout the woman" and feeling incomplete without her.

The repetition of the line "Well, my baby walked off, she musta layed down and died" emphasizes the finality of the separation and lends to the melancholic tone of the song. The singer's desperation to find his lover is also evident when he says, "I'm gonna call the highway man, tell him, my baby musta been out and died." This shows that he is willing to do almost anything to find out what happened to the woman he loves.

Overall, "My Baby Walked Off" is a blues classic that combines sadness, desperation, and deep affection to create a powerful emotional experience for the listener.

Line by Line Meaning

Well, my baby walked off, she musta layed down and died
My lover left me, and I think she may have died.

Lord, I wish she was here, layin' up by my side
I miss her so much and wish she were here next to me.

Well, I'm so doggone worried, I can't be satisfied
I'm extremely anxious and cannot find peace.

Well, the woman walked off from me, boy, she musta walked off and died
My lover left me and I suspect she may have passed away.

I'm gonna call the highway man, tell him, my baby musta been out and died
I will contact the authorities and inform them of my suspicion that my loved one has died.

Please find my baby, cause then I'm satisfied
I need to find my lover for my own emotional well-being.

Well she just walked off, know she's just my kind
She was the perfect partner for me, but she left.

Lord, I'm crazy 'bout the woman, she done walked off an died
I am deeply in love with her, but she has left me, and I think she may have passed away.

Contributed by Xavier K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Arjhendrix

6y↑6

Howlin' Wolf
My Baby Walked Off
Lyricist：Chester Arthur Burnett
Well, my baby walked off
She musta layed down and died
Well, my baby walked off
She musta layed down and died
Lord, I wish she was here
Layin' up by my side
Well, I'm so doggone worried
I can't be satisfied
Well, I'm so doggone worried
Can't be satisfied
Well, I'm so doggone worried
Can't be satisfied
Well, the woman walked off from me, boy
She musta walked off and died
I'm gonna call the highway man
And tell him my baby musta been out and died
I'm gonna call the highway man
And tell him my baby done walked off and died
Please find my baby
'Cause then I'm satisfied
Well, she just my color
Know she's just my kind
Well, she just my color
Know she's just my kind
Lord, I'm crazy 'bout the woman
She done walked off an died
======================================