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.
What A Woman! (a/k/a/ Commit
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before I commit a crime
I'm gonna leave you woman
Before I commit a crime
You tried so hard to kill me
Woman it just was not my time
You put poison in my coffee
You put poison in my coffee
Instead of milk or cream
You're the meanest woman
That I ever seen
You mixed my drinks
With a can of red devil lye
You mixed my drinks
With a can of red devil lye
Then you sit back and watch me
Hopin that I would die
The lyrics of Howlin' Wolf's song "Commit A Crime" depict a story of a man who is determined to leave a woman before he commits a crime. The opening lines convey the sense of urgency and fear that is present in the singer's mind. He knows that if he stays with the woman any longer, he might end up doing something terrible that he will regret later. The repetition of the phrase "before I commit a crime" emphasizes this fear and anxiety.
The next two stanzas reveal the reason behind the man's fear. The woman in question has tried to kill him by poisoning his coffee and mixing his drinks with a deadly chemical. This revelation adds a new layer of meaning to the earlier lines. The man is not leaving the woman because he has lost interest in her or because he wants to pursue someone else. He is leaving her to save himself from her murderous intentions. The final lines of the song suggest that the woman has been watching him all along, hoping that he would die. This chilling twist adds to the overall mood of the song.
Overall, "Commit A Crime" is a powerful blues number that showcases Howlin' Wolf's incredible vocal range and ability to tell a compelling story through his lyrics. The song's themes of betrayal, fear, and survival resonate strongly with listeners, making it one of the most memorable blues songs in history.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna leave you woman
I have decided to end our relationship
Before I commit a crime
I don't want to hurt you or do something bad to you
You tried so hard to kill me
I believe that you've intentionally attempted to harm me
Woman it just was not my time
However, fate had other plans for me and I survived your attempts
You put poison in my coffee
You've tried to kill me by putting poison in my drink
Instead of milk or cream
I was expecting a regular cup of coffee, but you put poison in it
You're the meanest woman
Your actions have shown that you're the most malicious and cruel person I've ever met
That I ever seen
I've never encountered anyone this ruthless before
You mixed my drinks
On another occasion, you attempted to harm me again by tampering with my drink
With a can of red devil lye
You mixed my drink with a lethal substance called 'red devil lye'
Then you sit back and watch me
You then watched me suffer the effects of the poison, with no remorse for your actions
Hopin that I would die
You wished and hoped that I would die from the poison, showing me no mercy or kindness whatsoever
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALEX ATKINS, JAMES B. ODEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind