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.

Work For Your Money
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get your hands on your money
Mine all while you're gone
Get your hands on your money
Mine all while you're gone

I'm gonna leave this town and I
Ain't comin' back no more

Well, my momma, she don't love me
Daddy don't love me, no more
Well, my momma don't love me
Daddy don't love me, no more

I might leave ya babe
I'm going down on the coast

Blow

Well, good bye baby
If I don't see you, no more
Well good bye baby
If I never see you, no more

I want to love you baby
But you keep driving me from your door

Overall Meaning

Howlin' Wolf's Work For Your Money is a song about struggles and leaving behind everything you know, including people who don't love you. The repetition of "get your hands on your money" emphasizes the importance of hard work and it also reflects the blues tradition of money being a status symbol in African American culture. The line "mine all while you're gone" highlights the idea that life can be tough and you have to work hard to earn a living even when you're not around. The verse "goodbye baby, if I never see you no more, I want to love you but you keep driving me from your door" is an introspective part of the song which reflects on unrequited love and a sense of longing for something that isn't meant to be. The line "I'm going down on the coast" suggests that the singer is planning to leave and start anew, and the harmonica outro indicates the finality of that decision.

Line by Line Meaning

Get your hands on your money
Make sure to secure your earned wages

Mine all while you're gone
While you're not around, others will try to take what you've worked for

Get your hands on your money
Don't let anyone take what rightfully belongs to you

Mine all while you're gone
People will take advantage of your absence to take what they can

I'm gonna leave this town and I
I'm planning to depart from this place for good

Ain't comin' back no more
I won't be returning here again

Well, my momma, she don't love me
I don't feel loved by my mother anymore

Daddy don't love me, no more
My father doesn't love me either

Well, my momma don't love me
I feel unloved and unwanted by my mother

Daddy don't love me, no more
My father doesn't care about me anymore

I might leave ya babe
I'm contemplating leaving you