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.
You Gonna Wreck My Life
Howlin' Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many more years, are you gonna wreck my life
Well the way you done, you gonna wreck my life
How many times, you gonna treat me like you do
How many more times, you gonna treat me like you do
You took all of my money, and all of my love too
Now I'm old and gray, got no place to go
Now I'm old and gray, got no place to go
I'm going to the stairs, I'm gonna beg ya for my clothes
I'm going to the stairs, I'm gonna beg ya for my clothes
For where I go nobody knows
In the song "You Gonna Wreck My Life" by Howlin' Wolf, the singer questions the length of time his lover will continue to ruin his life. He expresses frustration at how she has already taken all his money and love. The singer is left with nowhere to go and asks for his clothes back from his lover.
The lyrics show the dynamic of a toxic relationship where one partner is constantly being hurt and taken advantage of while the other is in a position of power. The use of repetition in the line “How many more years, are you gonna wreck my life” emphasizes the singer's despair and feeling of being trapped. His repeated questioning of the number of years shows that he is stuck in this cycle and does not see a way out. The line “You got yourself a young stud, and you can’t stand me no more” shows his lover has moved on and found someone younger and more desirable, leaving him alone and abandoned.
The final lines of the song, “For where I go nobody knows” suggest that the singer has hit rock bottom and has nowhere to turn. Overall, the song is a powerful expression of the pain and desperation experienced in a toxic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
How many more years, are you gonna wreck my life
You have been ruining my life for so long, how much longer will you continue to do so?
Well the way you done, you gonna wreck my life
The things you have done to me in the past will ultimately lead to the destruction of my life.
How many times, you gonna treat me like you do
You have repeatedly treated me poorly, how many more times will you do so?
You took all of my money, and all of my love too
You have taken away all of my financial and emotional resources, leaving me with nothing.
Now I'm old and gray, got no place to go
I am now old and have nowhere to turn because of the damage you have caused to my life.
You got yourself a young stud, and you can't stand me no more
You are now with a younger man and have lost interest in me completely.
I'm going to the stairs, I'm gonna beg ya for my clothes
I am so desperate that I will even beg you for my own clothes that you have taken from me.
For where I go nobody knows
I am so lost and destitute that I have no idea where I will end up.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CHESTER BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind