Lenoir's guitar-playing father introduced him to the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson, whose music became a major influence. During the early 1940s, Lenoir worked with blues artists Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James in New Orleans. Lenoir would eventually find musical influence in Arthur Crudup and Lightnin' Hopkins.
In 1949, he moved to Chicago and Big Bill Broonzy helped introduce him to the local blues community. He began to perform at local nightclubs with musicians such as Memphis Minnie, Big Maceo Merriweather, and Muddy Waters, and became an important part of the city's blues scene. He began recording in 1951 the J.O.B. and Chess Records labels. His recording of "Korea Blues" was licensed to and released by Chess, as having been performed by 'J. B. and his Bayou Boys'. His band included pianist Sunnyland Slim, guitarist Leroy Foster, and drummer Alfred Wallace.
During the 1950s Lenoir recorded on various record labels in the Chicago area including J.O.B., Chess, Parrot, and Checker. His more successful songs included "Let's Roll", "The Mojo" featuring saxophonist J. T. Brown, and the controversial "Eisenhower Blues" which his record company, Parrot, forced him to re-record as "Tax Paying Blues."
Lenoir was known in the 1950s for his showmanship - in particular his zebra-patterned costumes - and his high-pitched vocals. He became an influential electric guitarist and songwriter, and his penchant for social commentary distinguished him from many other bluesmen of the time. His most commercially successful and enduring release was "Mamma Talk To Your Daughter", recorded for Parrot in 1954 which reached #11 on the Billboard R&B chart and was later recorded by many other blues and rock musicians. In the later 1950s (recording on the Checker label), he wrote several more blues standards including; "Don't Dog Your Woman", and "Don't Touch My Head!!!" (1956).
In 1963, Lenoir recorded for USA Records as 'J. B. Lenoir and his African Hunch Rhythm', developing an interest in African percussion. However, he struggled to work as a professional musician and for a time took menial jobs, including working in the kitchen at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Lenoir was rediscovered by Willie Dixon, who recorded him with drummer Fred Below on the albums Alabama Blues and Down In Mississippi (inspired by the Civil Rights and Free Speech movements). Lenoir toured Europe, and performed in 1965 with the American Folk Blues Festival in the United Kingdom.
Lenoir's work had direct political content relating to racism and the Vietnam War.
"Alabama Blues"
“I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me,
I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me,
You know they killed my sister and my brother,
And the whole world let them peoples go down there free.”
He died on April 29, 1967 in Urbana, Illinois, aged 38, from a heart attack related to injuries he suffered in a car accident three weeks earlier.
His death was lamented by John Mayall in the songs, "I'm Gonna Fight for You, J.B." and "Death of J. B. Lenoir".
The 2003 documentary film The Soul of a Man, directed by Wim Wenders as the second instalment of Martin Scorsese's series The Blues, explored Lenoir's career, together with those of Skip James and Blind Willie Johnson.
In 2011, Lenoir was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.
Although his name is sometimes mispronounced like the French "lan WAH", Lenoir himself pronounced his name a "la NOR". The initials "J.B." had no specific meaning; his given name was simply "J.B."
Don't Touch My Head
J.B. Lenoir Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't touch my wife
Please sir
Holla holla holla senior
No toque a mi esposa
Por favor senior
Bonjour bonjour bonjour monsieur
Ne touche pas ma femme
We are here in that nightclub just to dance
Nothing else please sir
To have a little fun please don't spoil
Everything sir
You say hello hello hello sir
She answers you out of respect sir
You invite her to dance she accepted
Because she is there for fun sir
You want to kiss her, I stop you sir
Because she is a married woman
Sir kindness is not a weakness
Or even stupidity
You don't know a much I love my wife sir
She knows how much I love her
She love me so much sir
When I see my life without my wife sir
Everything is really gray sir
With no sun even no light sir
In the book of love that God wrote
Keeps in the library of God in heaven
Even on the book of our destiny
The first name written on the first page
Is my wife name sir
Also on the last pages of the two books
She is mine I'am hers for life sir
Another man's wife she was always
Beautiful to love sir
Because the other man has already done well
All the beautification work sir
You did not plant the tree sir
But you come to welcome the fruits
By force with arrogance and rudeness sir
To another man's legitimate wife sir
You did not sow the field but sir
You want to take the harvest
Of other men by force sir
Hello hello hello sir
Don't touch my wife
Please sir
Holla holla holla senior
No toque a mi esposa
Por favor senior
Bonjour bonjour bonjour monsieur
Ne touche pas ma femme
Svp monsieur
Hello hello hello sir
Don't touch my wife
Please sir
Holla holla holla senior
No toque a mi esposa
Por favor senior
Bonjour bonjour bonjour monsieur
Ne touche pas ma femme
Svp monsieur
For you it's a one-night stand
But for me it's my whole life sir
Alas she is not free sir
To see you I'm sure sir
That you are married sir
And your wife warmly awaits you
At home in your bed sir
Yours waiting for you at home sir
Hello hello hello sir
Don't touch my wife
Please sir
Holla holla holla senior
No toque a mi esposa
Por favor senior
Bonjour bonjour bonjour monsieur
Ne touche pas ma femme
Svp monsieur
Hello hello hello sir
Don't touch my wife
Please sir
Holla holla holla senior
No toque a mi esposa
Por favor senior
Bonjour bonjour bonjour monsieur
Ne touche pas ma femme
Svp monsieur
The lyrics to J.B. Lenoir's song "Don't Touch My Head" speak out against a man who tries to make a move on the singer's wife at a nightclub. The singer addresses the man in various languages – English, Spanish, and French – and respectfully asks him not to touch his wife. He emphasizes that they are at the nightclub just to dance and have a little fun, without any intention of anything further. When the man tries to make a move on the singer's wife, he stops him, maintaining that his wife is a married woman and he wants to protect their commitment. He emphasizes that his love for his wife is immense, and even in God's book of love, she is the first and last name written. He asks the man not to be arrogant or rude and try to take what doesn't belong to him forcibly.
The song is a powerful and poetic commentary on possessiveness and faithfulness in a relationship. The singer deeply cares about his wife and the commitment they have made to each other. He holds the value of love and loyalty in high regard and doesn't want anyone to interfere in it. The song's message is clear – no one has the right to disrespect someone else's relationship or come between two people who love each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello hello hello sir
The singer is addressing the listener in a formal, polite manner.
Don't touch my wife
The singer is asking the listener not to touch his wife.
Please sir
The singer is requesting the listener with politeness.
Holla holla holla senior
The artist is addressing the listener in a respectful manner in Spanish.
No toque a mi esposa
The artist is telling the listener not to touch his wife in Spanish.
Por favor senior
The singer is requesting the listener with politeness in Spanish.
Bonjour bonjour bonjour monsieur
The singer is addressing the listener in a respectful manner in French.
Ne touche pas ma femme
The artist is telling the listener not to touch his wife in French.
Svp monsieur
The artist is requesting the listener with politeness in French.
We are here in that nightclub just to dance
The artist is explaining the reason why they are at the nightclub.
Nothing else please sir
The singer is asking the listener not to expect anything else from them.
To have a little fun please don't spoil
The artist is asking the listener not to ruin their fun.
Everything sir
The singer is referring to the situation as a whole.
You say hello hello hello sir
The singer is repeating how the listener greeted him.
She answers you out of respect sir
The singer is acknowledging that his wife responded with respect to the listener's greeting.
You invite her to dance she accepted
The artist is recounting how the listener asked his wife to dance and she agreed.
Because she is there for fun sir
The artist is explaining why his wife accepted the invitation to dance.
You want to kiss her, I stop you sir
The singer is telling the listener that he prevented him from kissing his wife.
Because she is a married woman
The singer is reminding the listener that his wife is married to him.
Sir kindness is not a weakness
The artist is stating that kindness is not a sign of weakness.
Or even stupidity
The artist is implying that the listener's behavior is foolish.
You don't know a much I love my wife sir
The artist is expressing how much he loves his wife to the listener.
She knows how much I love her
The singer is saying that his wife is aware of his love for her.
She love me so much sir
The artist is saying that his wife loves him a lot.
When I see my life without my wife sir
The singer is saying that he cannot imagine his life without his wife.
Everything is really gray sir
The singer is saying that his life would be colorless without his wife.
With no sun even no light sir
The singer is using metaphors to illustrate how empty his life would be without his wife.
In the book of love that God wrote
The artist is referencing the concept of God writing the book of love.
Keeps in the library of God in heaven
The artist is referring to God's library in heaven where he keeps the book of love.
Even on the book of our destiny
The singer is saying that their destiny is written in God's book of love.
The first name written on the first page
The singer is saying that his wife's name is the first in the book of love.
Is my wife name sir
The artist is saying that his wife's name is written at the beginning of their love story.
Also on the last pages of the two books
The artist is saying that his and his wife's love story is not just at the beginning but also at the end.
She is mine I'am hers for life sir
The artist is saying that their love is eternal and forever.
Another man's wife she was always
The singer is referring to his wife as 'another man's wife' in the context of society's rules.
Beautiful to love sir
The artist is expressing his love for his wife's beauty.
Because the other man has already done well
The singer is saying that the previous man in his wife's life has already done a good job of appreciating her beauty.
All the beautification work sir
The singer is referring to appreciating his wife's beauty as a kind of beautification work.
You did not plant the tree sir
The singer is saying that the listener did not make the effort or contribute anything to their love story.
But you come to welcome the fruits
The artist is saying that the listener is only interested in enjoying the fruits of their love.
By force with arrogance and rudeness sir
The artist is saying that the listener's approach is inappropriate and uncivilized.
To another man's legitimate wife sir
The singer is referring to his wife as a legitimately married woman.
You did not sow the field but sir
The singer is saying that the listener did not contribute to the growth of their relationship or love.
You want to take the harvest
The artist is saying that the listener is trying to reap the rewards of their love.
Of other men by force sir
The artist is saying that the listener is trying to take what belongs to him by force.
For you it's a one-night stand
The artist is saying that for the listener, his actions are just a one-night fling.
But for me it's my whole life sir
The singer is saying that his relationship with his wife is his entire life.
Alas she is not free sir
The artist is saying that his wife is not free to do as she pleases due to their marriage.
To see you I'm sure sir
The singer is implying that his wife has no interest in seeing the listener.
That you are married sir
The singer is implying that the listener is also married.
And your wife warmly awaits you
The singer is saying that the listener's wife is waiting for him at home.
At home in your bed sir
The artist is implying that the listener should be with his wife instead of flirting with another woman at a nightclub.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: ALAIN YIMBI S BOTO BAMBA MAYEMBA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bill Pochron
Just heard this on Wfmu!
Jim Morton
They misspelled Lenoir's name on that label—twice!
Slavko Cosic
Extra<3...