Brim picked up his early guitar licks from the gramophone records of Tampa Red and Big Bill Broonzy, before venturing first to Indianapolis in 1941 and Chicago four years later. He met his wife Grace in 1947; fortuitously, she was a capable drummer and harmonica player who played on several of Brim's records. She was also the vocalist on a 1950 single for the Detroit based Fortune Records, that signaled the beginning of Brim's discography.
Brim recorded for Random Records, J.O.B. Records, Parrot Records (the socially aware "Tough Times"), and Chess Records ("Rattlesnake," his answer to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" was pulled from the shelves by Chess for fear of a plagiarism lawsuit). All of his 1950s recordings for the Chess label were later included on the compilation LP/CD "Whose Muddy Shoes" (which also included the few recordings Elmore James made for the label; because they share this LP/CD, it has sometimes been assumed that they performed or recorded together, but this is not the case.) On some tracks Little Walter played the harmonica, whilst Jimmy Reed, Snooky Pryor, or James Dalton were also featured blowing the harp. Cut in 1953, the suggestive "Ice Cream Man" had to wait until 1969 to enjoy a very belated release. Brim's last Chess single, "I Would Hate to See You Go," was waxed in 1956 with a combo consisting of Little Walter, guitarist Robert Lockwood, Jr., bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Fred Below.
In between touring, Brim operated dry-cleaning businesses and a record store. When the royalties from Van Halen’s recording of "Ice Cream Man" came through, they enabled him to open John Brim’s House of the Blues Broadway Nite Club in Chicago.
Brim continued to perform occasionally around Chicago, and was a regularly featured performer on the Chicago Blues Festival beginning in 1991.
He was tempted back into the recording studio again in 1989 to record four songs for the German Wolf label, and renewed interest in him finally led to his recording his first solo CD, Ice Cream Man, for Tone Cool Records in 1994. It received a W. C. Handy nomination as the best Traditional Blues Album of the Year.
Van Halen covered "Ice Cream Man" on their first album and David Lee Roth did the same on Diamond Dave. "Ice Cream Man" was also covered by Martin Sexton on his 2001 live double album, Live Wide Open.
Brim also appeared at the 1997 San Francisco Blues Festival.
He recorded again in 2000, 50 years after his recording debut, and continued to tour, playing in Belgium in 2001. One of his final appearances was at the 2002 Chicago Blues Festival.
Brim, who lived in Gary, Indiana remained active on the Chicago blues scene until his death, on 1 October 2003 at the age of 81. He is survived by seven daughters and two sons. One son predeceased him.
Whose Muddy Shoes
John Brim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, whose old muddy shoes I see?
Now, tell me whose
Baby, whose old muddy shoes I see?
They're down at the head of my bed, darling
Where my shoes outta be
My baby and I got along just fine
Until she went wrong.
Now, tell me whose
Baby, whose old muddy shoes I see?
Well, down at the head of my bed, darling
Where my shoes ought to be
Her hair was long and curly
And her teeth shine just like pearl
She wake up in the mornin'
She jump just like a squirrel
Now, tell me whose
Baby, whose old muddy shoes I see?
Well, they're down at the head of my bed, darling
Where my shoes ought to be
Now, when I love her in the mornin'
She always stay at home.
But, now she's gone and left me
She left me all alone
Now, tell me whose
Baby, whose old muddy shoes I see?
Well, they down at the head of my bed
Where my shoes ought to be
In John Brim's song Whose Muddy Shoes, he sings about his lover leaving him and questioning whose muddy shoes he sees at the head of his bed where his shoes ought to be. He is trying to find out who his lover has been with while he was sleeping. The muddy shoes represent someone else's presence in his lover's life. Brim is also comparing the shoes in his bed to the shoes that he used to wear, symbolizing how his lover has replaced him with someone else.
Brim also describes his lover in the song, with her long curly hair and pearl-like teeth. He mentions how she used to stay at home in the morning when they were together, but now that she's gone she has left muddy footprints in his life. This can be interpreted as her leaving a mess behind for him to clean up emotionally.
Overall, the song is a classic blues tune about a man being left by his lover and struggling to come to terms with it. The muddy shoes represent his misery and confusion, with the singer trying to understand who his lover has been spending time with since she left him.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me whose
Asking the identity of the owner of a pair of muddy shoes
Baby, whose old muddy shoes I see?
Addressing a baby and inquiring about whose muddy shoes are visible
Now, tell me whose
Asking again for the identity of the shoe owner
They're down at the head of my bed, darling
Noticing that the muddy shoes are located where his own shoes should be
Where my shoes outta be
Highlighting the fact that the muddy shoes have replaced his own in their usual location
My baby and I got along just fine
Explaining that he and his partner had a good relationship prior to the current situation
Until she went wrong.
Suggesting that something has gone awry with their relationship
I woke up in the mornin
Implies that it is morning and he has recently woken up
Her hair was long and curly
Describing some features of the woman in question
And her teeth shine just like pearl
Adding another detail about the woman's appearance
She wake up in the mornin'
Implying that the woman is also awake in the morning
She jump just like a squirrel
Comparing the woman's behavior or movements to that of a squirrel
Well, they're down at the head of my bed, darling
Reiterating that the muddy shoes are still in the same location as before
When I love her in the mornin'
Referring to previously having intimate relations with the woman in the morning
She always stay at home.
Indicating that the woman used to stay home after spending the night
But, now she's gone and left me
Implies that the woman has left him and the situation has changed
She left me all alone
Expressing that he is now without a partner
Well, they down at the head of my bed
Once again pointing out that the muddy shoes are still present where his own shoes should be
Where my shoes ought to be
emphasizing that the muddy shoes have taken the place of his own shoes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ELMORE JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
steven gallardo
After I saw the cover in the window of the record store , had to buy this one a million years ago...