Although critically acclaimed, John Hammond has had only moderate commercial success. Nonetheless, he enjoys a strong fan base and has earned respect from the likes of John Lee Hooker, Roosevelt Sykes, Duane Allman, Robbie Robertson, and Charlie Musselwhite, all of whom have contributed their musical talents to Hammond's records. In addition, he is the only person who ever had Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in his band at the same time, even if it was only for five days in the 1960s when Hammond played the Gaslight Café in New York. To his regret, they never recorded together.
John Hammond has had a longstanding friendship with songwriter Tom Waits, and has performed Waits' songs on occasion. In 2001, he released Wicked Grin, an album entirely of Tom Waits compositions. Waits himself provided guitar work and backing vocals as well as producing the project.
2. John Hammond was a old time banjo player from the 1920's. He recorded the bluegrass classic 'Little Birdie' in 1925.
Ain't That Loving You Baby
John Hammond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Know I love ya babe?
Know I love ya babe?
But you don't even know my name
Let me tell ya baby
I'll tell ya what I would do
I would rob, steal, kill somebody
Ain't that lovin' ya, baby?
Ain't that lovin' ya, babe?
Ain't that lovin' ya, babe?
But you don't even know my name
Let me tell ya baby
Don't sound like it's true
They could drop me in the ocean
I'd swim to the bank
An' crawl home ta you
Ain't that lovin' ya baby?
Ain't that lovin' ya babe?
Ain't that lovin' ya baby?
But you don't even know my name
They may kill me baby, bury me like they do
My body might lie but my spirit gonna rise
And come home to you
Ain't that lovin' ya baby?
Ain't that lovin' ya babe?
Ain't that lovin' ya baby?
But you don't even know my name
The lyrics to John Hammond's "Ain't That Loving You Baby" are a testament to how much the singer loves someone who doesn't even know his name. It's a song about unrequited love and the lengths one might go to for the person they love. The repeated line "Know I love ya babe?" emphasizes this feeling of wanting to be acknowledged by the person they love.
The singer goes on to say that he would do anything to get back home to the person he loves, including robbing, stealing, or killing. This may sound extreme, but it shows how deeply he loves this person and how important they are to him. The singer repeats the question "Ain't that lovin' ya, baby?" throughout the song, as if in disbelief that someone could love another so much without getting anything in return.
In the final verse, the singer acknowledges that they may be killed or even buried, but their spirit will always rise and come home to the person they love. This signifies that their love is eternal and will never falter, even in the face of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Know I love ya babe?
Do you realize how much I love you?
But you don't even know my name
Despite my love for you, you are unaware of my identity
I'll tell ya what I would do
Let me explain my devotion to you
I would rob, steal, kill somebody
I would go to any extreme to be with you
Just ta get back home ta you
So I could return to your side
Ain't that lovin' ya, baby?
Isn't that the ultimate expression of love?
Don't sound like it's true
You may doubt my sincerity
They could drop me in the ocean
Even if I were faced with certain death
I'd swim to the bank
I would swim to safety for the chance to be with you
An' crawl home ta you
I would crawl back to you on my hands and knees
They may kill me baby, bury me like they do
Even if death fells me, I won't stop longing for you
My body might lie but my spirit gonna rise
My physical existence may cease, but my soul will always seek you out
And come home to you
I will always return to you
Contributed by Levi O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.