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.
Come On In My Kitchen
John Hammond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Ah, the woman I love, took from my best friend
Some joker got lucky, stole her back again
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Oh ah, she's gone, know she won't come back
I've taken the last nickel out of her nation sack
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
When a woman gets in trouble, everybody throws her down
Lookin' for her good friend, none can be found
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
Winter time's comin', it's gon' be slow
You can't make the winter, babe, just drive a little slow
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
You better come on in my kitchen
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
The lyrics to John Hammond's "Come On In My Kitchen" are a testament to the pain and heartache caused by lost love. The singer is clearly reeling from the loss of his paramour, who was taken from him by one of his friends. The man is clearly devastated, and he mentions that he's taken the last dollar from his lover's "nation sack," indicating he may have been left financially destitute as well.
In the face of all of this, the singer is inviting the listener into his kitchen, suggesting that it's about to rain outdoors. While many interpretations of this phrase are possible, it could be seen as an invitation for the listener to come in and provide some comfort to the singer, who is clearly in a dark place.
The final verse makes mention of winter coming, and the suggestion that the listener drive a little slower. This could be interpreted as a plea not to rush to judgment or to rush to action – that sometimes, it's important to take things slow and steady in order to fully process the emotions that come with loss.
Overall, John Hammond's "Come On In My Kitchen" is a powerful testament to the pain of lost love, and the ways in which we can try to cope with it.
Line by Line Meaning
You better come on in my kitchen
You should come into my personal space where I am vulnerable
It's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
There are difficult times coming
Ah, the woman I love, took from my best friend
My significant other betrayed me by leaving me for my close friend
Some joker got lucky, stole her back again
Someone else swooped in and won back my lover from my best friend
Oh ah, she's gone, know she won't come back
My loved one has left me and I realize they won't return
I've taken the last nickel out of her nation sack
I received all of the money from their possessions
When a woman gets in trouble, everybody throws her down
When a woman is going through tough times, others abandon her
Lookin' for her good friend, none can be found
Even when she tries to seek help, there is no one there for her
Winter time's comin', it's gon' be slow
Harder times are on the horizon
You can't make the winter, babe, just drive a little slow
You can't control the hardships coming your way, but you can try to prepare and take things slower
Contributed by Adalyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
baldwaller
You can't go wrong with John Hammond. Pure feeling, sweat and grit.
T4TEXASTOM JOHNNYCAT
I don't care much for Clapton's brand of rock music, but he's great at playing Robert Johnson. But IMO, John Hammond is no question the greatest
singer/guitarist of Robert Johnson's music.🎸
THANKS FOR POSTING THIS VIDEO.
Deborah Reid
love this man!
Barry Shankman
Bringing the heart and Soul to the moment
Steve Tessier
My oldest most treasured friend and teacher.John is the finest most kind human being.
Mattigrooves
That’s nice, Mate. Johnny’s one of my hero’s. Please tell him how he’s changed & improved my life with his music @mattigrooves x
Jeffrey Anderson
John Hammond is the consummate blues performer.
Didier Labat
Si JH n'a pas le blues, je ne vois pas qui d'autres. Magnifique !!!
STRATMAN firdaus
Amazing
A Nautical Gate
If I had not lucked upon his cover of "Mellow down Easy" ,decades ago, would be late to the party .