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.
Dust My Broom
John Hammond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gon' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room
I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
If I can't find her in West Helena, she must be in East Monroe, I know
I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
She's a no good doney, they shouldn't 'low her on the street
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
You can mistreat me here, babe, but you can't when I go home
And I'm gettin' up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom
And I'm gettin' up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom
Girlfriend, the black man that you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room
I'm gon' call up Chiney, she is my good girl over there
I'm gon' call up Chiney, she is my good girl over there
If I can't find her on Philippine's Island, she must be in Ethiopia somewhere
The song Dust My Broom by John Hammond is one of the most famous blues songs of all time, and it has been covered by countless artists over the years. The lyrics are simple, but the message is clear: the singer of the song is fed up with his girlfriend, who has been unfaithful to him, and he is ready to move on. In the first verse, he sings about how he is going to get up in the morning and "dust his broom," which is a metaphor for leaving his troubles behind and starting fresh. He then goes on to say that his girlfriend's new lover can have her, and that he is going to write letters and make telephone calls to try to find her.
In the second verse, the singer makes it clear that he doesn't want a woman who is promiscuous and sleeps with every man she meets. He refers to her as a "no good doney" and says that she shouldn't be allowed on the street. The third verse is probably the most interesting, as the singer announces that he is going to go back home, where he won't be mistreated. This is a common theme in blues songs, which often deal with themes of migration, displacement, and longing for home. Finally, in the last verse, the singer repeats the first verse, saying that he is going to get up in the morning and "dust his broom" again, and that his girlfriend's new lover can have her.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gon' get up in the mornin', I believe I'll dust my broom
I am going to wake up early in the morning and the first thing that I will do is to clean up my room/house.
Girlfriend, the black man you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room
The man you have been cheating on me with can have my room because I don't want to be involved with you anymore.
I'm gon' write a letter, telephone every town I know
I will write a letter and make phone calls to all the towns that I know of in order to locate my lost love interest.
If I can't find her in West Helena, she must be in East Monroe, I know
If I can't find her in one city, she must be in another city, and I am willing to go to any length to find her.
I don't want no woman, wants every downtown man she meet
I am not interested in being with a woman who is involved with multiple men and is not loyal to me.
She's a no good doney, they shouldn't 'low her on the street
She is a dishonest and untrustworthy person who should not be allowed to walk freely on the street.
I believe, I believe I'll go back home
I am considering returning to my hometown, where I will be treated better than I am being treated currently.
You can mistreat me here, babe, but you can't when I go home
I am being mistreated in my current location, but I know that I will not be mistreated in my hometown.
And I'm gettin' up in the morning, I believe I'll dust my broom
Tomorrow morning, just like every morning, I will clean up my room first.
Girlfriend, the black man that you been lovin', girlfriend, can get my room
The man you cheated on me with can have my room because I don't want anything to do with you anymore.
I'm gon' call up Chiney, she is my good girl over there
I am going to contact my trustworthy female friend named Chiney who lives in that area.
If I can't find her on Philippine's Island, she must be in Ethiopia somewhere
If I cannot locate my lost love interest in one place, she might be in another country like Ethiopia.
Contributed by Aubrey E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sense blossom xxx
Wonderful, ty for the upload. He is one of the greats