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.
Sweet Home Chicago
John Hammond Lyrics
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Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
I'm heavy-loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go
Cryin' baby, honey don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
Now two and two is four, four and two is six
You gonna keep monkeyin' 'round here friend-boy
You gonna get your business all in a trick
But I'm cryin' baby, honey don't you wanna go?
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
Now six and two is eight, eight and two is ten
Friend-boy, she trick you one time, she sure gonna do it again
But I'm cryin' hey, baby don't you want to go?
To the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
I'm goin' to California, from there to Des Moines, Iowa
Somebody will tell me that you need my help someday
Cryin', hey hey, baby don't you want to go?
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
"Sweet Home Chicago" was written and performed by Robert Johnson in 1936 but John Hammond made it famous in 1940 through his recording of the song. The lyrics of the song convey feelings of homesickness and longing for one's hometown. The song begins on a high note, expressing the urgency of the desire to go, stating "oooh, baby don't you want to go?" twice immediately followed by "back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago?" It seems the singer has been away from his homeland for too long and is pleading with his lover to come with him. The following verse shows the singer's readiness and the circumstances that require his departure. The third verse mentions the singer's concerns that temptations and deceptions in the current locale could ruin everything. The fourth and final verse reinforces the desire to return to Chicago, but it also hints at a sense of duty to help those back home someday while on his journey.
One interesting fact about this song is that the "land of California" mentioned in it, is not the actual destination since Chicago is in Illinois, but it is believed to be a reference to the California Avenue, which is a major street in Chicago. Another interesting fact is that, despite its title, "Sweet Home Chicago" has mixed emotions towards Chicago. It refers to Chicago as both a "sweet home" and a place that makes the singer cry. Another fascinating fact is that this song has been covered by numerous artists such as The Blues Brothers, Eric Clapton, and Buddy Guy, among many others. Furthermore, the Chicago Cubs baseball team has used the song since the mid-1980s as their victory song. They regularly play it at Wrigley Field when the Cubs win a game, emphasizing the association of the song to Chicago.
The guitar chords to John Hammond's version of "Sweet Home Chicago" are E, A, and B7.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, baby don't you want to go?
Do you not want to go with me?
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
Let's return to my hometown of Chicago via California
Now one and one is two, two and two is four
Basic math tells us that adding numbers together gives us a sum
I'm heavy-loaded baby, I'm booked, I gotta go
I am very busy and have many obligations to attend to
Cryin' baby, honey don't you want to go?
Are you not upset about our current situation?
Now two and two is four, four and two is six
Again, adding numbers together will give us a sum
You gonna keep monkeyin' 'round here friend-boy
If you continue to be lazy, you will not be successful
But I'm cryin' baby, honey don't you wanna go?
Despite my workload, I still want to go home
Now six and two is eight, eight and two is ten
Once again, addition is the key to finding the sum
Friend-boy, she trick you one time, she sure gonna do it again
If you let someone deceive you once, they will likely do it again
But I'm cryin' hey, baby don't you want to go?
I am still yearning to return home
To the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
Let's get back to Chicago via the scenic route of California
I'm goin' to California, from there to Des Moines, Iowa
My route will take me from California to Des Moines, Iowa
Somebody will tell me that you need my help someday
I am confident that someday, I will be needed to provide assistance
Cryin', hey hey, baby don't you want to go?
I am still pleading for my companion to come with me
Back to the land of California, to my sweet home Chicago
My beloved hometown of Chicago and its sweet environs are calling me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEON RUSSELL, MARC BENNO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind