Boogie Rambler
John Lee Hooker Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a boogie rambler
Boogie night and day
Oh baby, boogie night and day

My father was a rambler
And my mother too
Oh baby, boogie all night long
Oh baby, boogie all night long
I'm a boogie rambler
Boogie all the time

My dang ol' mother, she boogie too
Oh yeah, yeah she boogie too
She boogie so long, boogied all the time

Oh baby, chop me all the time
Oh baby, chop me all the time




Want you to chop me, baby
Chop me all night long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Rambler" describe the singer himself as a restless wanderer who never stops boogying. Hooker compares himself to his parents, describing them as ramblers who, like him, loved to keep moving and dancing. The song emphasizes the importance of dancing and enjoying life, as evidenced by the repeated refrain of "boogie all night long."


The lyrics also emphasize the power of music to bring people together and guide them through life's ups and downs. By incorporating his family into the song, Hooker suggests that dancing and music were an important part of his upbringing and identity. The repetition of the phrase "chop me" underscores this idea, as it suggests the steady rhythm of chopping wood or dancing to the beat of a song. Overall, "Boogie Rambler" is a joyful expression of the importance of dancing, music, and community in the human experience.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm a boogie rambler
I enjoy dancing and moving to boogie music


Boogie night and day
I love boogie music so much that I can dance to it at any time, day or night


Oh baby, boogie night and day
I'm telling my partner that I want to keep dancing to boogie music with them all the time


My father was a rambler
My dad was someone who didn't stick around in one place for too long


And my mother too
Just like my father, my mother also liked to move around and not stay in one place


Oh baby, boogie all night long
I'm asking my partner to dance to boogie music with me all night long


Boogie all the time
I can't get enough of boogie music and I want to dance to it constantly


My dang ol' mother, she boogie too
Even my mother loved to boogie to the music


Oh yeah, yeah she boogie too
I'm acknowledging how much my mother loved to dance to boogie music


She boogie so long, boogied all the time
My mother would dance to boogie music for an extended period of time without stopping


Oh baby, chop me all the time
I want my partner to continue dancing with me all the time


Oh baby, chop me all the time
I want my partner to continue dancing with me all the time


Want you to chop me, baby
I'm inviting my partner to dance with me in a specific way


Chop me all night long
I want my partner to keep dancing with me all night long in that specific way




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOOKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

mike 56

wow, great history, thanks for posting

randal godfrey

Boogie all the time!!!!!

randal godfrey

Boogie all the time!! bad ass!!!!!

More Versions