John Lee Hooker could be said to embody his own unique genre of the blues, often incorporating the boogie-woogie piano style and a driving rhythm into his masterful and idiosyncratic blues guitar and singing. His best known songs include "Boogie Chillen" (1948) and "Boom Boom" (1962).
There is some debate as to the year of John Lee Hooker's birth, 1915, 1917, 1920, and 1923 have all been cited, 1917 (the date on his grave marker in Oakland, California) is the one most commonly cited although Hooker himself claimed, at times, 1920.
Hooker was the youngest of the eleven children of William Hooker (1871–1923), a sharecropper and a Baptist preacher, and Minnie Ramsey (1875–?).
Hooker and his siblings were home-schooled. They were permitted to listen only to religious songs, with his earliest musical exposure being the spirituals sung in church.
In 1921, his parents separated. The next year, his mother married William Moore, a blues singer who provided John's first introduction to the guitar (and whom John would later credit for his distinctive playing style). The year after that (1923), John's natural father died; and at age 15, John ran away from home, never to see his mother and stepfather again.
He was a cousin of Earl Hooker,
Throughout the 1930s, Hooker lived in Memphis where he worked on Beale Street and occasionally performed at house parties. He worked in factories in various cities during World War II, drifting until he found himself in Detroit in 1948 working at Ford Motor Company. He felt right at home near the blues venues and saloons on Hastings Street, the heart of black entertainment on Detroit's east side. In a city noted for its piano players, guitar players were scarce. Performing in Detroit clubs, his popularity grew quickly, and seeking a louder instrument than his crude acoustic guitar, he bought his first electric guitar.
Though he stuttered slightly in his normal speech, he performed in a half-spoken style that became his trademark. Rhythmically, his music was free, a property common with early acoustic Delta blues musicians. His vocal phrasing was less closely tied to specific bars than most blues singers'. This casual, rambling style had been gradually diminishing with the onset of electric blues bands from Chicago but, even when not playing solo, Hooker retained it in his sound.
Hooker's recording career began in 1948 with the hit single, "Boogie Chillen" cut in a studio near Wayne State University.
Despite being illiterate, he was a prolific lyricist. In addition to adapting the occasionally traditional blues lyric (such as "if I was chief of police, I would run her right out of town"), he freely invented many of his songs from scratch. Recording studios in the 50s rarely paid black musicians more than a pittance, so Hooker would spend the night wandering from studio to studio, coming up with new songs or variations on his songs for each studio. Due to his recording contract, he would record these songs under obvious pseudonyms such as "John Lee Booker," "Johnny Hooker", or "John Cooker".
His early solo songs were recorded under Bernie Besman.
John Lee Hooker rarely played on a standard beat, changing tempo to fit the needs of the song. This made it nearly impossible to add backing tracks. As a result, Besman would record Hooker, in addition to playing guitar and singing, stomping along with the music on a wooden palette.
John Lee Hooker's guitar playing is closely aligned with piano Boogie Woogie. He would play the walking bass pattern with his thumb, stopping to emphasize the end of a line with a series of trills, done by rapid hammer-ons and pull-offs. The songs that most epitomize his early sound are "Boogie Chillen," about being 17 and wanting to go out to dance at the Boogie clubs, "Baby Please Don't Go," a more typical blues song, summed up by its title, and "Tupelo," a stunningly sad song about the flooding of Tupelo, Mississippi.
He maintained a solo career, popular with blues and folk music fans of the early 1960s and crossed over to white audiences, giving an early opportunity to the young Bob Dylan. As he got older, he added more and more people to his band, changing his live show from simply Hooker with his guitar to a large band, with Hooker singing.
In 1989 he joined with a number of musicians, including Keith Richards and Carlos Santana to record The Healer, which won a Grammy award — one of many awards.
He fell ill just before a tour of Europe in 2001 and died soon afterwards at the age of 83.
Hooker recorded over 100 albums and lived the last years of his life in San Francisco, California, where he licensed a nightclub to use the name Boom Boom Room, after one of his hits.
Among his many awards, John Lee Hooker has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 1991 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two of his songs, "Boogie Chillen" and "Boom Boom" were named to the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
John Lee recorded several songs with Van Morrison, including "Never Get Out of These Blues Alive", "The Healing Game" and "I Cover the Waterfront". He also appeared on stage with Van Morrison several times, some of which was released on the live album "A Night in San Francisco".
John Lee also recorded in the sixties with british blues band The Groundhogs. These recordings are still available as a CD "John Lee Hooker with The Groundhogs". More importantly, Hooker recorded with the Blues-rock outfit Canned Heat, delivering the album 'Hooker N' Heat' in 1971. Hooker was influential and topical even in his lifetime, as evidenced in the MC5 cover of "Motor City's Burning" on their first album, recorded almost immediately after the riots which are the song's topic.
The Waterfront
John Lee Hooker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watchin' the ship go by
I could see everybody's baby
But I couldn't see mine
I could see the ships pullin' in
To the harbor
I could see the people
Meeting their loved one
I sat there
So all alone
Coverin' the waterfront
And after a while
All the people
Left the harbor
And headed for their destination
All the ships
Left the harbor
And headed for their next destination
I sat there
Coverin' the waterfront
And after a while
I looked down the ocean
As far as I could see - in the fog
I saw a ship
It headed this way
Comin' out the foam
It must be my baby
Comin' down
And after a while
The ship pulled into the harbor
Rollin' slow
So triple (?)
And my baby
Stepped off board
I was still
Coverin' the waterfront
Said "Johnny,
Our ship had trouble - with the fog
And that's why we're so late
So late
Comin' home
Comin' down"
In the song "The Waterfront" by John Lee Hooker, the singer describes sitting alone and watching the ships and people at the harbor. Although he sees everyone else's loved ones being greeted, he cannot see his own. The imagery in the song is very powerful, painting a picture of desolation and despair. The repetition of the phrase "Coverin' the waterfront" reinforces the singer's feeling of being alone and forgotten.
As time passes, the people leave and the ships head out to their next destination. The singer remains alone, still covering the waterfront. However, in the fog, he sees a ship heading towards the harbor. He believes that his loved one is on board and waits eagerly for them to arrive. The ship finally pulls into the harbor and his lover steps off board. The song ends with the singer still watching the waterfront, but now he's no longer alone.
The song is a powerful depiction of loneliness and longing, and it captures the sense of despair that often comes with waiting for someone you love. The lyrics are simple but effective, and John Lee Hooker's haunting voice adds to the emotional power of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I cover the waterfront
I am watching the activity of the water at the harbor.
Watchin' the ship go by
I am observing the ships passing by at the harbor.
I could see everybody's baby
I could see everyone welcoming their loved ones.
But I couldn't see mine
I couldn't see my own loved one.
I could see the ships pullin' in
I could see the ships arriving at the harbor.
To the harbor
To the point where ships dock.
I could see the people
I could see people meeting their loved ones.
Meeting their loved one
Embracing the person they love.
Shakin' hand
Greeting each other with handshakes.
I sat there
I remained there.
So all alone
Feeling lonely and isolated.
And after a while
After some time.
All the people
Everyone at the harbor.
Left the harbor
Departed from the harbor.
And headed for their destination
Moved towards their destination.
All the ships
All the ships that were at the harbor.
Left the harbor
Departed from the harbor.
And headed for their next destination
Began their journey to the next port.
I sat there
I remained there.
And after a while
After some time.
I looked down the ocean
I looked towards the ocean.
As far as I could see - in the fog
I could only see as far as the fog allowed.
I saw a ship
I spotted a ship.
It headed this way
It was coming towards me.
Comin' out the foam
Emerging from the waves.
It must be my baby
I realized that it must be my loved one's ship.
Comin' down
Coming closer.
And after a while
After some time.
The ship pulled into the harbor
The ship arrived at the harbor.
Rollin' slow
Moving slowly.
So triple (?)
Unclear line meaning. Could be interpreted as describing the manner in which the ship arrived.
And my baby
My loved one.
Stepped off board
Disembarked from the ship.
I was still
I was still watching and waiting.
Coverin' the waterfront
Continuing to keep watch over the harbor and its activity.
Said "Johnny,
Someone addressed me by name.
Our ship had trouble - with the fog
The ship was delayed due to the foggy weather.
And that's why we're so late
Explained the reason for the delay.
Comin' home
Returning home.
Comin' down"
Arriving at the harbor.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN LEE HOOKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@howlingsandy
yes this one has that connection I usually share about so many levels we met on regarding my friend & mentor Howlin' Wolf ...good to have this available.. I remember sitting on a beach hill, near sunset....and saw a large naval carrier moving west from under the Golden Gate Bridge...west...west til it was a blur in the mist at the skyline's touching the farthest part of the ocean seen...by then I had I realized it was the very vessel carrying my father's ashes for dispersal at sea
@dorseyblack9833
@howlingsandy: This is sublimely visual and hauntingly beautiful. A most fitting and poetic tribute to your father such that we almost forget sadness entirely. Thank you.
@user-ks3ex3ml6x
That’s beautiful.
@johnspivey6318
I was 17 years old when I first heard John Lee Hooker. Many years later, in Atlanta, I heard him live one night in a small blues joint. He has an old song called NO SHOES that tells a story so deep with such simplicity that it is truly one of the most moving songs I have ever heard. I love this version of THE WATERFRONT. Such depth with just a guitar. Fabulous singer...absolutely fabulous.
@mgildersleeve
His touch makes roots. He lives on.
@DonDeering
His "Cry Before I Go" from the same period makes one of the most unforgettable intros I've ever heard. It pulls you right in to the song,
@BloozeDaddy76
John Lee is always at his best with just his voice and guitar with nothing else in the way. I'd love to see a concert video of him playing nothing but this kind of blues all night.
@pdolph1
Great pictures of Johnny, from young to senior. Johnny was always cool, without trying. Man he was so special. He has influenced many of today's rock stars and blues players. Young artist would do well to study John Lee Hooker as he was unique and he set the bar for many that followed. There is better equipment and perhaps better musicians today, but many of them cut their teeth on JLH. Thanks for sharing and John if you are watching. You have made my world a better place, and for this I thank you!
@mootle661
Love this track, especially this version of it. It only works as a solo. So atmospheric...
@mikeyhetfield
He just paints a landscape of emotions . his playing is above rational playing.