His style of modern electric blues was marked by its hypnotic modal guitar rhythms, backwoods singing style and nocturnal lyrics. He was a long-time associate of labelmate R.L. Burnside and the Burnside and Kimbrough families often collaborated on musical projects.
Junior Kimbrough was born in Hudsonville, Mississippi and lived in the North Mississippi Hill Country near Holly Springs. Kimbrough began playing guitar in his youth, and counted Lightnin' Hopkins as an early influence. In the late 1950s he began playing in his own style, which made use of mid-tempo rhythms and a steady drone he played with his thumb on the bass strings of his guitar. This style would later be cited as a prime example of regional north hill country blues. His music is characterized by the tricky syncopations between his droning bass strings and his mid-range melodies. His soloing style has been described as modal and features languorous runs in the mid and upper register. The result was described by music critic Robert Palmer as "hypnotic". In solo and ensemble settings it is often polyrhythmic, which links it explicitly to the music of Africa. Fellow North Mississippi bluesman and former Kimbrough bassist Eric Deaton has suggested similarities between Junior Kimbrough's music and Malian bluesman Ali Farka Touré's.
In 1966 Kimbrough traveled to Memphis, Tennessee from his home in North Mississippi and recorded for the R&B/gospel producer and owner of the Goldwax record label, Quinton Claunch. Claunch was a founder of Hi Records (whose entire catalog will be reissued by Fat Possum) and is known as the man that gave James Carr and O.V. Wright their start. Kimbrough recorded one session in one afternoon at American Studios. Claunch declined to release the recordings, deeming them too country. Forty some years later, Bruce Watson of Big Legal Mess Records approached Claunch to buy the original master tapes and the rights to release the recordings made that day. These songs were released by Big Legal Mess Records in 2009 as First Recordings. Kimbrough's debut release was a cover version of Lowell Fulson's "Tramp" released as a single on independent label Philwood in 1967. On the label of the record Kimbrough's name was spelled incorrectly as Junior Kimbell and the song "Tramp" was listed as "Tram?" The b-side was "You Can't Leave Me".
Among his other early recordings are two duets with his childhood friend, rockabilly musician, Charlie Feathers in 1969. Feathers counted Kimbrough as an early influence and Kimbrough gave Feathers some of his earliest lessons on guitar. Charlie Feathers called Kimbrough "the beginning and end of all music." This is written on Kimbrough's tombstone outside his family's church, the Kimbrough Chapel Missionary Baptist Church near Holly Springs.
Kimbrough recorded very little in the 1970s, contributing an early version of "Meet Me in the City" to a European blues anthology. With his band, the Soul Blues Boys, Kimbrough recorded again in the 1980s, releasing a single in 1982 ("Keep Your Hands Off Her" b/w "I Feel Good, Little Girl"). The High Water label recorded a 1988 session with Kimbrough and the Soul Blues Boys, releasing it in 1997 with his 1982 single as "Do The Rump".
Beginning around 1992, he operated a juke joint known as "Junior's Place" in Chulahoma, Mississippi, which attracted visitors from around the world, including members of U2 and The Rolling Stones. Kimbrough's sons, musicians Kinney and David Malone Kimbrough, kept it open following his death, until it burned to the ground on April 6, 2000.
Kimbrough came to national attention in 1992 with his debut album, All Night Long. Robert Palmer produced the album for Fat Possum Records, recording it in a local church with Junior's son Kent "Kinney" Kimbrough (aka Kenny Malone) on drums and R. L. Burnside's son Garry Burnside on bass guitar. The album featured many of his most celebrated songs, including the title track, the complexly melodic "Meet Me In The City," and "You Better Run" a harrowing ballad of attempted rape. All Night Long earned near-unanimous praise from critics, receiving four stars in Rolling Stone. His stock continued to rise the following year after live footage of him playing "All Night Long" in one of his juke joints appeared in the Robert Mugge directed, Robert Palmer narrated film documentary, Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads. This performance was actually recorded earlier in 1990.
A second album for Fat Possum, Sad Days, Lonely Nights, followed in 1994. A video for the album's title track featured Kimbrough, Garry Burnside and Kent Kimbrough playing in Kimbrough's juke joint. The last album he would record, Most Things Haven't Worked Out, appeared on Fat Possum in 1997. Following his death in 1998 in Holly Springs, Fat Possum released two posthumous compilation albums of material Kimbrough recorded in the 1990s, God Knows I Tried (1998) and Meet Me in The City (1999). A greatest hits compilation, You Better Run: The Essential Junior Kimbrough, followed in 2002. Fat Possum also released a tribute album, Sunday Nights: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough, in 2005, which featured Iggy & The Stooges (Kimbrough once toured with frontman Iggy Pop), The Black Keys and Mark Lanegan. The Black Keys have released an album composed entirely of covers of Junior's music, Chulahoma. Richard Johnston, a Kimbrough protégé, keeps this musical tradition alive with one of Junior's sons, via live performances on Beale Street in Memphis.
Junior Kimbrough died in 1998 following a stroke. He was the father of 36 children from various relationships.
Meet Me in the City
Junior Kimbrough Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I see everything is so fine
We'll get together now, Darling
Oh yeah, we will
We'll make everything all right
Oh Honey, don't
Right now
You got me, Baby
You got me, Girl
You got me where you want me, Baby
Now Girl, I know you are
Satisfied
You got me, Baby
You got me, Girl
You got me where you want me, Baby
Now Girl, I know you are
Satisfied
Yeah but there's one more thing I wanna tell you right now, Baby
Don't leave me, Girl
Please, please don't leave me right now
Right now
Sometimes I think I will, Baby
And then again my my my my my my my mind'll change
Yeah, sometimes I think I will, Baby
And then again my my my my my my my mind'll change
Ah tell me don't do it right now
Please, please don't leave me right now, right now
Ah ha, I love you, Girl
Yeah a yeah yeah yeah yeah
I love you, Babe
Please, please don't leave me right
Right now
In “Meet Me In The City”, Junior Kimbrough first seems to be inviting someone, possibly a lover, to come meet him in the city. He goes on to say, “We’ll get together now, Darling / Oh yeah, we will / We’ll make everything all right,” which suggests that the person he is addressing may be someone with whom he has had prior troubles. Kimbrough tries to persuade this person not to leave him, and goes on to say, “You got me where you want me, Baby / Now Girl, I know you are / Satisfied,” suggesting that he is fully committed to making things work in the relationship.
However, Kimbrough’s tone of pleading and desperation is highlighted when he says, “Sometimes I think I will, Baby / And then again my my my my my my my mind'll change.” Here, he acknowledges his own tendency to be indecisive and uncertain in the relationship. He seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to keep this person with him and avoid a breakup. The repetition of “Please, please don’t leave me right now” throughout the song suggests that this is the central concern that Kimbrough is grappling with in this song.
Interestingly, while the music and lyrics of “Meet Me In The City” sound like classic blues, Junior Kimbrough actually played a style of blues that was unique to his home region of the Mississippi Hill Country. His music was characterized by a steady, hypnotic rhythm that was propelled by an electric guitar and drums. Kimbrough was a highly influential figure in the blues world, and he became famous for his distinctive approach to the genre. In addition to his music, he was also known for his juke joint, which was a popular spot for both musicians and locals.
Line by Line Meaning
Meet me over in the city
Let's rendezvous in the city
And I see everything is so fine
I am content when I'm with you
We'll get together now, Darling
Let's spend time together, my love
Oh yeah, we will
I am confident that we will
We'll make everything all right
Being together will solve all our problems
Oh Honey, don't
Please don't go
Please, please don't leave me right now
I don't want to be without you, please stay
Right now
This instant
You got me, Baby
I am under your control, my love
You got me, Girl
You have power over me, my love
You got me where you want me, Baby
You have me exactly where you desire
Now Girl, I know you are
You must be content
Satisfied
Happy with our relationship
Yeah but there's one more thing I wanna tell you right now, Baby
I have something else to say to you, my love
Don't leave me, Girl
Please don't go, my love
Sometimes I think I will, Baby
Sometimes I think about leaving you
And then again my my my my my my my mind'll change
But I am unsure and change my mind
Ah tell me don't do it right now
Please don't leave me at this moment
Ah ha, I love you, Girl
I love you, my love
Yeah a yeah yeah yeah yeah
I strongly affirm my love for you
I love you, Babe
I am deeply in love with you
Right now
At this moment
Please, please don't leave me right
Stay with me, my love
Right now
At this instant
Contributed by Isaac L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ST-kr7hz
This is my favorite song of all time.
@pneu_8365
my second
@smoothoperator7023
Better than the acoustic version? 🤔
@lewiscarson3086
mine too. Amazing music
@C0SM1CDUD3
Legend.
@THESESSIONROOM
Truly lucky enough to be able to be friends and talk with Robert Kimbrough Sr whenever I need some guitar advice.. He's so down to earth and will answer you and anybody with your questions!!, he even personally wished my wife a happy bday this year!!.....even about POP(Junior) as he likes to call his Dad!❤ Duwayne Burnside is the same way!! God bless the Kimbroughs and Burnsides!
@strato6049
I’ve been listening to this since I was 17. Now I’m 23 and I’ve learned how to play it on an acoustic guitar. It always gives me goosebumps listening to Junior Kimbrough, there’s some pain and joy in his voice that my words will never be able to describe.
By far my favourite musician, you simply can’t get tired of his music. ❤
@jmacvoy2484
I think his voice lost a lot of its power after decades of drink
@martimar541
Played blues in Mississippi since 1965, understand all the delta guys, played up until 2019, but the northeast hill country blues was the last manifestation of blues in America. Burnside was there too! As a blues player for 30 years, playing live in Biloxi, Bay St, Louis, Waveland. Covington. Bogulousa, Jackson, Hattieshburg....R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough were the final, and best, manifestation of Mississippi Blues
@ericdahlstrom8180
Lucky enough to see him live,opening for iggy pop