West gained fame the world over during his long career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to this day. West earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers. During his career, he recorded or played with a litany of rock icons including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited West as an important influence on their own music.
West's bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he was at once gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. When discussing his music projects, he exuded an infectious enthusiasm and excitement. Such projects could take him outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.
In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.
West was a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group, Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass Guitar.
Spoonful
Leslie West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could fill spoons full of gold
Just a little spoon of your precious love
Will satisfy my soul
Men lies about it
Some of them cries about it
Some of them dies about it
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
Could fill spoons full of coffee
Could fill spoons full of tea
Just a little spoon of your precious love
Is that enough for me?
Men lies about it
Some of them cries about it
Some of them dies about it
Every thing's a fightin' about the spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon
Could fill spoons full of water
Save them from the desert sands
But a little spoon of your forty five
Saved you from another man
Men lies about it
Some of them cries about it
Some of them dies
Every thing's a fightin' about it
Every thing's a cryin' about it
Every thing's a, everything's a dyin' about it
Every thing's a cryin' about it
Every thing's a lyin' about it
Spoonful, spoonful
Everybody's a dyin' about it
Alright just tryin' about it
That spoon, that spoon, that
Little a spoon, little a spoon, little a
Litte a spoon, little a spoon, little a spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
Every thing's a dyin' about it, yea
The song "Spoonful" written by Willie Dixon and performed by Leslie West is a blues-rock classic that is famously known for its ambiguity. The song has been covered by various artists, including Cream, Howlin' Wolf, Grateful Dead, and even Jimi Hendrix. The lyrics revolve around the desire for love and the addiction to it. The singer of the song compares love with different things that are precious, like diamonds, gold, coffee, tea, and water. However, the mood of the song takes a darker turn when the singer asserts that everything revolved around the spoonful of love, and people are lying, crying, and dying over it. The last part of the song emphasizes the importance of being careful about the love you give, as it can save you from another man.
The song's lines are simple, yet they carry a lot of depth that is open to interpretation. The spoonful mentioned in the song is often associated with drug use, but the songwriter Willie Dixon, in an interview, mentioned that it refers to the same thing, whether it's love or dope, an addiction that can make you do anything for it. The song metaphorically portrays that the love we seek can be as addictive and harmful as drug addiction. The line "Every thing's a fightin' about the spoonful" points towards how love can create chaos and turn people against each other.
Interestingly, the song has a long history of copyright battles, as Dixon's original song was altered and sampled by various artists, leading to disputes. It is said that he won a lawsuit against Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," which was inspired by "Spoonful" and used its melody. Despite the controversies, "Spoonful" has been praised for its simple yet powerful lyrics that portray the complexities of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Could fill spoons full of diamonds
Your lover's love is so valuable that it is worth as much as spoons filled with diamonds.
Could fill spoons full of gold
Your lover's love is so precious that it is worth as much as spoons filled with gold.
Just a little spoon of your precious love
Even a small amount of your lover's love is enough to bring happiness and satisfaction to one's soul.
Will satisfy my soul
Your lover's love is the one thing that can completely satisfy and fulfill one's soul.
Men lies about it
Many people deceive others about the importance and value of love.
Some of them cries about it
Some people cry over the pain caused by love, whether from loss or unrequited love.
Some of them dies about it
Some people give their lives in the pursuit or defense of love.
Every thing's a fightin' about the spoonful
Many people argue and compete over the value and importance of love.
That spoon, that spoon, that spoonful
The importance and value of love is emphasized by repeating the phrase 'that spoonful.'
Could fill spoons full of coffee
Your lover's love is worth as much as spoons filled with coffee.
Could fill spoons full of tea
Your lover's love is worth as much as spoons filled with tea.
Is that enough for me?
Even a small amount of your lover's love is enough for one's happiness and fulfillment.
Could fill spoons full of water
Your lover's love is so crucial that it is worth as much as spoons filled with water, which is necessary for survival.
Save them from the desert sands
Your lover's love can help one overcome difficult, barren times just like water can save someone lost in a desert.
But a little spoon of your forty five
Even a small amount of your lover's affection and support can save one's life like a .45 caliber pistol can in a dangerous situation.
Saved you from another man
Your lover's love and protection can keep you safe and away from potential harm or danger from other people.
Every thing's a cryin' about it
Many people lament and cry over the pain and difficulties caused by love or the lack thereof.
Every thing's a, everything's a dyin' about it
The pain and difficulties caused by love or the lack thereof can lead people to feel like they are dying or experiencing emotional pain.
Spoonful, spoonful
This phrase is repeated to emphasize the ongoing importance of love throughout the song.
Everybody's a dyin' about it
This phrase highlights the universal nature of the importance and impact of love on everyone's lives.
Alright just tryin' about it
Despite the pain and difficulties caused by love, people still strive to find it and make it work in their lives.
Little a spoon, little a spoon, little a spoonful
The phrase 'little a spoon' emphasizes the small but crucial nature of love on people's lives.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bflo1000
And STILL the KING of heavy blues.
bodhi heeren
Interesting how different we can hear things, I think it's a great version and a fitting tribute to his old WBL partner, the late great Jack Bruce
Michael Ervin
what an awesome version! the best
outside of wheels of fire
1 bear & Assoc.
There was no such thing as an iPhone when this was recorded in 1988. The musicianship is stunning. Was fortunate to have seen WB&L two times at the Orpheum in Boston before they disbanded in 1974.
Richard Hilton
i LOVE this!
Tom Pease
It's a raw and powerful leslie west version of cream classic it has its place in rock history too
eric fernald
Willie Dixon song
Mike Harrison
@eric fernald Yes, but Cream did the song justice on the Wheels of Fire album. Best version for us freaks to this day....👍
Tom Pease
@Mike Harrison you are right the cream version is the best
mark castillo
This version is on Theme..killer song and rendition. IMHO, better than Clapton