One commentator noted that Burnside, along with Big Jack Johnson, Paul "Wine" Jones, Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes and James "Super Chikan" Johnson, were "present-day exponents of an edgier, electrified version of the raw, uncut Delta blues sound."
Early life and career
Burnside was born in Harmontown, Mississippi, in Lafayette County. He spent most of his life in North Mississippi, working as a sharecropper and a commercial fisherman, as well as playing guitar at weekend house parties. He was first inspired to pick up the guitar in his early twenties, after hearing the 1948 John Lee Hooker single, "Boogie Chillen" (which inspired numerous other rural bluesmen, among them Buddy Guy, to start playing). He learned music largely from Mississippi Fred McDowell, who lived nearby in an adjoining county. He also cited his cousin-in-law, Muddy Waters, as an influence.
During the 1950s, Burnside grew tired of sharecropping and moved to Chicago in the hope of finding better economic opportunities. But things did not turn out as he had hoped. Within the span of one year his father, brother, and uncle were all murdered in the city, a tragedy that Burnside would later draw upon in his work, particularly in his interpretation of Skip James's "Hard Time Killing Floor" and the talking blues "R.L.'s Story", the opening and closing tracks on Burnside's 2000 album, Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down.
Around 1959, he left Chicago and went back to Mississippi to work the farms and raise a family. Burnside was convicted for murder and sentenced to six months' incarceration (in Parchman Prison) for the crime. Burnside's boss at the time reputedly pulled strings to keep the murder sentence short, due to having need of Burnside's skills as a tractor driver. Burnside later said "I didn't mean to kill nobody ... I just meant to shoot the sonofabitch in the head. Him dying was between him and the Lord."
His earliest recordings were made in the late 1960s by George Mitchell and released on Arhoolie Records. Another album of acoustic material was recorded that year and little else was released before Hill Country Blues, in the early 1980s. An album's worth of singles followed, released on ethnomusicology professor Dr. David Evans' Highwater Records record label in Memphis, Tennessee.
Later life and career
In the 1990s, he began recording for the Oxford, Mississippi, label Fat Possum Records. Founded by Living Blues magazine editor Peter Redvers-Lee and Matthew Johnson, the label was dedicated to recording ageing North Mississippi bluesmen such as Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. Burnside remained with Fat Possum from that time until his death, and he usually performed with his friend and understudy, the slide guitarist Kenny Brown, with whom he began playing in 1971 and claimed as his "adopted son."
Burnside attracted the attention of Jon Spencer, the leader of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, touring and recording with this group and gaining a new audience in the process.
After the death of Kimbrough and the burning of Kimbrough's juke joint in Chulahoma, Mississippi, Burnside quit recording studio material for Fat Possum, though he did continue to tour. After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.
Members of his large extended family continue to play blues in the Holly Springs area: grandson Cedric Burnside tours with Kenny Brown and most recently with Steve 'Lightnin' Malcolm as part of the 'Juke Joint Duo', while his son Duwayne Burnside has played guitar with the North Mississippi Allstars (Polaris; Hill Country Revue with R. L. Burnside). Duwayne's solo career began when "Duwayne Burnside and the Mississippi Mafia" recorded "Live At the Mint" in October 1997. Members included Cedric Burnside, Eddie Batos, Joe Hill from Alien Ant Farm, and David Kimbrough, Jr. (Junior Kimbrough's son) with Duwayne's father sitting in on a few tracks. Duwayne and the Mississippi Mafia released "Under Pressure" in March 2005, which was recorded at Delta Studios in Clarksdale, Mississippi featuring Jimbo Mathus, rhythm guitar (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Roy Cunningham on drums (Stax Sessions), and Burnside's son Garry Burnside on bass guitar. In 2004, the Burnside sons opened Burnside Blues Cafe, located 30 miles southeast of Memphis at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Mississippi Highway 7 in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
In January 2006, Garry and Cedric released The Record under the moniker "Burnside Exploration".
Death
Burnside had been in declining health since heart surgery in 1999. He died at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on September 1, 2005 at the age of 78.[4] Services were held at Rust College in Holly Springs [which is also where services were held for his friend, Junior Kimbrough, who died in 1998], with burial in the Free Springs Cemetery in Harmontown. Around the time of his passing, he resided in Byhalia, Mississippi and his immediate survivors included:
His wife: Alice Mae Taylor Burnside (married 1951); died November 16, 2008
Daughters: Mildred Jean Burnside, Linda Jackson, Brenda Kay Brooks, and Pamela Denise Burnside;
Sons: Melvin Burnside, R.L. Burnside Jr., Calvin Burnside, Joseph Burnside, Daniel Burnside, Duwayne Burnside, Dexter Burnside, Garry Burnside, and Rodger Harmon
Sisters: Lucille Burnside, Verelan Burnside, and Mat Burnside
Brother: Jesse Monia
35 Grandchildren
32 Great-Grandchildren
Style
Burnside had a powerful, expressive voice and played both electric and acoustic guitars (both with a slide and without). His drone-based style was a characteristic of North Mississippi hill country blues rather than Mississippi Delta blues. Like other country blues musicians, he did not always adhere to 12- or 16-bar blues patterns, often adding extra beats according to his preference. He called this "Burnside style" and often commented that his backing musicians needed to be familiar with his style in order to be able to play along with him.
His earliest recordings, like those of John Lee Hooker, sound very similar in their vocal and instrumental style. Many of his songs do not have chord changes, but use the same chord or repeating bass line throughout, giving his music a hypnotic feel. His vocal style is characterized by a tendency to "break" into falsetto briefly (usually at the ends of long notes).
Like the bluesman T-Model Ford, Burnside utilized the stripped-down element of his music, playing up the rawness, emphasizing his image as a lifelong hard-drinking man, and singing songs of swagger and rebellion. Burnside collaborated in the late 1990s with The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion on the album A Ass Pocket of Whiskey. Consequently, he gained the attention of many within this underground music scene, cited as an influence by Hillstomp[9] and covered on record by The Immortal Lee County Killers. Burnside's "Skinny Woman" was also interpolated into the song "Busted" by fellow Fat Possum musicians The Black Keys, a band associated with the punk blues scene in their early years.
He also knew many toasts (African American narrative folk poems such as "Signifying monkey" and "Tojo Told Hitler") and frequently recited them between songs at his live concerts and on his recordings.
Selected albums
First Recordings (recorded in the late 1960s by George Mitchell; re-released by Fat Possum Records in 2003)
Too Bad Jim (produced in 1992 by Robert Palmer)
Well, Well, Well (songs and interviews from 1986-1993, released in 2001 on MC Records)
A Ass Pocket of Whiskey (1996, featuring the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion)
Mr. Wizard (1997)
Acoustic Stories (1997)
My Black Name A-Ringin' (1999)
Burnside on Burnside (a critically acclaimed 2001 live album recorded in the Crystal Ballroom on Portland, Oregon's Burnside Street)
Come On In, Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down, and A Bothered Mind (three albums of remixed material, often featuring guest artists, released in 1998, 2000 and 2004, respectively)
Films
Deep Blues: A Musical Pilgrimage to the Crossroads (1991). Directed by Robert Mugge
American Patchwork: Songs and Stories of America, part 3: "The Land Where the Blues Began" (1990). Written, directed, and produced by Alan Lomax; developed by the Association for Cultural Equity at Columbia University and Hunter College. North Carolina Public TV; A Dibb Direction production for Channel Four. This is a lightly re-edited version of "The Land Where the Blues Began" (1978) made by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long in Association with Mississippi Authority for Educational Television
You See Me Laughin': The Last of the Hill Country Bluesmen (2003; released by Fat Possum Records in 2005). Produced and directed by Mandy Stein. Oxford, Mississippi: Plain Jane Productions, Inc; Fat Possum Records.
In popular culture
The 2007 Samuel L. Jackson / Christina Ricci film, Black Snake Moan is infused with countless Burnside nods, including: the Reverend R. L. character and when Jackson plays the blues toward the end of the film, he thanks "Ced" and "Kenny" - Cedric Burnside (Burnside's grandson) and Kenny Brown (Burnside's "adopted son"), who were primary sidemen through the 1990s and early 2000s. Cedric and Kenny are also part of Jackson's band in the juke joint scene.
"It's Bad You Know," and "Shuck Dub" were featured in the HBO series The Sopranos.
"Got Messed Up" was featured in the FX series Rescue Me during an opening montage on Season 5 Episode 18, "Carrot".
A Burnside poster can be seen on a wall in brothers Drake and Josh's room in the Nickelodeon sitcom, Drake & Josh.
Heat
R.L. Burnside Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yea
Always tryin to do the most shit
Uhn
Go to sleep wit my heat yea
Wake up and I fill my cup wit Lean yea
If I was broke she wouldn't fuck wit me yea
But just like Zaytoven I'm gon beat yea
They tried to knock me off my grind but I stayed focus
And when I ride gotta cock the nine gotta stay loaded
Cause even when the black hot as fire You gon see some cold shit
I'm staying in motion I'm sippin this potion
Gotta watch off for ya niggas it's always the closest
Them niggas be hating on me forever I'm toting
If a nigga run up on me you know that I'm going in
If a nigga run up on me I'm hittin em wit the beam
I'm smokin on this purple it's lookin just like the lean
I ain't have a pot to piss in no dollars inside my jeans
They'll smile up in ya face but it really ain't what it seem
Tryna make a million tryin to feed my children
My bitch got long hair she don't need Brazilian
Came up a long way I'm still building
You can say you don't care but I know you feel it
Go to sleep wit my heat yea
Wake up and I fill my cup wit Lean yea
If I was broke she wouldn't fuck wit me yea
But just like Zaytoven I'm gon beat yea
These hating Niggas always tryin to do the most shit
They tried to knock me off my grind but I stayed focus
And when I ride gotta cock the nine gotta stay loaded
Cause even when the black hot as fire You gon see some cold shit
Go to sleep wit my heat yea
Wake up and I fill my cup wit Lean yea
If I was broke she wouldn't fuck wit me yea
But just like Zaytoven I'm gon beat yea
These hating Niggas always tryin to do the most shit
They tried to knock me off my grind but I stayed focus
And when I ride gotta cock the nine gotta stay loaded
Cause even when the black hot as fire You gon see some cold shit
The song "Heat" by R.L. Burnside speaks about the constant struggle for survival in the dangerous streets. The opening lines reflect a sense of urgency and the need for being prepared for the worst situations. The lines "Always tryin to do the most shit" portrays how people in the streets are competing to show that they are the toughest and the most fearless. The next two lines "Go to sleep wit my heat yea, Wake up and I fill my cup wit Lean yea" illustrates how the singer's life is constantly threatening, and he carries a gun at all times to protect himself. He also mentions using Lean, a purple drank mixed with Sprite and cough syrup, to cope with the stress of his life. The next line "If I was broke she wouldn't fuck wit me yea" indicates how the singer believes that money plays a significant role in determining people's level of affection.
In the next part, the singer talks about how his haters try to bring him down and how he stays focused on his grind despite the obstacles. The line "Cause even when the black hot as fire You gon see some cold shit" exemplifies how the life in the streets is unpredictable and dangerous. In the third section, the singer talks about his general philosophy of staying in motion and being cautious of people who are around him. He makes it clear that he is willing to protect himself if he needs to, and he has no qualms about using his gun if someone threatens him. The overall message of the song "Heat" is about the challenges of living in the streets and the need to stay alert and safe at all times.
Line by Line Meaning
Uhn
Expressing a grunt or a brief, guttural sound.
Yea
An affirmative response or an exclamation of enthusiasm.
Always tryin to do the most shit
People are always trying to exceed the expectations or overdo things.
Go to sleep wit my heat yea
Go to bed with my gun, for protection.
Wake up and I fill my cup wit Lean yea
Starting the day by drinking cough syrup (often mixed with soda or candy) to get high.
If I was broke she wouldn't fuck wit me yea
If I didn't have money, she wouldn't be with me.
But just like Zaytoven I'm gon beat yea
I'm gonna succeed and come out on top, just like the successful music producer Zaytoven.
These hating Niggas always tryna do the most shit
These jealous people are always trying to exceed expectations or overdo things.
They tried to knock me off my grind but I stayed focus
They tried to interfere with my progress, but I remained concentrated and dedicated to my work.
And when I ride gotta cock the nine gotta stay loaded
When I'm out and about, I keep my gun loaded and ready, in case I need to protect myself.
Cause even when the black hot as fire You gon see some cold shit
Even in situations when things seem heated or intense, you may encounter something unexpected or difficult to deal with.
I'm staying in motion I'm sippin this potion
I'm keeping busy and productive, while also drinking lean (cough syrup) to get high.
Gotta watch off for ya niggas it's always the closest
You need to be careful and alert around the people you're closest to, as they may be the ones who harm you or hate on your success the most.
Them niggas be hating on me forever I'm toting
Those people have always hated on me, so I carry my gun for protection/safety.
If a nigga run up on me you know that I'm going in
If someone approaches me aggressively or tries to mess with me, I'm going to fight back or get revenge.
If a nigga run up on me I'm hittin em wit the beam
If someone approaches me aggressively, I will use my gun against them.
I'm smokin on this purple it's lookin just like the lean
I'm smoking weed that resembles the purple color of the cough syrup I drink to get high.
I ain't have a pot to piss in no dollars inside my jeans
I didn't have any money or assets to my name.
They'll smile up in ya face but it really ain't what it seem
People may seem friendly and supportive, but in reality, they're not looking out for your best interests.
Tryna make a million tryin to feed my children
I'm working hard to achieve success and provide for my family.
My bitch got long hair she don't need Brazilian
My girlfriend has natural long hair, and doesn't need to have it styled or chemically straightened.
Came up a long way I'm still building
I've come a long way in my career and personal life, but I'm still working on improving and growing.
You can say you don't care but I know you feel it
You may claim to not care or be affected by something, but I know that deep down, you do feel it.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Lenard Hopkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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