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.
I Believe
R.L. Burnside Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ev'ry minute, ev'ry hour I believe.
I believe in myself 'cause I know
I get my help from the power in the sky,
I believe.
No need askin' where I've been just ask me where I'm goin'
I won't be ashamed to tell ya, I live my life knowin'
Ev'ry step so heavenly ya fall and bounce right up
All miracles and dreams realize for me through faith
Nothing seems impossible now if you believe.
I believe in the power and I never, ever doubt.
Ev'ry minute, ev'ry hour I believe.
I believe in myself 'cause I know
I get my help from the power in the sky,
I believe.
Lookin' in the mirror, I can see my eyes are glowin'
Living testimony that the spirit's in me flowin'.
Oh, I'm feelin' so good, got to raise my hands and rejoice
Say a few words to praise him ev'rytime I lift my voice.
All miracles and dreams realize for me through faith
Nothing seems impossible now if you believe.
I believe in the power and I never, ever doubt.
Ev'ry minute, ev'ry hour I believe.
I believe in myself 'cause I know
I get my help from the power in the sky,
"I Believe" by R.L. Burnside is a song that revolves around the theme of faith and the belief in something greater than oneself. Burnside sings about his unwavering belief in the power and how he never doubts it. He believes that every minute and every hour, the power is with him. Burnside believes in himself and knows that all his help comes from the power in the sky. This power, which he believes in, gives him the strength to face the challenges of life.
In the second verse, Burnside talks about not being ashamed of where he has been as long as people ask him where he is going. He lives his life believing that all the roads ahead of him are filled with peace and love. He also believes that every step he takes will be heavenly and even if he falls, he will bounce right up. Burnside's belief in miracles and dreams is what keeps him going, and he knows that everything is possible if you believe.
In the final verse, Burnside looks in the mirror and sees his eyes glowing. He feels the spirit flowing in him and knows that he is a living testimony of it. He raises his hands to rejoice and praises the power every time he lifts his voice. Burnside believes that all his miracles and dreams come true through faith, and nothing seems impossible now that he believes.
Overall, "I Believe" is an uplifting song that emphasizes the importance of faith and belief in oneself. Burnside's lyrics encourage listeners to stay strong in their beliefs because everything is possible if they believe in the power that is with them.
Line by Line Meaning
I believe in the power and I never, ever doubt.
I have great faith in a higher power and I never question or doubt its existence or ability to help me.
Ev'ry minute, ev'ry hour I believe.
My faith is a constant presence in my life and I am always aware of it, no matter the time or place.
I believe in myself 'cause I know
I have confidence in myself and my abilities because I know that I am helped by the power above.
I get my help from the power in the sky,
I receive assistance and guidance from a higher power that comes from the heavens.
No need askin' where I've been just ask me where I'm goin'
My past experiences do not define me, only my future direction and intentions matter.
I won't be ashamed to tell ya, I live my life knowin'
I have no shame or hesitation in saying that I live my life with a strong sense of purpose and faith.
All the roads ahead of me are filled with peace and love
I approach my future with optimism and a belief that the journey ahead will be filled with positivity, harmony, and compassion.
Ev'ry step so heavenly ya fall and bounce right up
Every step I take feels like I am walking on a cloud, and even if I stumble, I have the power to bounce back.
Lookin' in the mirror, I can see my eyes are glowin'
When I look at myself, I can see a spark of divinity within me, radiating with energy and life.
Living testimony that the spirit's in me flowin'.
My existence and actions serve as proof that I have a strong connection to a spiritual force that guides and motivates me.
Oh, I'm feelin' so good, got to raise my hands and rejoice
I am overcome with a feeling of euphoria and celebration, and I express it physically by raising my hands and praising the higher power.
Say a few words to praise him ev'rytime I lift my voice.
I take every opportunity to express gratitude and praise to the higher power for the blessings and guidance I receive.
All miracles and dreams realize for me through faith
I have witnessed and experienced incredible things in my life, and I attribute them to my unwavering faith.
Nothing seems impossible now if you believe.
With a strong faith, I believe that anything is attainable and that no challenge is insurmountable.
I believe in the power and I never, ever doubt.
This statement is repeated to reinforce the strength and conviction of my faith.
Ev'ry minute, ev'ry hour I believe.
Again, this line emphasizes the constant presence and unwavering nature of my faith.
I believe in myself 'cause I know
This line repeats to remind the listener that my confidence in myself stems from my belief in a higher power.
I get my help from the power in the sky,
This line reiterates that my assistance and guidance come from a higher power above.
I believe.
The song ends with this simple yet powerful declaration of my unwavering faith.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Captive
The guitar playing here is immaculate
Michael Julius
love RL ... PLEASE POST MORE