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.
Long Distance Call
R.L. Burnside Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Terlalu banyak rasa rindu yang tersimpan
Untuk ko yang jauh disebrang lautan
Dermaga su pisah katong pu pandangan
Dan malam ini sa rindu pelukan
RAPPER
Banyak waktu berlalu dalam penantian selalu sa rasakan
Saat ko jauh saat sendiri sa hanya bisa tuk berangan
Kapan sa polo kapan sa dekap koi lebih erat
Masih tergambar jelas malam terakhir tong berpisah
Ko tetes air mata bilang sayang jang ko pigi
Tetap disini tetap disisi temani sa hingga datang pagi
Tra boleh nakal kalo su jauh disana
Ingat kas kabar jang gantung sa deng kerinduan
Yes beb ah, sa trakan mungkin tuk lupakan
Sedetik pun hanya ko dalam ingatan
Kerinduan ini pun jadi satu alasan
Bahwa tra ada yang sanggup untuk gantikan
Ko dalam sa pu pelukan
Hingga maut yang akan memisahkan
CHORUS
Terlalu banyak rasa rindu yang tersimpan
Untuk ko yang jauh disebrang lautan
Dermaga su pisah katong pu pandangan
Dan malam ini sa rindu pelukan
IMPROV
Kini hanya malam pisah sa pu rindu
Namun lewat mimpi tong dua tetap bersatu
RAPPER
Yeah memang jarak membatasi
Namun sa harap ko pu senyum tetap selalu menghiasi
Sa pu hari-hari saat rindukan ko
Sa pu malam sunyi saat ingin ko
Tra pernah lelah dalam penantian panjang
Setiap detik waktu menunggu ko kembali pulang
Dari awal hingga akhir
Sa janji sa pu cinta untuk ko trakan pernah berakhir
Dalam diam sampaikan untaian kata rindu yang tak terucap
Berharap ko pu cinta kembali datang menetap
Mengisi sa pu hati lengkapi sa pu hari dalam suka duka
Canda tawa dan air mata setiap musim berganti
Tetap menanti karena di sa pu hati
Hanya ko pu nama selamanya
CHORUS
Terlalu banyak rasa rindu yang tersimpan
Untuk ko yang jauh disebrang lautan
Dermaga su pisah katong pu pandangan
Dan malam ini sa rindu pelukan
CHORUS
Terlalu banyak rasa rindu yang tersimpan
Untuk ko yang jauh disebrang lautan
Dermaga su pisah katong pu pandangan
Dan malam ini sa rindu pelukan
OUTRO
Sa dekap koi
Jang ko pigi tetap disini
Ingat tra boleh ko nakal
Sa tra mungkin tuk lupakan
The lyrics to R.L. Burnside's song "Long Distance Call" convey a deep sense of longing and separation between two individuals who are physically distant from each other. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the overwhelming feelings of missing someone who is far away across the ocean. The imagery of the pier where they last parted ways and the desire for their embrace highlight the ache of being apart.
In the rap verse, the singer reflects on the passing of time and the constant waiting they endure, facing the reality of being alone and dreaming of when they can finally hold their loved one close. Memories of tearful goodbyes and the struggle to stay faithful and patient while apart are vividly described. The distance only intensifies their longing and strengthens their resolve to remain faithful despite the challenges.
The improvisational section shifts the focus to the nighttime, where their longing reaches its peak, but in dreams, they find solace in the idea of uniting once again. The rapper acknowledges the limitations imposed by distance but remains hopeful that the other person's smile will continue to brighten their days and nights, bringing comfort amidst the separation.
Throughout the song, there is a persistent theme of unwavering devotion and commitment to love despite the physical distance. The singer's dedication to waiting and their belief that their love will endure until the end is unwavering. The unspoken words of yearning, the hope for a return of affection, and the anticipation of sharing both joys and sorrows underscore the depth of their emotions and their willingness to wait indefinitely.
As the song comes to a close, the outro reaffirms the singer's pledge to hold on to their memories and love, promising to stay faithful and remember the importance of their connection no matter how far apart they may be. The lyrics capture the bittersweet nature of long-distance relationships, showcasing the resilience and enduring power of love in the face of separation and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Terlalu banyak rasa rindu yang tersimpan
There are too many feelings of longing that are kept inside
Untuk ko yang jauh disebrang lautan
For you who are far across the ocean
Dermaga su pisah katong pu pandangan
The dock separates our views
Dan malam ini sa rindu pelukan
And tonight, I long for your embrace
Banyak waktu berlalu dalam penantian selalu sa rasakan
Many times have passed in constant waiting
Tentang perasaan saat sa hadapi kenyataan
About the feelings when facing reality
Saat ko jauh saat sendiri sa hanya bisa tuk berangan
When you're far away and I'm alone, I can only daydream
Kapan sa polo kapan sa dekap koi lebih erat
When can I hug you more tightly
Masih tergambar jelas malam terakhir tong berpisah
The last night we parted is still vivid
Ko tetes air mata bilang sayang jang ko pigi
You shed tears and say you love me when you left
Tetap disini tetap disisi temani sa hingga datang pagi
Stay here, stay by my side, accompany me until morning comes
Tra boleh nakal kalo su jauh disana
Don't misbehave when you're far away there
Ingat kas kabar jang gantung sa deng kerinduan
Worried about the news that hangs with longing
Yes beb ah, sa trakan mungkin tuk lupakan
Yes, it might be hard for me to forget
Sedetik pun hanya ko dalam ingatan
Even for a moment, it's only you in my memory
Kerinduan ini pun jadi satu alasan
This longing becomes one reason
Bahwa tra ada yang sanggup untuk gantikan
That no one can replace you
Ko dalam sa pu pelukan
You in my embrace
Hingga maut yang akan memisahkan
Until death separates us
Kini hanya malam pisah sa pu rindu
Now it's just a night of separation, my longing
Namun lewat mimpi tong dua tetap bersatu
But through dreams, we two remain united
Yeah memang jarak membatasi
Yeah, distance limits us
Namun sa harap ko pu senyum tetap selalu menghiasi
But I hope your smile always decorates
Sa pu hari-hari saat rindukan ko
My days when I miss you
Sa pu malam sunyi saat ingin ko
My silent nights when I want you
Tra pernah lelah dalam penantian panjang
Never tired of the long wait
Setiap detik waktu menunggu ko kembali pulang
Every second waiting for you to come back
Dari awal hingga akhir
From beginning to end
Sa janji sa pu cinta untuk ko trakan pernah berakhir
I promise that my love for you will never end
Dalam diam sampaikan untaian kata rindu yang tak terucap
In silence, convey unspoken words of longing
Berharap ko pu cinta kembali datang menetap
Hoping your love will come back and stay
Mengisi sa pu hati lengkapi sa pu hari dalam suka duka
Filling my heart, completing my days in joy and sorrow
Canda tawa dan air mata setiap musim berganti
Laughter, tears, every changing season
Tetap menanti karena di sa pu hati
Still waiting because in my heart
Hanya ko pu nama selamanya
Only your name forever
Sa dekap koi
I hug you
Jang ko pigi tetap disini
Whoever you go, stay here
Ingat tra boleh ko nakal
Remember not to behave badly
Sa tra mungkin tuk lupakan
I might not be able to forget
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Anggi R. Mantutu
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard D Martinez
🦋❤️🔥⚡️💰🎼💰⚡️❤️🔥🦋