32
Robert Johnson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I send for my baby, and she don't come
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure can't help her none

And if she gets unruly, thinks she don't wan' do
If she gets unruly and thinks she don't wan' do
Take my 32-20, now, and cut her half in two
She got a .38 special but I believe it's most too light
She got a .38 special but I believe it's most too light
I got a 32-20, got to make the caps alright

If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Hot Springs sure can't help her none

I'm gonna shoot my pistol, gonna shoot my gatling gun
I'm gonna shoot my pistol, gotta shoot my gatling gun
You made me love you, now your man have come

Ah-oh, baby, where you stayed last night?
Ah-ah, baby, where you stayed last night?
You got your hair all tangled and you ain't talking right

Her .38 special, boys, it do very well
Her .38 special, boys, it do very well
I got a 32-20 now, and it's a-burning

If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
If I send for my baby, man, and she don't come
All the doctors in Wisconsin sure can't help her none

Hey, hey, baby, where you stayed last night?
Hey, hey, baby, where you stayed last night?
You didn't come home until the sun was shining bright

Ah-oh boy, I just can't take my rest




Ah-oh boy, I just can't take my rest
With this 32-20 laying up and down my breast

Overall Meaning

"32-20 Blues" is a song by Robert Johnson, which is a prime example of a "homicidal blues." The song is about a man who threatens to kill his unfaithful lover. He claims that if he sends for her and she doesn't come, no doctor will be able to help her. In the second verse, he talks about using his gun to threaten her if she becomes unruly. In the chorus, he emphasizes the fact that he has a 32-20 gun and he can use it to solve his problems. The third verse is about the woman's unfaithfulness and he questions where she was the previous night. In the final verse, the singer is restless because of the 32-20 gun that he has on his chest.


The song is a fusion of both folk and blues music, and it consists of a simple melody and raw, direct lyrics. The song's lyrics are seen as a representation of Robert Johnson's life, which included being betrayed by many women. The use of the number "32-20" refers to a specific type of handgun cartridge that was popular among musicians during Johnson's time. In most cases, when blues musicians use the term "32-20," they are referring to a type of gun or ammunition.


Line by Line Meaning

If I send for my baby, and she don't come
If I call my lover and she doesn't show


All the doctors in Hot Springs sure can't help her none
None of the doctors in this town can heal her


And if she gets unruly, thinks she don't wan' do
If she's being difficult and refuses to cooperate


Take my 32-20, now, and cut her half in two
I'll use my gun to threaten her into obeying me


She got a .38 special but I believe it's most too light
Her gun isn't powerful enough to stop me


I'm gonna shoot my pistol, gonna shoot my gatling gun
I'll use any weapon I have to get revenge


Ah-oh, baby, where you stayed last night?
Hey girl, where were you last night?


You got your hair all tangled and you ain't talking right
You look like you've been up to no good


Her .38 special, boys, it do very well
Her gun is effective for her purposes


I got a 32-20 now, and it's a-burning
I have a fierce desire to use my gun


All the doctors in Wisconsin sure can't help her none
Even if she goes to another state, she can't escape me


Hey, hey, baby, where you stayed last night?
Hey girl, where were you last night?


You didn't come home until the sun was shining bright
You stayed out all night


Ah-oh boy, I just can't take my rest
I can't relax or sleep


With this 32-20 laying up and down my breast
I'm constantly thinking about my gun and the power it brings




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@harrisonmccartney4878

Decades before the advent of double tracking, and Robert Johnson made his one guitar sound like two. What an absolute talent.

@paulwaynejohnson2274

He is playing lead guitar and rhythm guitar at the same time and singing on top of that. Wow.

@__igor__

The devil is the second guitar

@TheRealDadfad

It's called finger-style alternating bass. The thumb plays the bass/rhythm on the 4, 5 and 6 strings while the index (sometimes other fingers) picks out the treble-lines. Think of it as if your fret-board is split down the middle, three strings on each side, the thumb plays one side the index (or other fingers) the other. Johnson's tunes can be done with a thumb and one finger (with occasional thumb-finger pinches, etc. It's a bit difficult to learn the technique, but not ridiculously so. In the scheme of the playing that style, Johnson's stuff isn't that difficult compared to some. (Listen to some Blind Blake or Bo Carter if you really want to hear some tremendous playing in that style.)

@wavewithus4081

@TheRealDadfad yeah his stuff is honestly surprisingly easy to play nowadays tho. If you can play some pop songs or are just past beginner guitar phase you can play learn his entire catalogue by heart in a few days.

It's fun stuff! You can't do wrong with blues bass and some chromatic lines

@TheRealDadfad

@Dikke lip johnny . His stuff isn't that difficult for someone who has already accomplished a fair degree of fingerstyle and alternating-bass skills, but I highly doubt "if you can play some pop songs or are just past beginner guitar phase you can play learn his entire catalogue by heart in a few days." The vast majority of guitarists play with a pick, especially beginners, and Johnson's (or any country-blues guitarists') stuff can't be played using a pick. You could strum along through the chord changes I guess, but that wouldn't be playing it anywhere near authentically. Additionally, besides standard tuning, Johnson played in two altered tunings (possibly three, it's debated if he played "Hellhound on My Trail" in Open-E or in Open-Em (Skip James' style) since it can be played identically in either tuning.) and frequently capoed into another key. How many pop song players or those who are just past beginner can play anything in altered and open tunings or are even aware of them for that matter? (Dropped-D one-finger metal barre-chords don't count.)

So maybe someone with little skill or experience can strum along with his tunes, but that's not really playing them anywhere near the way Johnson played them. And I'm really not aware of any "chromatic lines" in any of Johnson's work. Or even minor-pentatonic (basic blues-scale) lines for that matter. His stuff is done in alternating or drop-thumb bass utilizing chord-frags.

I've been playing guitar for well over fifty years. I found it much easier to learn to play Hendrix than to play Robert Johnson.

4 More Replies...

@simplethunder

In a week. Perhaps in a month, perhaps in half a year, you'll come back to one of Robert's songs, and you won't know why, but you will want to hear it again.

@BodhiBushido

I'm well aware of why I want to hear Robert Johnson songs...

@bluephalanx

perhaps in 8 years time

@danmoran485

Sometimes, a cold bed beats a hot one.

More Comments

More Versions