Wold was born in Oakland, California. When he was four years old, his parents split up. His father played boogie-woogie piano and Wold tried to learn when he was five or six, but could not. At the age of eight, he learned to play the guitar from K. C. Douglas, who worked at his grandfather's garage, later realizing that he had been taught the blues. Douglas wrote the song "Mercury Blues" and had played with Tommy Johnson in the early 1940s. Wold left home at 13 to avoid abuse at the hands of his stepfather, and lived rough and on the road in Tennessee, Mississippi and elsewhere, until 1973. He would travel long distances by hopping freight trains, looking for work as a farm labourer or in other seasonal jobs, often living as a hobo. At various times, Wold worked as a carnie, a cowboy and a migrant worker. Paraphrasing H. L. Mencken, Wold described this time of his life by saying "Hobos are people who move around looking for work, tramps are people who move around but don't look for work, and bums are people who don't move and don't work. I've been all three."
When asked about his nickname, Wold has said: "because it's just true: I always get seasick". When he was ill on a ferry from Norway to Copenhagen, later in his life, a friend began playfully using the name and, despite Wold not rising to it for a while, it stuck. When asked about his name on British Sunday morning television show, Something for the Weekend, he replied, "I just get sick on boats". On Top Gear, when asked about his name, Wold replied "Well, I guess I just don't like boats!"
Wold made his first UK television appearance on Jools Holland's annual Hootenanny BBC TV show on New Year's Eve 2006. He performed a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the "Three String Trance Wonder" and the "Mississippi Drum Machine". After that show his popularity exploded in Britain, as he explained in an interview:
"I can't believe it, all of the sudden I'm like the cat's meow!"
He was well received in the UK, winning the 2007 MOJO Award for Best Breakthrough Act and going on to appear at major UK festivals such as Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury. In 2007 he played more UK festivals than any other artist.
Wold toured early in 2008, playing in various venues and festivals in the UK. He was joined on stage by drummer Dan Magnusson. KT Tunstall also dueted with Wold at the London Astoria in January 2008.[20] Wold also played many other festivals throughout the world in 2008, including Fuji Rock in Japan, East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival in Australia, also in April 2008,[21] and Roskilde in Denmark.
Wold's major-label debut, I Started Out with Nothin and I Still Got Most of It Left was recorded with Dan Magnusson on drums, was released by Warner Music on September 29, 2008, and features Ruby Turner and Nick Cave's Grinderman.
He has toured the UK extensively since 2007 being supported by Duke Garwood, Gemma Ray, The Sugars, Billie the Vision and the Dancers in January 2008, Amy LaVere in October 2008, Melody Nelson at the Brighton Dome on 7 October, and Joe Gideon & The Shark in January 2009. His tours in October 2008 and January 2009 were all sold out and included performances at the Royal Albert Hall, the Edinburgh Queen's Hall, the Grand Opera House in Belfast, the Apollo in Manchester, the City Hall in Newcastle and the London Hammersmith Apollo.
In 2009, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist, That same year, BBC Four broadcast a documentary of Wold visiting the southern USA entitled Seasick Steve: Bringing It All Back Home. On January 21, Wold hosted "Folk America: Hollerers, Stompers and Old Time Ramblers" at the Barbican in London, a show that was also televised and shown with the documentary on BBC Four as part of a series tracing American roots music.
In an interview with an Australian magazine, Wold attributes much of his unlikely success to his cheap and weather-beaten guitar, "The Trance Wonder" and reveals the guitar's mojo might come from supernatural sources. "I got it from Sherman, who is a friend of mine down in Mississippi, who had bought it down at a Goodwill store. When we were down there last time he says to me, 'I didn't tell you when you bought it off me, but that guitar used to be haunted'. I say, 'What are you talking about, Sherman?'. He says, 'There’s 50 solid citizens here in Como who'll tell you this guitar is haunted. It's the darnedest thing – we’d leave it over in the potato barn and we'd come back in and it would be moved. You'd put it down somewhere and the next morning you’d come back and it would have moved. When you took that guitar the ghost in the barn left'. He told me this not very long ago and I said to him, 'Sherman! Why didn't you tell me this before?' and he said, 'Well the ghost was gone – I didn't want it around here no more!'"
On January 3, 2010, Wold appeared on the popular BBC motoring show Top Gear as the Star In A Reasonably Priced Car. He was the last star to drive in the blue Chevrolet Lacetti.
In February 2010, Wold was nominated for a Brit Award in the category of International Solo Male Artist for the second consecutive year.
In 2010, Wold made numerous festival appearances throughout the summer, including the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, the main stage at V Festival, the main stage at the Hop Farm Festival and many more.
In February 2011, Wold signed to Play It Again Sam to release his new album with the exception of the US, where it will be released on Third Man Records. Subsequently his new album You Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks was released on his new labels and it was announced that former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones had played on the new album, and performed alongside Wold to promote it.
On 16 August 2014 he was the headline act at Beautiful Days in Exeter, UK, and on the 24th August he headlined at 'Victorious Festival' in Southsea, Portsmouth, UK.
Seasick Boogie
Seasick Steve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For your listenin’ pleasure
Ha!
This here a song that’s called the seasick boogie
I don’t know why I call it that
Just come out that way
I kind alike this next part comin’ up here
Alright, here it come now
Now here the boogie part
Hear what I’m sayin?
Seasick boogie
Yeah, the seasick boogie
Yeah, the seasick boogie
Yeah, the seasick boogie
When I young
All the things I done
Rolled in one
Make me
Who I am
Who I am
The seasick boogie
Yeah, the seasick boogie
Oh, the seasick boogie
Yeah, the seasick boogie
Alright, break it down now
Break it down now
Yeah, the seasick boogie
Come on and boogie
Seasick Steve's song Seasick Boogie has a simple, repetitive structure that is typical of a blues song. The lyrics talk about a 3-string trance boogie that is played for the listeners' pleasure. The song's title is an interesting one as it does not have any direct reference to the lyrics. It is not about being seasick or anything related to being on a boat or in the sea. It is just a catchy title that sets the tone for the song.
The lyrics are autobiographical as they talk about the things the singer has done in his youth that have made him who he is. The repetition of the line, "Who I am" emphasizes the importance of the singer's past experiences in shaping his identity. When the song breaks down, the focus shifts again to the boogie, and as the singer urges the listeners to "Come on and boogie," he invites them to join him on this musical journey, which is all about feeling the music and letting go.
Line by Line Meaning
Here come another 3-string trance boogie
I am about to perform a 3-string trance boogie for your listening pleasure.
This here a song that’s called the seasick boogie
The name of this song is the seasick boogie, and I'm not sure why I named it that.
I don’t know why I call it that
I don't have a specific reason as to why I gave this song its name.
Just come out that way
I named it that way because it just naturally came out that way as I was writing it.
It comin’ pretty soon
The next part of the song is coming up soon.
Now here the boogie part
Now it's time for the boogie portion of the song.
Seasick boogie
This repetitive phrase is the title of the song and a nod to its bluesy boogie sound.
Yeah, the seasick boogie
Repeating the song's title with emphasis to keep the rhythm going.
Hear what I’m sayin?
Asks listeners if they are following along so far.
When I young
Reflecting on his youth.
All the things I done
Remembering everything he accomplished and experienced in his younger years.
Rolled in one
All of his youthful experiences combined have contributed to who he is as a person today.
Make me
His childhood and youth have shaped who he has become, and he feels grateful for that.
Who I am
He is acknowledging that everything he went through has formed his identity.
Alright, break it down now
Asking the listener to focus as he goes into a quieter part of the song.
Come on and boogie
Urging the listener to dance along and enjoy the music.
Contributed by Liliana F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kort Green
As a sailor for 30 yrs. I can definitely relate to this song! Steve is da Mann!
Liam Mawer
One of the best songs he's done, genius.
Unscarred
this guy did understand everything..
Lasse Herskind
i like how he's written ''seasick'' on the guitar head -lugalbanda
Nate Smith
here come the boogie part... cool song! thanks for posting
Anne O Connor
I love this man
at bob Dylan concert in limerick Ireland seen Steve for first time way way better than bob Dylan
Max Allan
He's gettin down to da bone...YESSAH ..
Colin M
this guy i soooo good
bza069
godam that is some groovy shit !!
JAZZY JAZZY
merci beaucoup un fan de france