His guitar playing is noted for its dark, minor-key sound, played in an open D-minor tuning with an intricate finger picking technique. James first recorded for Paramount Records in 1931, but these recordings sold poorly, having been released during the Great Depression, and he drifted into obscurity.
After a long absence from the public eye, James was "rediscovered" in 1964 by blues enthusiasts, helping further the blues and folk music revival of the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, James appeared at folk and blues festivals, gave concerts around the country and recorded several albums for various record labels. His songs have influenced generations of musicians and have been adapted by numerous artists. He has been hailed as "one of the seminal figures of the blues.
James was described as aloof and moody. The musicologist Dick Spottswood commented, "Skip James, you never knew. Skip could be sunshine, or thunder and lightning depending on his whim of the moment".
James is sometimes associated with the Bentonia School, which is either a subgenre of blues music or a style of playing it. Calt, in his 1994 biography of James, I'd Rather Be the Devil: Skip James and the Blues, maintained that no style of blues originated in Bentonia and that the "Bentonia School" is simply a notion of later blues writers who overestimated the provinciality of Mississippi during the early 20th century, when railways linked small towns, and who failed to see that in the case of Jack Owens, "the 'tradition' he bore primarily consisted of musical scraps from James' table". Owens and other musicians who may have been contemporaries of James were not recorded until the revival of interest in blues music in the 1960s. Whether the work of these musicians constituted a "school" and whether James originated it or was a member of it remain open questions.
All Night Long
Skip James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it's all night long, mama, Lord, if it's all night long
If you ain't got no hay, mama, better be on your way
If you ain't got no hay, mama, Lord, you better be on your way
Hitch on my pony, mama, saddle my black mare
You'll find me ridin', mama, Lord, in the world somewhere
In the world somewhere, in the world somewhere
You'll find me ridin', mama, Lord, in the world somewhere
If you haven't any hay, mama, let's go down the road
If it's all night long, if it's all night long
If it's all night long, mama, if it's all night long
Get your bucket and your basket, let's go to the wood
Don't find no berries, mama, Lord, got to make lovin' good
If it's all night long, if it's all night long
If it's all night long, mama, if it's all night long
Make me one pallet, mama, make it on the floor
Make it calm and easy, mama, Lord, so nobody'll never know, never...
Nobody'll never know, nobody'll never...
Make it calm and easy, mama, Lord, so nobody'll never...
If it's all night long, if it's all night ...
If it's all night long, if it's all night long
Give me one key, mama, to your back door
You'll never be bothered, baby, with me on the front no more
Oh never, never, never, never no more
You will never be bothered, baby, with me on the front no more
If it's all night long, if it's all night ...
If it's all night long, if it's all night long
The song "All Night Long" by Skip James is a blues song, typical of the early 20th-century rural blues style. The lyrics of this song suggest a possibility of a sexual encounter between the singer and the person they address as "mama." The first two lines are repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the desire of the singer to continue the activity "all night long." The lyrics suggest a tone of urgency and restlessness that is common in blues songs. The singer urges the addressee to leave if they don't have any hay, or to come with them, and let's go down the road.
The lyrics also suggest impatience and a lack of resources, as the singer proposes to go to the woods without any specific idea of finding anything. They just want to spend the night together, and it seems that the lack of hay or any food is not important. Later in the song, the singer suggests making a pallet on the floor, presumably for sleeping, in a calm and easy way, so nobody will know. The final verse suggests the possibility of repeated encounters, as the singer asks for a key to the back door, so they can enter unnoticed, and the addressee can avoid being "bothered" with them on the front door anymore.
Overall, the song's lyrics are suggestive and imply a sexual encounter without being explicit. They reflect the rural, poor, and restless life of the early 20th century in the American South.
Line by Line Meaning
If it's all night long, mama, if it's all night long
The singer is asking if they can continue the activity all night long.
If you ain't got no hay, mama, better be on your way
If you don't have the resources to continue, you should leave.
Hitch on my pony, mama, saddle my black mare
The singer is preparing to ride off on his horses.
You'll find me ridin', mama, Lord, in the world somewhere
The artist will be riding around aimlessly in the world.
If you haven't any hay, mama, let's go down the road
If you don’t have what you need, let's go find it down the road.
Get your bucket and your basket, let's go to the wood
The singer is asking his partner to go to the woods and gather food.
Don't find no berries, mama, Lord, got to make lovin' good
If they can’t find food, they have to make love.
Make me one pallet, mama, make it on the floor
The artist wants his partner to make a bed for him on the floor.
Make it calm and easy, mama, Lord, so nobody'll never know, never...
They should make the bed discreetly so no one knows what they are doing.
Give me one key, mama, to your back door
The artist is asking for access to his partner's back door.
You'll never be bothered, baby, with me on the front no more
If given access, the singer will not bother his partner at the front door anymore.
If it's all night long, if it's all night long
The artist is reiterating his desire to continue the activity all night long.
Writer(s): Uli John Roth, Klaus Meine Copyright: Ed. Arabella Musik Muenchen
Contributed by Chloe D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
van city
This is my favorite Skip James song. Incredible guitar picking and haunting voice. It should have more views.
CROSS the STREET PORTLAND OREGON
Blues runs through his soul!
Raphael Nicolas
Essa música entra em meu espírito e não tem como sentir o cheiro da lembrança, posso até estar só agora, mas que eu vivi, eu vivi! :')
Wyatt Bridgman
Best blues player I've come across by far.
TheBrandon425
He captures the haunting aspect as well as anyone.
ponczarrdo
Wybitna nuta !
startervisions
Coolest sounding vocals ever
Nathan Golliher
His music is terrifying! .......in the most beautiful way of course
The Brazilian Atlantis
A song about getting laid, how terrifying.
Cole McLaughlin
forgot all about this til tonight. love it so much. bless skip