Read Full Bio ↴Slim Harpo (11 January 1924 โ 31 January 1970) was a blues musician.
Born James Moore in Lobdel, Louisiana, the eldest in an orphaned family, Moore worked as a longshoreman and building worker during the late 1930s and early 1940s. One of the foremost proponents of post-war rural blues, he began performing in Baton Rouge bars under the name Harmonica Slim. He later accompanied Lightning Slim, his brother-in-law, both live and in the studio, before commencing his own recording career in 1957.
Named Slim Harpo by producer Jay Miller, the artist's solo debut coupled "I'm A King Bee" with "I Got Love If You Want It". Influenced by Jimmy Reed, he began recording for Excello and enjoyed a string of popular R&B singles which combined a drawling vocal with incisive harmonica passages. Among them were "Rainin' In My Heart" (1961), "I Love The Life I Live", "Buzzin'" (instrumental) and "Little Queen Bee" (1964). On these hits he was accompanied by understated electric backing from the regular stable of Excello musicians โ including Lazy Lester, whom Harpo influenced.
The singer was known as one of the masters of the blues harmonica; the name "Slim Harpo" was a humorous takeoff on "slim harp," the popular nickname for the harmonica in blues circles.
Harpo was the point man of the 1950s Louisiana Swamp/Blues movement. Harpo, along with Lightning Slim, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, and a dozen other downhome artists recorded for A&R man J.D. Miller in Crowley, Louisiana. The records were then issued on the Excello label, based in Nashville.
Harpo's relaxed, almost lazy, performances set the tone for his subsequent work. His warm, languid voice enhanced the sexual metaphor of "I'm A King Bee", which was later recorded by the Rolling Stones. The same group also covered the pulsating "Shake Your Hips", which Harpo first issued in 1966, while the Pretty Things, the Yardbirds and Them featured versions of his songs in their early repertoires. Later, the riff from Harpo's hit "Shake Your Hips" was used in the ZZ Top hit "La Grange," and the Rolling Stones covered the song on their 1972 album, Exile On Main Street. Harpo enjoyed a notable US Top 20 pop hit in 1966 with "Baby Scratch My Back" (also a number 1 R&B hit), which revitalized his career.
Never a full-time musician, Harpo had his own trucking business during the 1960s, although he was a popular figure in the late 1960s blues revival, with appearances at several renowned venues including the Electric Circus and the Fillmore East. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack on 31 January 1970 at the age of 46, and was buried in Mulatto Bend Cemetery in Port Allen, Louisiana.
Baby Scratch My Back
Slim Harpo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't know where to scratch
Come here baby
Scratch my back
I know you can do it
So baby, get to it
Aw, you're workin with it now
Little bit to the center now, baby
Hmm-mmm!
This little girl sho' knows how to scratch
Now, you're doin' the chicken-scratch
Aw, it's lookin' good, baby
Just gettin' scratchy
That's what I'm talkin' about
The lyrics to Slim Harpo's song "Baby Scratch My Back" seem to be about a man who has an itch that he cannot seem to scratch. He calls upon his lover to come and scratch his back for him, telling her that he knows she can do it. As she begins to scratch his back, he starts to feel good, and he instructs her to scratch a little bit harder in the center. He compliments her on how well she is able to scratch and makes note of the dance moves that she is doing while scratching, calling it the chicken-scratch.
The overall tone of the song suggests that it is a playful and lighthearted one, with the lyrics being somewhat suggestive in nature. The phrase "scratch my back" could be interpreted as a euphemism for another type of physical pleasure between two people. However, the way the lyrics are sung and the melody of the song make it easy to overlook the suggestive undertone of the lyrics, and just enjoy it for the upbeat and catchy tune that it is.
Line by Line Meaning
Aw, I'm itchy
I am uncomfortable and need to scratch myself.
And I don't know where to scratch
I am unsure which area needs to be scratched.
Come here baby
I am calling my partner to come closer.
Scratch my back
Please use your hand to provide relief by scratching my back.
I know you can do it
I believe in your ability to scratch my back properly.
So baby, get to it
Please begin scratching my back now.
Aw, you're working with it now
You have successfully started scratching my back.
You got me feeling' so good
The sensation of your scratch is making me feel much better.
Little bit to the center now, baby
Please focus on scratching the middle of my back now.
Hmm-mmm!
Expressing satisfaction or pleasure.
This little girl sho' knows how to scratch
My partner is particularly adept at scratching my back.
Now, you're doin' the chicken-scratch
The manner in which you are scratching my back resembles the dance known as the chicken-scratch.
Aw, it's lookin' good, baby
The scratching is going well and providing the desired relief.
Just gettin' scratchy
The scratching is becoming more intense and is providing further relief.
That's what I'm talkin' about
This is exactly the kind of scratching I was hoping for.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aretha White
My mom loves this song โค๏ธ and so do I!!!! Go on with your bad self, Slim Harpo!!!! RIP ๐๐ข. I love these old songs ๐. Much love from Bunn North Carolina ๐!!!!!! Have a happy Thanksgiving ๐. Peace out for now.
A.B.
I play this for my wife every time i want my back scratched.....she knows how to do it, so she gets right to it.
fluid wings
talk abt, your subtle hints.
M H
Lucky you... โก๏ธ
Sandy K
Oh yeah! Loving this tune, especially the harmonica player
Jared White
Slim Harpo on vocals, harmonica, guitar.
Truth_ isBeauty
That's some mighty fine back-scratching dancing to Slim's great harp playing music. He was a stand-alone harmonica genius.
Sandra Butler
One of my all time favorites growing up, my Mom had this on a 45 oh how I Miss the Good Old Days!!!!๐ค
Ethan Hill
My grandparents played constantly this record. I recall the guitar and harmonica playing here whenever I hear blues-based popular musics, the totality of American popular music. Might be most important popular song in the culture.
Sandra Butler
I remember listening to this when I was a little girl, oh how I miss the good old days!!!โค