Slim Harpo (11 January 1924 – 31 January 1970) was a blues musician.
Read Full Bio ↴Slim Harpo (11 January 1924 – 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 — 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.

Rainin in My Heart
Slim Harpo Lyrics

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Rainin' in my heart
Since we've been apart
I know I was wrong
Baby, please come home

You got me cryin'
'Bout to lose my mind
Don't let me cry in vain

Try my love just once, again

Honey, I need your love
Darlin', you know why
If you would come back home
There'll be no need for me to cry

Raining in my heart
Since we been apart

I know I was wrong
Baby, please come home

Overall Meaning

The "Rainin' in My Heart" by Slim Harpo is a song about the sorrow and desperation of a man who misses his lover, who left him. The man acknowledges that he was wrong and pleads for his lover to come back to him. As the title suggests, it is raining in his heart, and his heartbreak is overwhelming, causing him to cry and almost lose his mind.

The artist uses repetition to emphasize the emotional pain that the man feels, who can't stop thinking about his lover. The lyrics express a deep sense of remorse and regret for the mistakes he has made that led to the end of their relationship. The man is admitting his wrongdoings and asking for a second chance, hoping that his lover will forgive him and come back.

In conclusion, the song portrays the desperation of a man who can't cope with the heartbreak of losing his lover. The song communicates the message that sometimes we realize the true value of something, only when it is gone.

Line by Line Meaning

Rainin' in my heart
Feeling sad and lonely without you

Since we've been apart
Ever since we separated

I know I was wrong
I realize my mistake

Baby, please come home
I want you to return back to me

You got me cryin'
You make me weep

'Bout to lose my mind
I'm on the verge of going insane

Don't let me cry in vain
Please don't make me shed tears for nothing

Try my love just once, again
Give me another chance to prove my love

Honey, I need your love
My love for you is strong and vital

Darlin', you know why
You are aware of the reason why

If you would come back home
If you decide to return to me