Aleck "Rice" Miller (December 5, 1899 – May 25, 1965), also known as Sonny … Read Full Bio ↴Aleck "Rice" Miller (December 5, 1899 – May 25, 1965), also known as Sonny Boy Williamson II, was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter. He is not to be confused with the original Sonny Boy Williamson, also a blues musician but of no relation.

Although John Lee Williamson was a major blues star who had already released dozens of successful and widely influential records under the name Sonny Boy Williamson from 1937 onward, Aleck Miller would later claim to have been the first to use the name, and some blues scholars believe that Miller's assertion he was born in 1899 was a ruse to convince audiences he was old enough to have used the name before John Lee Williamson, who was born in 1914. Whatever the methodology, Miller became known as Sonny Boy Williamson.

Williamson had begun developing a following in Chicago beginning in 1953, when he appeared there as a member of Elmore James's band. In the 1960's he toured Europe during the height of the British blues craze, recording with The Yardbirds and The Animals. Accoring to the Led Zeppelin biography "Hammer of the Gods", while in England Sonny Boy set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator.

Some of his hit songs include "Fattenin' Frogs for Snakes", "Don't Start Me To Talking" ,"Keep It To Yourself", "Your Funeral & My Trial", "Bye Bye Bird", "Nine Below Zero", "Help Me", and the infamous "Little Village", with dialogue deemed 'unsuitable for airplay' by Leonard Chess. His song "Eyesight To the Blind" was performed by The Who as a key song in their rock opera Tommy (the only song in that opus not written by a band member) and it was later covered on the Aerosmith album Honkin' on Bobo. His recording og "One Way Out" was reworked from the Elmore James original and became popularized by The Allman Brothers Band in the early 1970s.

Sonny Boy Williamson II has had a big influence on modern day blues and blues rock artists and other legendary artists, as is shown by the number of his songs that are still covered. In interviews given in the concert documentary film The Last Waltz, members of the rock & roll group The Band recount jamming with Miller prior to their initial fame as Bob Dylan's electric backing band, and making plans to hook up with Williamson as his backing band. Unfortunately, Williamson's death prevented any such plans from ever being fulfilled.

Dust My Broom
Sonny Boy Williamson II Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a get up in the mornin'
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm a get up in the mornin'
I believe I'll dust my broom
I quit the best girl I'm lovin'
Now my friends can get in my room

I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know

I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know
If I don't find her in ? (Matilda or West Hills, Lord) ?
She be in East Monroe I know

And I don't want no woman
Want every downtown man she meets
No I don't want no woman
Want every downtown man she meets
Man, she's a no good doney
They shouldn't allow her on the street, yeah

I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I believe, I believe my time ain't long

I ain't gonna leave my baby
And break up my happy home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sonny Boy Williamson II's song Dust My Broom tell the story of a man who has recently broken up with his girlfriend and is now preparing to move on with his life. He begins by stating that he is going to "dust his broom," which is a metaphorical reference to leaving all of the negative emotions associated with his break-up behind and starting anew. He then goes on to say that he is going to reach out to everyone he knows, by letter and telephone, to try and find his former lover. He is convinced that she will be in a specific town, but if she is not there, he will continue searching until he finds her.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a get up in the mornin'
I will wake up early in the morning

I believe I'll dust my broom
I am going to leave this place

I'm a get up in the mornin'
I will wake up early in the morning

I believe I'll dust my broom
I am going to leave this place

I quit the best girl I'm lovin'
I left my girlfriend whom I loved the most

Now my friends can get in my room
Now my friends can visit me without any restrictions

I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know
I will reach out to everyone I know by writing letters and calling them

If I don't find her in ? (Matilda or West Hills, Lord) ?
If I am unable to find her in Matilda or West Hills

She be in East Monroe I know
I am sure she will be in East Monroe

And I don't want no woman
I don't want a woman

Want every downtown man she meets
Who sleeps with every man she meets in downtown

No I don't want no woman
I don't want a woman

Want every downtown man she meets
Who sleeps with every man she meets in downtown

Man, she's a no good doney
She is a terrible woman

They shouldn't allow her on the street, yeah
She should not be allowed to walk on the street

I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I think I will not live long

I ain't gonna leave my baby
I will not abandon my beloved

And break up my happy home
And destroy the happiness of my home

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Elmore, Robert Johnson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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