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.
Too Close Together
Sonny Boy Williamson II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had two fine chicks
Lived right door to door
Too close together
Yes too close together
They were too close together man
But that was the best that I could do
Time I knocked on the door
The other girl was looking at me
It was too close together
Yes it was too close together
It was too close together
But that was the best that I could do
Well I slipped in the back door
To give me a little ____
__ Walked out the door, she knowed all about it
Was too close together
Yes it was too close together
I've known that was too close together man
But that was the best that I could do
Well all right
Well all right
Well all right now
Jump chillen' jump chillen'
Hear now, hear now
Have mercy, have mercy
Rock, rock, rock
The song “Too Close Together” by Sonny Boy Williamson talks about his experience with two women who lived next door to each other. He had “two fine chicks” and they were “too close together” but it was “the best that [he] could do”. He woke up one morning to make a four-day trip and when he knocked on the door, the other girl was looking at him. It was clear to him that they talked and knew all about each other. Williamson then slipped in the back door to “give [himself] a little____” but the other girl knew all about it. The song ends with some ad-libs like “Jump chillen’ jump chillen’”, “Have mercy, have mercy”, “Rock, rock, rock.”
The lyrics of the song depict a certain hesitance and reluctance on the part of the singer in accepting the reality of the situation he is in. He clearly is aware that the two women are too close together but that’s the “best that [he] could do”. The song gives out a nostalgic feel to the listeners. It is evident that the singer is reminiscing about the events that occurred with the two women. The song also seems to criticize the singer for his indecision or his inability to take a stand.
Line by Line Meaning
Well back in the year of nineteen and forty four
This event took place in the year 1944.
I had two fine chicks
The singer had two attractive women in his life.
Lived right door to door
These two women were neighbors.
Too close together
The proximity of these two women was a problem for the artist.
Yes too close together
The artist emphasizes how close the women were to each other.
They were too close together man
The singer reiterates how difficult the situation was for him.
But that was the best that I could do
Despite the challenge, the singer did his best given the circumstances.
Well I woke up early one morning to make a four day trip
The artist left for a 4-day trip early one morning.
Time I knocked on the door
When the artist arrived back, he knocked on the door.
The other girl was looking at me
The other woman who lived next door saw the artist.
It was too close together
The women were still living close to each other.
Yes it was too close together
The artist acknowledges the continued problem.
It was too close together
The proximity of the women was still difficult for the singer.
But that was the best that I could do
Despite the challenge, the singer still did his best.
Well I slipped in the back door
The singer entered through the back door of one of the women's homes.
To give me a little ____,
The artist did something at this point, although the lyrics do not give details.
__ Walked out the door, she knowed all about it
As the artist left the home, the woman knew what he had done.
Was too close together
The proximity of the women was still a problem for the singer.
Yes it was too close together
The singer underlines the same difficulty he experienced earlier.
I've known that was too close together man
The artist has always been aware of the women's close proximity.
But that was the best that I could do
Despite the challenge, the artist still did his best and made do with the situation at hand.
Well all right
An expression of satisfaction or agreement.
Jump chillen' jump chillen'
This could be an invitation to dance.
Hear now, hear now
An attention-getting phrase, possibly from a Southern dialect.
Have mercy, have mercy
An exclamation of surprise or shock.
Rock, rock, rock
An encouragement to dance or move to the beat.
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paul Seaward
For those playing along, it's in the key of F, (Bb for harmonica). You're welcome! ;-)