Walker was born in Linden, Texas of African and Cherokee descent. Walker's parents, Movelia Jimerson and Rance Walker, were both musicians. His stepfather, Marco Washington, taught him to play the guitar, ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin and piano.
Early in the 1920s, the teenage Walker learned his craft among the street-strolling string bands of Dallas. His mother and stepfather (a member of the Dallas String Band) were musicians, and family friend Blind Lemon Jefferson sometimes joined the family for dinner. Walker left school at age 10, and by 15, he was a professional performer on the blues circuit. Initially, he was Jefferson's protégé and would guide him around town for his gigs. In 1929, Walker made his recording debut with a single for Columbia Records, "Wichita Falls Blues"/"Trinity River Blues," billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone. Oak Cliff was the community he lived in at the time and T-Bone a corruption of his middle name. Pianist Douglas Fernell was his musical partner for the record.
Walker married Vida Lee in 1935 and the couple had three children. By the age of 26 Walker was working the clubs in Los Angeles' Central Avenue, sometimes as the featured singer and guitarist with Les Hite's orchestra.
His distinctive sound developed in 1942 when Walker recorded "Mean Old World" for Capitol Records. Much of his output was recorded from 1946–1948 on Black & White Records, including 1947's "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)", with its famous opening line, "They call it stormy Monday, but Tuesday's just as bad". He followed up with his "T-Bone Shuffle" and "Let Your Hair Down, Baby, Let's Have a Natural Ball". Both are considered blues classics.
Throughout his career Walker worked with the top quality musicians, including Teddy Buckner (trumpet), Lloyd Glenn (piano), Billy Hadnott (bass), and Jack McVea (tenor sax).
Following his work with Black & White, he recorded from 1950-54 for Imperial Records (backed by Dave Bartholomew). Walker's only record in the next five years was T-Bone Blues, recorded over three widely separated sessions in 1955, 1956 and 1959, and finally released by Atlantic Records in 1960.
By the early 1960s, Walker's career had slowed down, in spite of a hyped appearance at the American Folk Blues Festival in 1962 with Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon, among others. A few critically acclaimed albums followed, such as I Want a Little Girl. Walker recorded in his last years, 1968 - 1975, for Robin Hemingway's Jitney Jane Songs music publishing company, and he won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Good Feelin' (Polydor), produced by Robin Hemingway. "Fly Walker Airlines", Polydor, also produced by Hemingway, was released in 1973.
T-Bone Walker died in 1975, at the age of 64. He is interred in the Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.
Walker's influence extended beyond his music. Chuck Berry called Walker and Louis Jordan (as well as Jordan's guitarist, Carl Hogan) his main influences. T-Bone Walker was the childhood hero of Jimi Hendrix, and Hendrix imitated some of Walker's ways throughout his life. Years before Hendrix, Walker was playing guitar with his teeth or in strange positions.
Walker was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
Got No Use For You
T-Bone Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I try to treat you nice and kind
But you gone and left me, baby
And I'm about to lose my mind
I gave you my love and my money, baby
But the life you lead was one big lie
No matter what I did for you, daddy
Tell me, tell me, baby
What have I done to you
Yes, you mistreat me, baby
That's why I'm singing this lonesome blues
So long, so long, baby
I know that we are through
I've got a brain you lover daddy
And I've got no use for you
The lyrics to T-Bone Walker's song "Got No Use For You" depict a heartbroken lover who has been mistreated and deceived by his partner. Despite showering her with love and kindness, she has abandoned him, leaving him feeling frustrated and on the brink of madness. The singer of the song has given his lover everything he had, both emotionally and financially, but it seems that his efforts were all in vain.
The chorus of the song reflects the singer's feelings of betrayal and abandonment as he questions what he did to deserve such treatment from his lover. His melancholy mood is evident in the lyrics "That's why I'm singing this lonesome blues" where he channels his sadness and disappointment through his music. The singer ultimately resolves to move on from the relationship, declaring that he has no use for his lover now that she has left him alone and hurt.
The lyrics of "Got No Use For You" paint a picture of heartbreak and betrayal that is relatable to anyone who has ever had their trust and love betrayed by a partner. It is a reminder that love can be fleeting and require careful nurturing in order to flourish. T-Bone Walker's soulful delivery adds another layer of emotion to the already powerful lyrics, making it a classic blues song that continues to resonate with audiences decades after its release.
Line by Line Meaning
You know that I love you
I have strong feelings of affection for you, and you are aware of it
And I try to treat you nice and kind
I make an effort to behave in a pleasant and caring way towards you
But you gone and left me, baby
You have departed from my company, leaving me alone
And I'm about to lose my mind
I am experiencing a state of extreme frustration, causing me to feel mentally unstable
I gave you my love and my money, baby
I demonstrated my affection and financial resources to you
But the life you lead was one big lie
The way you lived your life was dishonest and deceitful
No matter what I did for you, daddy
Despite all my efforts to please you
I never seemed to satisfy
I could not meet your requirements, and you were never content with me
Tell me, tell me, baby
Please disclose to me
What have I done to you
What have I done to cause you to treat me this way?
Yes, you mistreat me, baby
You are cruel and unkind to me
That's why I'm singing this lonesome blues
I am expressing my sadness and sorrow through music
So long, so long, baby
Farewell and goodbye to you, my dear
I know that we are through
I am aware that our relationship has ended
I've got a brain you lover daddy
I am intelligent and capable of making decisions for myself
And I've got no use for you
You are no longer of any benefit or value to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind