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
West Side Baby
T-Bone Walker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She lives way across town
*I've got a west side baby
She lives way across town
And when I'm with my baby
I don't want a soul around
She's always dressed swell
She sets my soul on fire
When she rang my front door bell
(Repeat *)
Now Monday morning early
Someone bang upon my door
I knew it wasn't my baby
'Cuz she's never knocked before
So I lay in bed and wondered
Wno could the caller be
I thought it was insurance man
'Cuz he's been hurting for me
Crazy about my west side baby
She lives way across town
And when I'm with my baby
I don't want a soul around
T-Bone Walker's song West Side Baby is a classic blues tune about a man's love for his west-side lover. The song starts with the singer stating that he has a lover on the west side of town and that he doesn't want anyone else around when he's with her. He goes on to describe her as tall and leggy, always dressed impeccably, and how she sets his soul on fire. The chorus is a repetition of the first line, emphasizing the importance of the west-side lover to the singer.
In the second stanza, the singer wakes up to someone knocking on his door on a Monday morning. He realizes that it isn't his baby because she's never knocked before. He is curious about who could be knocking and believes that it could be the insurance man who has been after him. The song ends with the singer reaffirming his love for his west-side baby and how he doesn't want anyone else around when he's with her.
Overall, the song's lyrics are a testament to the singer's love for his west-side baby and how she makes him feel. It also highlights the social divide between the east and west side of town, which was a prevalent issue during the time the song was written.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a west side baby
I have a girlfriend who lives on the west side of town
She lives way across town
Her residence is located far from where I live
And when I'm with my baby
Whenever I'm in her company
I don't want a soul around
I prefer to be alone with her
Now she's kind of tall and legged
My girlfriend has a tall figure with shapely legs
She's always dressed swell
She has impeccable fashion sense and always dresses nicely
She sets my soul on fire
Being with her ignites my passion and desire
When she rang my front door bell
When she arrived at my doorstep
(Repeat *)
Repeats the chorus
Now Monday morning early
The early hours of Monday
Someone bang upon my door
There was loud knocking on my door
I knew it wasn't my baby
I was certain it wasn't my girlfriend
Cuz she's never knocked before
Because she has never knocked in the past
So I lay in bed and wondered
I stayed in bed and pondered
Who could the caller be
I wondered about the identity of the person at my door
I thought it was insurance man
I assumed it was the insurance agent
Cuz he's been hurting for me
Because he has been trying to reach me
Crazy about my west side baby
I am deeply in love with my girlfriend who lives on the west side
She lives way across town
Although she lives far away
And when I'm with my baby
Whenever I am in her presence
I don't want a soul around
I prefer to be alone with her
Contributed by Dominic E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
lovely Daniel
Just like everyone else , my favorite movie " Devil in a blue dress" brought me here💙💙💙💙
Shaun Jay
That brought me here too! And it’s me favorite movie!
Beasty Boy
💯❤️👏🏿
Cold Classic
Had to follow suit
Jacques Victor
yes me too from that movie..
Christine Black
The musicianship, the passion, and the vivid picture you can paint without cursing or mentioning sex or murder every other word. Priceless.
Sarina Armentrout
great song love it
dearmalika
Great song!
Suzy Williams
Blues mastery with fresh lyrics!
Miguel Osvaldo Flores Dominguez
A great blues song right here.