The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band'… Read Full Bio ↴The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith. The band is known for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck, all of whom ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 greatest guitarists. The band had a string of hits throughout the mid-1960s, including "For Your Love", "Heart Full of Soul", "Shapes of Things" and "Over Under Sideways Down".

Originally a blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental breaks, the Yardbirds broadened their range into pop, pioneering psychedelic rock and early hard rock; and contributed to many electric guitar innovations of the mid-1960s. Some rock critics and historians also cite their influence on the later punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal trends. Following the band's split in 1968, Relf and McCarty formed Renaissance and guitarist Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin - the latter of which was initially intended as a direct successor to the Yardbirds.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They were included at number 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

The Yardbirds re-formed in the 1990s, featuring drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja as the only original members. Dreja left the band in 2012, leaving McCarty as the sole original member of the band in the present lineup.

The band formed in the south-west London suburbs in 1963. Relf and Samwell-Smith were originally in a band named the Metropolitan Blues Quartet. After being joined by Dreja, McCarty and Top Topham, they performed at Kingston Art School in late May 1963 as a backup band for Cyril Davies. Following a couple of gigs in September 1963 as the Blue-Sounds, they changed their name to the Yardbirds. McCarty claims that Relf was the first to use the name; he may have got it from Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, where it referred to rail yard hobos. He adds that Topham identified it as a nickname for jazz saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.

The quintet achieved notice on the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, succeeding the Rolling Stones. Their repertoire drew from the Chicago blues of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, including "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning Little School Girl", "Boom Boom", "I Wish You Would", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Got Love if You Want It" and "I'm a Man".

Original lead guitarist Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton in October 1963. Crawdaddy Club impresario Giorgio Gomelsky became the Yardbirds manager and first record producer. Under Gomelsky's guidance the Yardbirds toured Britain as the back-up band for blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II in December 1963 and early 1964, recording live tracks on 8 December and other dates. The recordings would be released two years later during the height of the Yardbirds popularity on the album Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds.

After the tours with Williamson, the Yardbirds signed to EMI's Columbia label in February 1964, and recorded more live tracks on 20 March at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The resulting album of mostly American blues and R&B covers, Five Live Yardbirds, was released by Columbia nine months later, and it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. Over time, Five Live gained stature as one of the few high-quality live recordings of the era and as a historical document of both the British rock and roll boom of the 1960s and Clapton's time in the band.

Along with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds were part of the British blues scene of the 1960s. As the blues rock genre developed, some acts like Chicken Shack were playing a louder and more aggressive style, while the Yardbirds emphasized instrumental textures and extended instrumental improvisations. They covered blues classics like Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning (1956) and Bo Diddley's I'm a Man (1955) which had a repetitive structure where instrumental solos were brief breaks between repetition of verses. The Yardbirds often extended these instrumental sections into "heavy jams".

Who Do You Love
The Yardbirds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I walk 47 miles of barbed wire
I use a cobra-snake for a necktie
I got a brand new house by the roadside
Made outta rattlesnake hide

I got a brand new chimney made on top
Made out of a human skull
Come on take a little walk with me, baby

And tell me, who do you love?

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Got a tombstone hand and a graveyard mine
Just 22 and I don't mind dying

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Goin' round this town, take a rattlesnake whip
Come on baby, don't give me no lip

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Night was black, sky was blue
Round the corner, ice-wagon flew
Heard a bump, heard a scream
You should have seen just what I seen

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

My baby took me by the hand
And said come on baby, I understand

Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

That's very nice!
Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Who do you love?
Who do you love?

Overall Meaning

The Yardbirds' "Who Do You Love" is a blues rock song with lyrics that paint a vivid picture of the singer's unconventional lifestyle. The opening lines describe the singer's tough exterior, walking 47 miles of barbed wire and wearing a cobra snake as a necktie. The singer then goes on to boast about his new house made out of rattlesnake hide and chimney made out of a human skull. The chorus repeatedly asks the question "Who do you love?" which can be interpreted both as a challenge to others and as the singer's own search for love and companionship.

The second verse continues with the theme of death and danger, referencing the singer's tombstone hand and willingness to die at a young age. The third verse includes a reference to a rattlesnake whip, again emphasizing the singer's unorthodox and potentially violent way of life. The fourth verse includes a brief but eerie description of a mysterious incident the singer witnesses, heard a bump and a scream, but the details are not elaborated on.

The final verse softens the tone of the song, as the singer's lover takes him by the hand and says she understands his ways. The repeated chorus provides a haunting sense of uncertainty, as the question of who the singer loves remains unanswered.

Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a rough and unpredictable lifestyle, full of danger and potential violence, but also a search for love and understanding.

Line by Line Meaning

I walk 47 miles of barbed wire
I've traveled a long and difficult journey, filled with obstacles and challenges.

I use a cobra-snake for a necktie
I'm not afraid to take risks or use unconventional methods to achieve what I want.

I got a brand new house by the roadside, Made outta rattlesnake hide
I've built something new and unique, using materials that others might find unsavory.

I got a brand new chimney made on top, Made out of a human skull
Even my home's architecture is unconventional, using macabre elements to make it stand out.

Come on take a little walk with me, baby, And tell me, who do you love?
Join me in exploring and experiencing life, and let's see if we share a mutual passion for anyone or anything.

Got a tombstone hand and a graveyard mine, Just 22 and I don't mind dying
I have a dangerous edge to me, and I'm not afraid of death or the consequences of my actions.

Goin' round this town, take a rattlesnake whip, Come on baby, don't give me no lip
I'm independent and self-reliant, and I'm not looking for anyone to challenge or resist me.

Night was black, sky was blue, Round the corner, ice-wagon flew, Heard a bump, heard a scream, You should have seen just what I seen
I've witnessed some unsettling and perhaps even violent events, ones that might be too much for someone else to handle.

My baby took me by the hand, And said come on baby, I understand
Despite my rough exterior and bizarre tendencies, I have someone in my life who supports and accepts me for who I am.

That's very nice!, Who do you love?
I appreciate the sentiment, but let's get back to the real question at hand: who's important to you?

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ellas McDaniel

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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