Howlin’ Wolf- How Many More Years
my uncles introduced me to the blues at a young age. to their amazement, i took to it immediately. i liked the element of storytelling and the bravado of the artists. i also enjoyed the emotional highs and lows, especially the lows- when you feel bad, you feel terrible. the sun won’t shine, the dogs wont stop barking, your feet hurt, and the man is on his way to arrest you. blues artists would cry and their instruments would cry with them. i liked the drama of it all.
of course there are the larger than life characters you find among blues artists. i was drawn to the mythology that developed around many performers. howlin’ wolf is one such gentleman. the wolf was an enormous man with a personality to match. if you are interested, there’s a documentary on the wolf on youtube. in it you can see him perform. it’s a sight to behold. imagine a man his size rolling on the floor, dancing maniacally, and bouncing around on stage. add his huge and distinct voice, and you’ve got quite a package. but he was a musician’s musician as well and he prided himself on the work he produced. he wanted the best musicians and he wanted their best efforts. you can hear the results on virtually every song he produced during his career. ‘how many more years’ is one of my favorites. i hope you’ll enjoy.
How many more years, have I got to let you dog me around
How many more years, have I got to let you dog me around
I’d soon rather be dead, sleeping six feet in the ground
I’m gonna fall on my knees, I’m gonna raise up my right hand
I’m gonna fall on my knees, I’m gonna raise up my right hand
Say I’d feel much better darling, if you’d just only understand
I’m going upstairs, I’m gonna bring back down my clothes
I’m going upstairs, I’m gonna bring back down my clothes, do them all
If anybody ask about me, just tell’em I walked out on
-the skinny miracle
