{ .e.f.e.m.é.r.i.d.e. }

festeja hoje cem risonhos verões o imortal john lee hooker

este grande azul tem uma versão mais longa, gravada alguns anos mais tarde - e depois veio a ser objecto de um dueto com van morrison (na fase final da carreira, com as gravações de john lee "with friends") - mas é neste original que se revela tudo aquilo que faz de hooker inimitável. não é o esquema métrico nem o seu estilo pessoal na guitarra: é aquele indício (aliás propositadamente velado, creio) dessa atmosfera particular, uma vivência dos azuis que mais ninguém conseguiu sugerir.

It serves me right to suffer, serves me right to be alone

Serves me right to suffer, serves me right to be alone

Because in my mind I'm still livin' in days done past and gone

Ev'rytime I see a woman she makes me think of mine

Yeah, ev'rytime you see a woman she makes me think of mine

And that's why, that's why, that's why I can't keep from cryin'

My doctor put me on milk, cream and alcohol

My doctor put me on milk, cream and alcohol

He told me that's why you can't sleep at night

d e s c u b r a

a s

s e t e

d i f e r e n ç a s :

este é um azul escrito há mais de oitenta anos pelo pianista leroy carr (nunca aqui foi citado, verifico agora com alguma mágoa) e que tem tido inúmeras covers. ainda antes do sol nascer, deixo duas das que mais gosto:

a) do eric com pressa

b) do john com vagar

I have the blues before sunrise,

Tears standing in my eyes.

I have the blues before sunrise,

Tears standing in my eyes.

It was a miserable feeling, now babe,

A feeling I do despise.

I have to leave, leave you baby,

Because you know you done me wrong.

I have to leave you baby,

Because you know you done me wrong.

I'm gonna pack up and leave you darling

And break up my happy home.

I have to leave, leave you baby,

I'm gonna leave you all alone.

I'm gonna leave you baby,

I'm gonna leave you all alone.

I'm gonna pack up and leave you darling

Because you know you done me wrong.

e recordo hoje um dos clássicos de john lee hooker.

One bourbon, one Scotch, and one beer.


I said hey mister bartender come in here!


I want another drink and I want it now.


My baby she's gone, she's been gone tonight,


I aint seen my girl since the night before last.


I wanna get drunk, get her off of my mind.


I wanna a bourbon, one scotch, and one beer.



And then I sat there, drinking,


Gettin high, mellow, knocked out, feelin good.


And after a while, I looked on the wall,


At the old clock.
 By that time it was 11:30.


Gettin a little late 
I looked down at the bar, at the bartender.


I said, Hey! 
What do you want?


One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer.



Well my baby's gone, she's been gone tonight.


I ain't seen my baby since the night before last.


I wanna get drunk, get her off of my mind.


One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer.



And I sat there, I was drinking, 
getting stoned

And "dupe dupe"
 gettin' a little buzy in the head,


And after a while, I looked on the wall again,


And by that time, last call for alcohol.


Then I looked down at the bar, at the bartender.


I said, Hey Mr. Bartender! 
What do you want this time?

One bourbon, one scotch, and one beer.

john lee hooker

paul natkin

em abril de 1936 chuvas torrenciais, inundações e um tornado atingiram a pequena cidade de tupelo, no mississipi, causando a morte de centenas de pessoas. é esse o tema de um dos mais famosos azuis de john lee hooker.

Did you read about the flood


A long time ago in a country town


Way back in the East,


Tupelo, Mississippi



One friday evening


A dark cloud rolled


Start to raining


It rained and it rained


Both night and day



The people of Tupelo


Begin to get worried


So Lord have mercy


Who can we turn to now



Women and children


Screaming and crying


So Lord have mercy


What can we do now



I never will
 forget that day


No town
 Tupelo, Mississippi



It rained 
both night and day


The people of Tupelo


Hell, who can to turn to



It rained,
 it rained both night and day


Rained, rained, rained, 
both night and day

por vezes penso no que terá sido a infância de william hooker, o mais novo de onze irmãos, no mississippi rural do começo do século xx. 

e que, sendo filho de um pregador baptista, não teria sido john lee hooker se a sua mãe não se tivesse voltado a casar com um cantor de azuis.

Boom boom boom boom

I'm gonna shoot you right down,

right off your feet

Take you home with me,

put you in my house

Boom boom boom boom

A-haw haw haw haw

Hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm

Hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm

I love to see you strut,

up and down the floor

When you talking to me,

that baby talk

I like it like that

Whoa, yeah!

Talk that talk, walk that walk

When she walk that walk,

and talk that talk,

and whisper in my ear,

tell me that you love me

I love that talk

When you talk like that,

you knocks me out,

right off of my feet

Hoo hoo hoo

Talk that talk, and walk that walk

este azul foi gravado várias vezes por john lee hooker e a versão mais popular será talvez a incluída no cd "don't look back". para mim a primeira, de 1956, é a mais crua e a mais azul de todas.


 
I love the way you walk
I love the way you walk
I'm crazy 'bout your walk
I love the way you walk
You my babe, I got my eyes on you

I like the way you switch
I like the way you switch
I like the way you switch
I like the way you switch
You my babe, I got my eyes on you

You got dimples in your jaw
You got dimples in your jaw
You got dimples in your jaw
You got dimples in your jaw
You my babe, I got my eyes on you

Well I see you every day
Well I see you every day
If you need to look
Well I see you every day
Well I see you every day
You my babe, I got my eyes on you

[ nos anos vinte gravaram-se dois azuis, "black snake blues" de victoria spivey e também "black snake moan" de blind lemon jefferson, que se pensa estarem na génese deste "crawlin' king snake", registado primeiro por big joe williams, mas logo a seguir por john lee hooker, cuja versão é considerada a definitiva. tornou-se um clássico, e era igualmente um dos azuis favoritos de jim morrison e ray manzarek. ]

d e s c u b r a

a s

s e t e

d i f e r e n ç a s :

entre a crawlin' king snake de

a) john



e a de

b) jim and ray

Yes

You know I'm a crawlin' king snake baby and I rule my den
You know I'm a crawlin' king snake baby and I rules my den
Don't hang around my mate, wanna use her for myself

You know you caught me crawlin' baby when the
When the grass was very high
I'm just gonna keep on crawlin' baby until the day I die

Because I'm a crawlin' king snake baby and I rules my den
Don't hang around my mate, wanna use her for myself

You know you caught me crawlin' baby when the
When the grass was very high
I'm just gonna keep on crawlin' baby until the day I die

Because I'm a crawlin' king snake baby and I rule my den
Don't hang around my mate, wanna use her for myself

You know I'm gonna crawl up to your window, baby
Gonna crawl up to your door, you got anything I want, baby
Wanna crawl up on your floor

Because I'm a crawlin' king snake baby, yes, yes and I rule my den
Don't hang around my mate, wanna use her for myself

You know I'm gonna away now baby but
But I'll be back again, and when I come to town
Baby I'll be the same old snake again

Because I'm a crawlin' king snake baby and I rule my den
Don't hang around my mate, wanna use her for myself

Wanna use her for myself

há dias apareceu por aqui "sure thing", uma recriação dos st. germain sobre um sample de john lee hooker. 
esse tema original é "harry's philosophy" e foi incluído na banda sonora do filme "the hot spot". 
vale a pena comparar as duas versões - uma espécie de descubra as sete diferenças num dia dedicado aos azuis.

não sei o que o grande john lee hooker tinha em mente quando escreveu este azul sobre o ser vagabundo... 
mas (por um lado) quem me dera...



When I first thought to hobo'in, hobo'in,
I took a freight train to be my friend, oh Lord
You know I hobo'd, hobo'd, hobo'd, hobo'd,
Hobo'd a long, long way from home, oh Lord

Yes, my mother followed me that mornin', me that mornin'
She followed me down to the yard, oh yeah
She said my son he'd gone, he'd gone, he'd gone
Yes he's gone in a, poorsome wear*, oh yeah

Yes I left my dear old mother, dear old mother
I left my honor, need* a crime, oh Lord
Take care of my child,
Take care, take care of my child

john lee hooker

by mark seliger

uma pérola mais do senhor hooker, este é um daqueles azuis que se tornou 
arquétipo de todos os azuis - aqui numa versão universal e a duas vozes...



I'm in the mood baby, I'm in the mood for love
I'm in the mood baby, I'm in the mood for love
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, baby, I'm in the mood for love

I said night time is the right time, to be with the one you love
You know when night come baby, God know, you're so far away
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood baby, I'm in the mood for love
I'm in the mood, in the mood, baby, in the mood for love

I said yes, my mama told me, to leave that girl alone
But my mama didn't know, God know, girl was puttin' down
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood baby, in the mood for love
I'm in the mood, I'm in the mood, baby, in the mood for love

costumo dizer que comecei cedo a gostar de azuis, mas cheguei tarde a john lee hooker.
e só me apercebi da sua evidente paternidade quando desapareceu - e a sua marca continuou em outros.
adorava ter tido a possibilidade de o ver tocar, dizem que era algo verdadeiramente único, mas até nisso não tive sorte.



They call me, Mr. Lucky
Bad luck don't follow me
They call me, Mr. Lucky
Bad luck don't follow me
Everything I touch is turn to gold
That mean I can't do no wrong
I woke early one mornin'
Mr. Lucky, standin' by my bed
I woke early one mornin'
Mr. Lucky, standin' by my bed
I listened to him real closely
This is what he said
'You was born for good luck, Johnny'
'Bad luck can't do you no harm'
'You was born for good luck'
'Bad luck can't do you no harm'
'I guarantee you'll never go wrong'
That's why they call me, Mr. Lucky
Bad luck don't follow me
That's why they call me, Mr. Lucky
Bad luck don't follow me
Everything I touch is turn to gold
I never felt misery