[Verse 1] Farm labor ain't no joke I grew up Baptist and I grew up broke My mama said I played the devil's music And maybe she right But I play that music Howlin' into the night [Verse 2] My mama kicked me out in the middle of the winter I was just a child And my great uncle was mean And I weren't no string bean I never went to school Had to work all day But there came a time I lived on my own dime [Verse 3] Yes, I killed a hog Even killed a man The hog ruined my clothes And the man I killed with a hoe He won't be eatin' no more hoe cakes Anytime soon He shouldn't have been so mean to his woman He drove himself to ruin [Verse 4] Well, my uncle whipped me So I walked eighty-five miles I found my father And life became all smiles That's when Charlie taught me I learned at his feet I learned to play the guitar And singing let me eat [Verse 5] Well, I'm six foot three Two hundred seventy-five pounds They call me Bigfoot Chester (They call me) And I howl like a hound I howl like a wolf Under the crazy moon Yes, my voice is rough I don't try to croon [Verse 6] My uncle chased me on a pony And Charlie taught me "Pony Blues" It was the first song I learned I didn't even have no shoes But I had a guitar Bought it January fifteen I'll never forget Yes, I was young and green [Verse 7] I wished I could yodel like the singing brakeman could I tried and I tried But something wrong under the hood My engine weren't meant For that lonesome moan I could loan at midnight (moan) But it was rough as Capone [Verse 8] I learned harp in Arkansas from Sonny Boy Before he was spittin' up blood Into his handkerchief He was in his prime And I learned how to harm Harm that harmonica And keep the metal warm [Verse 9] I played with Son House 'round the time I killed a man 'Might've done jail time, 'might've up and ran But it don't make much difference at all No difference at all That man deserved it for Messing with his doll (She was a friend of mine) [Verse 10] I was in the army 'round ‘bout Pine Bluff I was down in Florida Cooking up some stuff For enlisted men Then on up to Georgia James Brown would shine shoes On the mess hall steps (Yo, that don't rhyme, man, Willie…) [Verse 11] Well, James could dance But I couldn't stay long Shipped up to Tacoma Where it all went wrong They said my writing wasn't good They said my spelling was bad (So bad) If my uncle had schooled me I wouldn't have gone mad [Verse 12] I was shakin’ and dizzy I would even faint My head was all mixed up It took all my restraint To stay in line Until they checked my head They said I was unfit for service Yes, that's what they said (And they were right for once) [Verse 13] I hooked up with Ike Turner and Sam Phillips too I played with Pat Hare and recorded some tunes Chess records in Chicago Start to put out my stuff And the rest is history Yes, I do and shawnuff [Verse 12] Yes, I do and shawnuff Yes, I do and shawnuff This is the story of Howlin' Wolf, that's me Shawnuff Yes, I do and shawnuff I gots to pee (Alright, let's call it a session)
