Morning Blues
John Lee Hooker · Detroit 1948-1949
Yes, I was thinking to myself.
Oh lord.
Lord I was thinking all of her to myself.
Yes, I wonder how did you love me any baby?
Now was you lovin' - now was you lovin', oh, somebody else?
Hear my baby when she left me, oh Lord,
When she left me by myself.
Lord, I'm sure is worried.
I'm just sitting here thinkin'.
Yes, I'm going out...
(Several lines unintelligible)
I says I lay down last night, lay down last night.
Now, but I sure wasn't satisified. Now, but I sure wasn't satisfied.
I was thinkin' about my baby,
And I wonder if she'll come back to me.
Well, I say good-
Goodbye baby.Goodbye Baby.
I hope we meet again.
I hope we meet again someday, oh Lord.
Morning Blues
"Morning Blues" is a masterclass in restraint. Recorded during John Lee Hooker's Detroit years, the track appears on the compilation Savoy Blues Legends: John Lee Hooker (Detroit 1948-1949), and it captures the blues legend at a moment when he was developing the hypnotic, driving style that would make him one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th century.
The song is built on a simple, repeated groove ? the kind of boogie rhythm that Hooker made his own ? with his voice carrying the weight of the lyrics. "Yes, I lay down last night / Yes, I was thinking to myself / Oh lord / Lord I was thinking all of her to myself." It is a song about longing, about lying awake thinking about someone.
Hooker's style was unlike anything else in blues at the time. He developed an electric guitar adaptation of Delta blues in Detroit, incorporating talking blues and early North Mississippi hill country blues into a sound that was entirely his own. Rolling Stone ranked him 35th on its 2015 list of the 100 greatest guitarists.
What I find compelling about "Morning Blues" is how it sounds like it is being played in a small room, late at night, for no one but the people who need to hear it. It is not a flashy song, but it doesn't need to be. It is the sound of a master at work.
The song is a strong example of the raw, intimate side of blues. It is a reminder of where modern blues came from, and of the artist who helped shape it. It is a track that rewards a quiet listen. It is a song that stays with you long after it ends, and it is a strong example of the craft behind the blues.