Back door man a character analysis willie dixons back door man is a song all about a man confessing how he. Today is the birthday of the greatest of electric blues songwriter lyricists willie dixon 19151992. Thats a classic poor rural southern black blues cultural reference, in that the back door man is bragging about many housewives hes gotten to shortchange their husbands out of the good meat with their dinner because they like him better. The song rollin stone blues is a muddy waters song that. Apparently, based on my research, jim morrison and bill clinton are back door men, but maybe jim only wanted to be the back door man that willie dixon claimed to be. But if back door man gets played on a terrestrial station in europe or throughout most of the rest of the world, not only do willie dixon and his publisher get paid, but the doors would get paid too. Willie dixon immortalized the back door man in a song he wrote for howlin wolf, who. A master of economy, double entendre, and suggestion, he could pack more meaning into two or three lines than some writers manage to put in entire novels. Like many blues singers, the wolf was often concerned about fidelity. Jul 01, 20 his classic songs include hoochie coochie man, little red rooster, spoonful, back door man and i just want to make love to you, but dozens more. Do you have any questions or requests about willie dixons music repertoire, willie dixon in general, or just a comment about this page. The phrase backdoor man in southern culture means a man whos having an affair with a married woman. I am, the back door man i am, the back door man well, the men dont know but the little girls they understand when everybodys tryin to sl.
Weve established that robert plant desired to be one, so it would make sense for jim to as well, if he wasnt truly a back door man. Yeah, im a back door man im a back door man the men dont know but the little girl understand hey, all you people that tryin to sleep im out to make it with my midnight dream, yeah cause im a back door man the men dont know but the little girls understand all right, yeah you men eat your dinner eat your pork and beans i eat more chicken. Also the overall mood of the song sets a different setting. It probably had his name on the album cover somewhere. William james willie dixon july 1, 1915 january 29, 1992 was an american blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. I am a back door man i am, a back door man well the men dont know, but little girls understand willie dixon back door man elmore james was known as king of the slide guitar, but he was also noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice. Jul 03, 2011 this lyric, written by dixon for howlin wolf in 1960, is ostensibly about back dooring a married man by sleeping with his wife, i. Logan from abilene, tx alright, he did not write the song, so the meaning goes back to willie dixon. Back door man text guitar tab by willie dixon songsterr. First, it was a cover of a willie dixon song, so he wrote the lyrics to it, not jim. The song is showing someone having an affair or someone on the side, and when the other one is gone they come in through the back door of the house literally so they arent seen by people passing by. He wrote or cowrote over 500 songs and his work has been recorded by some of th e bestknown blues musicians of his era, including muddy waters, howlin wolf, and little walt er.
Print and download back door man sheet music composed by willie dixon arranged for piano. Dec 06, 2016 so willie dixon and his publisher get paid by bmi for that airplay, and thats where it ends here. His songs have been covered by some of the most successful musicians of the past sixty years including bob dylan and jimi hendrix. Later, some of his songs were popularized b y rock grou ps, such as th e rolling stones, cream, and led zeppel in. For this occasion, i find no better reason to introduce to you a dissection of one of the greatest blues albums ever recorded, entitled folk singer.
Wang dang doodle is a blues song written by willie dixon. Riders on the storm is about the dangers of life in general and the possibility that when he hitchhiked and the people picking him up were really were taking a chance. Back door man, written in 1961 by willie dixon for howlin wolf. Dixon was an important link between the blues and rock and roll, working with chuck berry and bo diddley in the late 1950s. As brilliantly useful as some scholarship on the blues has been, i mean to suggest in what.
Willie dixon has been called the poet laureate of the blues and the father of modern chicago blues. The nickname back door man was also attached to dick cheney while serving as white house chief of staff for gerald. Willie dixon is the biggest name when considering blues composer by its deepest and most essential meaning. Iii am the, the backdoor man iii am, the backdoor man well, the men dont know but the little girls they understand when everybody isa tryin to sleep ima. During the gerald ford presidency, back door man was applied to dick cheney as fords. William james dixon july 1, 1915 january 29, 1992 was an american blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. It was first recorded by howlin wolf in 1960 and released by chess records in 1961. In the original blues song written by willie dixon, it refers to a man having an affair with a married woman, using the back door to flee before the husband comes home. Jan 15, 2007 willie dixon the little red rooster duration. In 1965, dixon and leonard chess persuaded koko taylor to record it for checker records, a chess subsidiary. What is considered the most truthful book written about jim morrison. What did jim morrison mean by out here on the perimeter there are no stars.
I am, a back door man i am, a back door man well the, men dont know, but the little girls understand when everybodys trying to sleep im somewhere making my, midnight creep yes in the morning, when the rooster crow something tell me, i got to go. May 23, 2011 one of only two of wolfs own compositions on rocking chair, tell me is also one of the albums oldest tracks, recorded in 1957 before chess made him record willie dixons material. About back door man a cover of blues legend howlin wolfs song cowritten by willie dixon. What was jim morrison referring to when he sang, backdoor man. Willie dixon you cant judge a book by its cover lyrics. But we never bothered to look, and yeah, there was no internet in. Is the solo instrument in the willie dixon version a the slide guitar c. Willie dix on was a chicago blues artist, perhaps best known for his songwriting.
A willie dixon blues song from 1961, this has been covered by john. Back door man is a blues song written by willie dixon and recorded by howlin wolf in 1960. And at that time, the phrase backdoor man had nothing to do with anything like that. View essay backdoor man character analysis from en 102 at butler university. When everybodys tryin to sleep im somewhere making my, midnight creep yes in the morning, when the rooster crow something tell me, i got to go. The songs author willie dixon recorded it for his 1970 album i am the blues. But, truthfully, i didnt even know that back door man was a willie dixon song. Mar 17, 2006 the origins of steely dan donald fagen returns to campus and revisits the origin of his old grudge by rob brunner entertainment weekly on halloween 1967, a party is raging inside ward manor, an elizabethanstyle mansionturneddorm at bard college, in annandaleonhudson, n. Cant judge a book by looking at the cover oh, come on in closer baby hear what else i gotta say you got your radio turned down too low turn it up you cant judge sugar by looking at the cane you cant judge a woman by looking at her man you cant judge a sister by looking at her brother you cant judge a book by looking at the cover. Plays throughout the doors version back door man is a famous blues song written by willie dixon and performed by many chicago blues musicians. Music critic mike rowe calls it a party song in an urban style with its massive, rolling, exciting beat. A back door man helps women cheat on their men, undetected by neighbors who can see the front door. A back door man is said to be a man who has an affair with a married woman while her husbands away. A dictionary of africanamerican slang, the back door as an entranceexit for.
So goes the blues song, back door man, written in 1961 by willie dixon for howlin wolf, and later immortalized by jim morrison and the doors. Johnny shines guitar, walter shakey horton harmonica sunnyland slim, lafayette leake piano. Willie dixon sheet music to download top quality pdfs. Muddy waters was born on april 4, 19 and died on april 30, 1983. What does jim morrison mean when he says hes a back door man. Back door man letralyrics i am, a back door man i am, a back door man well the, men dont know, but the little girls understand. Jun 01, 2017 willie dixon is the biggest name when considering blues composer by its deepest and most essential meaning. In the song, the chicken line serves as a double entendre. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our cookie policy.
Originally by blues musician willie dixon, this song was covered by the doors for their eponymous debut album. Written by willie dixon and originally performed by howlin wolf the song talks about men who sleep with married women and then have to leave via the back door when. I eat more chicken any man ever seen, then, likely referred to the. I eat more chicken any man ever seen the nervous breakdown.
I am a back door man i am a back door man well the men dont know, but the little girls understand when everybodys tryin to sleep im somewhere making my midnight creep yes, in the morning when the rooster crow something tell me i got to go i am a back door man i am, a back door man well the men dont know, but little girls understand they take me to the doctor, shot full o holes nurse. Oct, 2017 the term back door man has several connotations. He was indisputably the preeminent blues songwriter of his era, credited with writing more than 500 songs by the end of his life. Learn to play back door man by willie dixonthe door on your harmonica, the tab is below. During the gerald ford presidency, back door man was applied to dick cheney as fords white house chief of staff and his skills at getting what he wanted through opaque. Back door man by the doors song meaning, lyric interpretation, video and chart position. Im had a little red rooster too lazy to crow the day im had a little red rooster too lazy to crow the day picked up everything in the barnyard either settled or ready to lay you know the dogs begin to bark the hounds they begin to howl you know dogs the begin to bark. Willie dixon back door man sheet music piano solo in a. The song rollin stone blues is a muddy waters song that inspired the name of from music 101 at sierra vista high school. It was released in 1961 by chess records as the bside to wolfs wang dang doodle catalog no. Top publishing administration exec randall wixen discusses. Back door man is a blues song written by willie dixon for howlin wolf, released by chess records as a bside to wolfs wang dang doodle in 1961.
Back door man written by willie dixon was about both anal sex and cunninglingus with young girls, as referenced in. Robert palmers justly celebrated question at the end of his book deep blues. Back door man, a song by willie dixon on spotify we and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. General commentthis is an old blues song by willie dixon. A willie dixon blues song from 1961, this has been covered by john hammond jr. In 1984, back door man was also covered by viktor lazlo.
The doors drummer john densmore described it as a song that is deeply sexual and got everyone moving. Jan 09, 2017 the term back door man has several connotations. The back door man is a great story that captures a great everyman hero that has been beaten down in life and is set up to take the ultimate fall by the man and evil cohorts. A back door man is the secret lover of a married woman.
On a small stage set up in the corner of the common. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he is perhaps best. It was released in 1961 by chess records as the bside to wolfs wang dang doodle. Mfa from warren wilson college and is currently finishing his novel. The 35 th anniversary of his passing has recently come and gone. Track 7 is written as im your hoochie cooche man on the cd booklet and the back of the cd case, but written im your. Check out back door man by willie dixon on amazon music.
Feb 16, 2011 the howlin wolf album 1969 blues electronic blues psychedelic. I am not a back door manat least not in any blues sense of the. But we never bothered to look, and yeah, there was no internet in those days, so it was harder to find out about where some of these blues songs came from. It was the term given to the guy who would run out the back door when a husband came home early and was going to catch his wife and the back door man together. Back door man chords by willie dixon songsterr tabs with.
Dixon is so rich it could have been enough for generations and in fact it was used by his contemporaries and is still used by the generations that followed him for one simple reason, these blues are classics and without having at least some of them in repertoire artist. Back to annandale the steely dan readerthe steely dan reader. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he is perhaps best known as one of the most prolific songwriters of his time. In the middle of the tune, back door man, he cut through the willie dixon lines with a report on the backstage scene, maintaining poetic meter and telling about getting sprayed with mace gas. About back door man back door man is a blues song written by willie dixon and recorded by howlin wolf in 1960.
If you wanted to craft the perfect rock debut, the most obvious route wouldnt be to meld bavarian oompah with willie dixons chicago blues, bach. The original meaning derives from blues lingo and refers to the guy who comes in through the. B3 the end of the night is poetry by celine french outsider author set to music. B1 back door man by blueslegend willie dixon is a great cover where no blues is actually heard. Willie dixon with stephen stills back door man muddy waters tribute, 1983 duration. It was released in 1961 by chess records as the bside to wolfs. The doors decided to cover this after their guitarist robby krieger heard john hammond jr. Willie dixon was always willing to talk about the blues. Producer, performer, and composer willie dixon writes a lyric that combines two of his favorite themes. Though it was made far more famous from the doors inventive cover on their 1967 selftitled debut, the original 1962 howlin wolf recording of back door man will always remain the definitive. Mar 08, 2015 trampled under foot was included on the 1975 album physical graffiti. Reviews of the doors by the doors album, psychedelic rock. Introduced to the blues on a mississippi prison farm, he later learned to sing, and play guitar and upright bass. A back door man is a guy who has relations with a woman while her husband has been out slaving away to provide for her.