Archive for the ‘Little Willie John’ Tag

This Blue-winged Bird   1 comment

Eastern Bluebird (August 8, 2012) Image by kenne

He had a blue wing tattooed on his shoulder
Well, it might have been a bluebird, I don’t know
But he’d get stone drunk and talk about Alaska
The salmon boats and 45 below
 
He got that blue wing up in Walla Walla
Where his cellmate there was a Little Willy John
And Willie, he was once a great blues singer
And Wing & Willie wrote him up a song
 
     (They sang,)
     “It’s dark in here, can’t see the light
     But I look at this blue wing when I close my eyes
     And I fly away, beyond these walls
     Up above the clouds, where the rain don’t fall
     On a poor man’s dream”
 
— from Blue Wing by Tom Russell
 
 

You Give Me Fever   Leave a comment

LittleWillieJohnTheELittle Willie John — Google Image

In a previous posting, “Ending Up Down At Nick’s Cafe — Remembering Those Hot Sexy Nights,” Robbie Robertson says:

“Take a picture of this
The fields are empty, abandoned ’59 Chevy
Laying in the back seat listening to Little Willie John
Yeah, that’s when time stood still”

I’m old enough to remember listening to Little Willie John, and my dad my dad had a 1959 Chevy Impala two-door hardtop, but I was not so lucky to be laying in the back seat. 

If people recognize the song “Fever,” they are probably aware of Peggy Lee’s version. Take a listen to the original, then by one of favorite blues musicians, Buddy Guy.

kenne

Fever

You never know how much I love ya
Never know how much I care
When you put your arms around me
I get a feelin’ that’s so hard to bear
You give me fever

When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever (fever, burn through) in the mornin’
An’ fever all through the night

Listen to me, baby
Hear ev’ry word I say
No one could love you the way I do
‘Cause they don’t know how to love you my way
You give me fever

When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever (fever, burn through) in the mornin’
An’ fever all through the night

Bless my soul, I love you
Take this heart away
Take these arms I’ll never use
An’ just believe in what my lips have to say
You give me fever

When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever (fever, burn through) in the mornin’
Fever all through the night

Sun lights up the daytime
Moon lights up the night
My eyes light up when you call my name
‘Cause I know you’re gonna treat me right
You give me fever

When you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever (fever, burn through) in the mornin’
An’ fever all through the night

Umm-mmm-mmm-mm-mmm-mm
Umm-umm-umm-um-um
Umm-mmm-mmm-mm-mmm-mm
Umm-umm-umm-um-um.
~

— Little Willie John