Alongside the laidback subtlety of the performance and vocal on Little Walter’s 1955 hit, My Babe, what stands out to me about it is that it’s a great example of what I think of as “good cop/bad cop” songwriting. There’s no chorus in the song, but the verses alternate between one about how loving and sweet Walter’s lady is and one about how strict and implacable she is at any hint of infidelity on his part. The concept of an open relationship clearly never gained much traction in the world of the blues. Given that the ratio of loving to admonitory verses is 1:3, maybe Walter’s girlfriend has had plenty of practice at telling him what she will not accept. And yet, like a dope, she takes him back everytime…
This mixture of sweet and sour owes a lot to the source material that inspired My Babe. Its writer, Willie Dixon, conceived it as a secular reworking of a 1920s gospel blues song called This Train is Bound for Glory which spoke about the wonder of passing into Heaven, but in typical religious damp cloth style, the majority of the song is devoted to telling the listener which groups will not be allowed onboard.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe announces the next departure to Heaven from platform 666.
Video courtesy of Angel Neira (Little Walter) and Enzo GD - Music Videos (Sister Rosetta Tharpe)
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