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MUSC-21600: The Art of Rock Music Prof. Freeze
Hound Dog (1953)
Big Mama Thornton
LISTEN FOR
- Rough, raspy vocal quality
- Blues-style guitar rhythms, emphasizing blue notes
- Laid-back rhythmic feel o Loose hand-clap backbeat
- Hokum blues lyrics dealing with empowered woman, good-for-nothing man
CREATION
Songwriters Jerry Leiber (lyrics), Mike Stoller (music) Label, Record Peacock 2258 Musicians String bass, drums, electric guitar, Producer Johnny Otis Engineer Recording Radio Recorders Annex, Los Angeles, August 1952; mono Charts R&B 1
MUSIC
Genre Blues Form Simple verse-chorus (12-bar blues) Key E-flat Meter 4/
MUSC-21600 Listening Guide Freeze “Hound Dog” (Big Mama Thornton, 1952)
LISTENING G UIDE
Time Form Lyric Cue Listen For 0:00 Chorus (12) “You ain’t nothing” • Starts with growling vocal solo out of time
- Regular beat begins in m. 2
- Blues-style electric guitar riffs that bend the blue notes 0:22 Verse 1 (12) “You told me” • Drums focus mainly on tom- toms (here and throughout) 0:42 Chorus (12) “You ain’t nothing” (^) • New guitar fills 1:03 Instr. Verse (12) (^) • Guitar solo
- Humorous vocal interjections 1:23 Instr. Verse (12) (^) • Guitar solo and vocal interjections continue 1:42 Instr. Verse (12) (^) • Guitar solo and vocal interjections continue 2:01 Verse 2 (12) “You made me feel” • Guitar fills from Verse 1 return 2:23 Chorus (12+2) “You ain’t nothing” • Ends with all-male band howling in response to Big Mama’s commands
LYRICS
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Been snoopin’ ’round the door You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Been snoopin’ ’round my door You can wag your tail But I ain’t gonna feed you no more
You told me you was high class But I could see through that Yes, you told me you was high class But I could see through that And daddy I know You ain’t no real cool cat
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Been snoopin’ ’round the door You’re just an old hound dog
Been snoopin’ ’round my door You can wag your tail But I ain’t gonna feed you no more
You made me feel so blue You made me weep and moan You made me feel so blue Well you made me weep and moan ’Cause you ain’t lookin’ for a woman All you’re lookin’ for is a home
You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Been snoopin’ ’round the door You ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog Been snoopin’ ‘round my door You can wag your tail But I ain’t gonna feed you no more
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