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Grant Schiller's List: Blues Literature
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Jul 26, 10
Blues lyrics
The magic of John the Conqueroo became known beyond the circle of African American hoodoo practitioners by being mentioned in a number of well known blues lyrics.
In 1961 Willie Dixon wrote a song called "Rub My Root" and in 1964 it was recorded by Muddy Waters under the title "My John the Conquer Root." The first verse goes:
My pistol may snap, my mojo is frail
But I rub my root, my luck will never fail
When I rub my root, my John the Conquer root
Aww, you know there ain't nothin' she can do, Lord,
I rub my John the Conquer root
In 1954, Muddy Waters recorded a very popular version of Willie Dixon's "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man" song with an additional verse mentioning John the Conquer root:
I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too,
I got a John the Conquer root, I'm gonna mess with you,
I'm gonna make you girls lead me by my hand,
Then the world will know the hoochie coochie man.
In 1955, Bo Diddley wrote and released "I'm A Man" with the following verse:
I goin' back down,
To Kansas to
Bring back the second cousin,
Little John the conqueroo.
In 1971, Dr John (Mac Rebennack) recorded a song called 'Black John the Conqueror' on his 'Sun Moon & Herbs' album which describes some of the legends surrounding the folk hero and as well as the powers of the herb. -
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