Willie Dixon & Howlin Wolf - Little Red Rooster (sound files & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a recording of "Little Red Rooster" by that Blues song's composer Willie Dixon. This post also showcases a recording of "Little Red Rooster" by Howlin Wolf. Lyrics for both of those recordings are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

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FEATURED EXAMPLE: Willie Dixon - The Little Red Rooster.wmv

IP Susimies Uploaded on Apr 1, 2011
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Dixon for information about African American Blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer Willie Dixon (July 1, 1915 – January 29, 1992)

Also, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Rooster for information about Blues songs about roosters that predated this song.

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LYRICS: LITTLE RED ROOSTER
(composed by Willie Dixon, as recorded by Willie Dixon)

I had a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day.
I had a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day.
He kept everything in the barnyard
Just a sittin and ready to lay.*

You know the dogs they begin to bark
And the hounds, they begin to howl.
You know the dogs begin to bark
Hound begin to howl.
You know my little red rooster's gone
Lord, the little red rooster's on the prowl.

[instruments]

Now if you see my little red rooster
Somebody please drive him home.
Now if you see my little red rooster
Somebody please run him home.
There’s been no peace in the barnyard
Since my little red rooster’s been gone

[instruments]
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Transcription from this recording by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.
*I'm not sure about the beginning of this line.

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FEATURED EXAMPLE: Howlin' Wolf - Little Red Rooster



TheBluesfan12, Uploaded on Jul 14, 2010
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howlin'_Wolf for information about African American Blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player Chester Arthur Burnett [Howlin Wolf](June 10, 1910 – January 10, 1976).

Here's an excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Red_Rooster about Howlin Wolf's recording of "Little Red Rooster":
"In 1961, Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster". The song is a slow blues that features distinctive slide guitar accompaniment and Wolf's "master singer's attention to phrasing and note choice, milking out maximum emotion and nuance from the melody".[3] Backing Wolf (vocals, guitar) were Hubert Sumlin (guitar), Johnny Jones (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), and Sam Lay (drums)."

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LYRICS: LITTLE RED ROOSTER
(composed by Willie Dixon, as recorded by Howlin Wolf)

I had a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day.
I had a little red rooster
Too lazy to crow for day.
He kept everything in the barnyard

Upset in every way

Oh, the dogs begin to bark
and the hounds begin to howl
Oh, the dogs begin to bark
Hounds begin to howl
Watch out fakin people
‘Cause little red roosters on the prowl

If you see my little red rooster
Please drive him home
If you see my little red rooster
Please drive him home.
There’s been peace in the barnyard
Since the little roosters gone.
-snip-
Transcription from this recording by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.

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Thanks to Willie Dixon and Howlin Wolf for their musical legacy. Thanks to the publishers of these sound files on YouTube.

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