Information About "John The Conqueror" In African American Folk Culture

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about the folk character "John The Conqueror" and John The Conqueror roots in African American folk culture. This post also showcases the Blues song "My John The Conqueror Root".

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to Willie Dixon, composer and Muddy Waters, performer of the song "My John The Conqueror Root". Thanks also to the publisher of that song on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT "JOHN THE CONQUEROR" ROOT & FOLK CHARACTER
From http://www.luckymojo.com/johntheconqueror.html by catherine yronwode

"As an amulet, JOHN THE CONQUEROR ROOT has no equal. It is used for Drawing Luck, gaining Mastery, and Strengthening Male Nature. We make a dressing oil from chips of the root, and incorporate it into sachet powders, incense, and crystals for bath or floor wash. All our JOHN THE CONQUEROR supplies contain pieces of real root!"
-- The Lucky Mojo Curio Co. catalogue

"High John the Conqueror root is one of the staples of African-American folk magic. Its use in mojo hands is as ubiquitous as its qualities are varied, and its very name signifies power and prosperity to many.

Who was John the Conqueror and what is the root named after him? Ethnographers, especially those influenced by Zora Neale Hurston, say that he was a black slave whose life -- perhaps a real life that was embellished in the telling, perhaps a fictional life entirely imagined -- was an inspiration to slaves who wanted to rebel against their masters but could not do so openly. John, said to be the son of an African king, was in captivity, but he never became subservient, and his cleverness at tricking his master supplied many a story with a pointed moral. If he was a real being, he soon acquired some of the characteristics of mythical trickster figures like the Native American Coyote, the African-American Bre'r Rabbit, and the West African deity known variously as Elegua, Legba, and Eshu. He gave -- only to take away. He bet -- and never lost. He played dumb -- but he was never outsmarted. The reputation of High John is so great that, as recorded by the folklorist Harry Middleton Hyatt in the 1930s, just reciting the words "John over John" and "John the Conqueror" is a powerful spell of magical protection against being hoodooed."...

There are three roots named for John the Conqueror. Each is in a separate botanical family and has a different method of use.

HIGH JOHN THE CONQUEROR ROOT
High John the Conqueror is the most prized of the three John roots. When Willie Dixon sings in "Hootchie Cootchie Man" that he has "a John the Conqueroo," he means a John the Conqueror root -- the hard, woody tuber of Ipomoea jalapa, a member of the morning glory family, and a relative of the common sweet potato. Fresh John the Conqueror root has a unique, spicy fragrance, reminiscent of a combination of cherry-scented pipe tobacco, vetivert, cedarwood, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and mace. Like many other ipomoeas, some of which are psychedelic, it is rich in alkaloids, but in magical practice, the root is not ingested, probably because it is an extremely powerful laxative. Instead it is used whole -- carried on the person as a pocket piece or as an ingredient in a mojo bag, especially one designed to draw money, bring luck at games of chance, or enhance personal sexual power....

DIXIE JOHN, SOUTHERN JOHN, LOW JOHN ROOT
Southern John or Dixie John Root (rarely called "The Conqueror") is the root of the common Wake-Robin or Trillium grandiflorum and related species. These spring-flowering members of the lily family have long been used medicinally, and among Euro-American herbalists, Low John is sold medicinally under the name Birth-Root or Beth-Root and used as an aid in childbirth and with menstrual cramps. However, in African-American folk magic, Low John is not ingested. It is carried on the person, usually for help in family matters and love. …

CHEWING JOHN, LITTLE JOHN, COURT CASE ROOT
The third John root is Chewing John, sometimes called Little John to Chew or Court Case Root. This is Alpina galanga, otherwise called Galangal. It is a member of the ginger family and is medicinally used as a stomachic and carminative. In African-American hoodoo practice, its pleasant gingery taste is part of its charm and, unlike High John Root or Low John Root, Chewing John Root is actually chewed and the juice swallowed. A typical spell prescribes its use in court case magic: Chew the root, swallow the juice and discretely spit the "cud" onto the courtroom floor before the judge walks in; he will decide the case in your favour...

WORKING WITH WHOLE JOHN THE CONQUEROR ROOTS
John the Conqueror roots are primarily "male" roots because they resemble the testicles of brown-skinned men. When carried as a lucky amulet, a man's root is always whole. No African American man i know with a family background in hoodoo practice would walk into my shop and buy a broken High John root, even if it was as big as a baby's head and cost two dollars!...

How did African slaves and their descendents come to believe that the root of a wild morning glory vine native to Mexico, Louisiana, and Florida was a powerful magical herb? The answer probably lies in the little-documented but widely-acknowledged contact between captive Africans and the Native Americans from whom they acquired local botanical knowledge.

Any intelligent herb doctor or shamanic healer who was transported to a new environment would seek out a list of regional plants whose uses corresponded to the ones with which he or she was familiar. Thus, it is only reasonable to assume that Ipomoea jalapa was the designated surrogate for a West African plant with similar magical or medical properties.

The Native Americas made use of various regional species of Ipomoea both as a laxative and for magic. To the Iroquois Indians, the plant was "Man Root" or "Man In the Earth" -- and men carried it while hunting to strengthen themselves and increase their endurance. It was even said that if a man rubbed his root before hitting another man in a fight, he could kill his opponent with one blow.

Because the character of the person or mythical figure called John the Conqueror partakes of the tricksterish and way-opening qualities of the orisha and the loa known variously as Elegua, Legba, and Eshu, it is not unreasonable to search for a hypothetical African fore-runner to John the Conquer root in the herbal folklore of Africa.

It may be that there are three John-roots in the African-American hoodoo tradition because each in its own way substituted for some part of an African root that incorporated diverse qualities. That is, an African root that could be chewed for male power was analogous to the Iroquois Man Root -- except that Man Root could not be chewed, so Chewing John was added to the retinue of John Roots to cover for that aspect of the African knowledge-base. Likewise the African root was used to help women in childbirth -- so the obvious substitution by Native shaman for this would be Birth Root or Dixie John.”...

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE
Example #1: Muddy Waters - My John The Conqueror Root



IfYouAintGotNothingYouGotNothingToLoose Published on Nov 29, 2012
The mean Muddy Waters
-snip-
This song was first recorded in 1964.

Here's two comments from another sound file of this song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOP61h6cAoQ
Chris Moran, 2014
"Personnel list from liner notes:
Muddy Waters – Composer, guitar, vocals
Buddy Guy – Guitar
Sammy Lawhorn – Guitar
James Madison – Guitar
Otis Spann – Harmonica, piano (***very funny! James Cotton was under contract to another label at the time. Spann & Cotton were buds, so Spann was listed as the harp man)
Francis Clay – Drums
Clifton James – Drums
S.P. Leary – Drums
Willie Dixon – Bass
Milton Rector – Bass
Johnny Temple – Composer
J.T. Brown – Clarinet, tenor saxophone"

**
Chris Moran, 2014
"Don't forget James Cotton on harp. He doesn't get a mention because he was under contract to another record company (probably Vanguard). Also J.T. Brown is listed on clarinet and tenor saxophone. Nothing like saxophone to evoke the feeling of a "folk singer," eh?"

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LYRICS: MY JOHN THE CONQUEROR ROOT
(Written by Willie Dixon & sung by Muddy Waters)

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

I was accused of murder in the first degree
The judge's wife cried, "Let the man go free!"
I was rubbin' 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

Oh, i can get in a game, don't have a dime,
All i have to do is rub my root, i win every time
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


Source: http://www.lyricspond.com/artist-muddy-waters/lyrics-my-john-the-conqueror-root

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REFERENCES TO "JOHN THE CONQUEROR" ("JOHN THE CONQUEROO") IN OTHER BLUES SONGS
From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/muddy-waters-hoochie-coochie-man-video.html
Muddy Waters - "Hoochie Coochie Man"
"I got a black cat bone
I got a mojo too
I got the Johnny Concheroo
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
But you know I'm him
Everybody knows I'm him
Oh you know I'm the hoochie coochie man
Everybody knows I'm him

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From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/07/muddy-waters-mannish-boys-information.html
Muddy Waters - "Mannish Boy"
"I think I go down,
To old Kansas Stew
I'm gonna bring back my second cousin,
That little Johnny Cocheroo"
-snip-
My guess is that the African American children's game song "Johnny Cuckoo" is also based on the character John the Conqueror. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/five-traditional-african-american-game.html for a video of African American singing games that includes a performance of "Johnny Cuckoo".

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Muddy Waters - "Mannish Boy" (information, sound file, video, and lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- August 26, 2016

This post showcases a video and a sound file of Muddy Waters performing his song "Mannish Boy".

The lyrics for this song are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Muddy Waters for his musical legacy and thanks to all those who also performed in these featured songs. Thanks also all those who are quoted in this post and the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/muddy-waters-hoochie-coochie-man-video.html for a pancocojams post on Muddy Water's "Hoochie Coochie Man".

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/07/bo-diddleys-im-man-information-examples.html for a pancocojams post on Bo Diddley's song "I'm A Man".

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INFORMATION ABOUT MUDDY WATERS' "MANNISH BOY"
From http://www.theglobaldispatches.com/articles/muddy-waters-im-a-man-m-a-n "Muddy Waters – I’m a Man, M-A-N" By Gary Burnett, November 27, 2013
"The song has become something of a blues standard with its raunchy lyrics which nevertheless betray a stronger message about a Jim Crow South where a black man would always be referred to as a "boy", a black "man" was just too much of a threat.

Muddy Waters first recorded Mannish Boy back in 1955. He and Willie Dixon had previously written Hoochie Coochie Man, which had inspired Bo Diddley‘s I’m a Man,and which in turn provided the basis for Mannish Boy. The song is credited to Muddy Water, Mel London and Bo Diddley, and features a repeating lick based on one chord....

Despite the clear sensuality of the song, there’s something more going on in the song. In the Southern states under Jim Crow, including Mississippi where Muddy Waters grew up, a black man was never recognized as anything other than a “boy.”

Fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1853, Thomas Bailey, a southern educator set forth fifteen major premises of the “common opinion of the South” of black Americans. Two of these said, “The negro* is inferior and will remain so,” and “Let the lowest white man count for more than the highest negro.” African Americans were both demonized and dehumanized. A white student in 1909 – shockingly – wrote, “The negro is more like a mule than anything I can think of…You cannot get the brute out of the negro; therefore he must be kept under subjection.”

Such were the attitudes that Muddy Waters experienced growing up in Mississippi. As a black man, he was considered and treated as less than human, and one of the ways in which this was reinforced was in the way in which he would never be referred to as a man – always as “boy.” Blacks at best were children, to be looked after, provided of course they knew their place, behaved and did not become “uppity.” At worst black men were considered a source of danger to white womanhood, ready at any opportunity to act as crazed, ravishers of pure white women. On this basis, many of the atrocious lynchings...

Muddy Water’s song, then, takes on a new meaning in this context. Now that he’s free of Southern racism and oppression and is a successful musician in Chicago, Muddy can assert his black manhood – “I’m a man, I’m a full grown man,” sings Muddy, “I spell M-A, child, N.” And free from the accusations of sexual misconduct, the sexual bravado of the song becomes at least understandable."...
-snip-
That song- and "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Mannish Boy", "Bad To The Bone" and countless other Blues & R&B songs are self-bragging songs. And what the men are bragging about is their sexual prowess with women.

The men who brag about themselves in those songs are defying at least one American rule- that men (and women) should be monogamous. Isn't it therefore likely, that those men would also be defying other mainstream American rules even though that's not addressed in those songs?

"Stealing chickens from the White man's yard" is an example of a Black man during slavery and immediately post slavery who breaks the rules. While that behavior was illegal and therefore "bad", Black men who could successfully do this helped stave off malnutrition for themselves and their families. It's therefore likely that those actions were considered much more positively by Black folks than by White folks. The "Wild Ni&&er Bill" folk songs are other examples of "a good bad Black man" - and there are many more examples of from "Shine" to "Superfly", and beyond. These men could be considered anti-heroes, although those considering them as such would more likely be Black than non-Black. But it's not just Black Americans who admire anti-heroes.

One trait that those "bad men" who bragged about themselves in "Mannish Boy" and those other songs have in common is their sexual attractiveness to women and their sexual prowess with women. Although "Mannish Boy" and those other sexually bragging songs don't mention any other examples of those men defying other mainstream morals, it seems likely to me that these men were badass in more ways than one.

**
Also, for the record (no pun intended), it should be noted that by the 1960s, "Negro" has been retired as a referent for Black Americans. Also, since at least the 1960s, apart from historical quotes, the "n" in the referent "Negro" is always capitalized. A noticeable exception is when African Americans purposely spell "negro" with a small "n" as an insult directed towards a Black person who is acting or speaking in subservient ways or in other ways that benefit non-Black people over Black people.

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LYRICS: MANNISH BOY
(Muddy Waters)
Ooooooh, yeah, ooh, yeah

Everythin', everythin', everythin's gonna be alright this mornin'
Ooh yeah, whoaw
Now when I was a young boy, at the age of five
My mother said I was, gonna be the greatest man alive
But now I'm a man, way past 21
Want you to believe me baby,
I had lot's of fun
I'm a man
I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
I'm a man
I'm a full grown man
I'm a man
I'm a natural born lovers man
I'm a man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man
I'm a hoochie coochie man

Sittin' on the outside, just me and my mate
You know I'm made to move you honey,
Come up two hours late
Wasn't that a man
I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
I'm a man
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
Man-child
I'm a hoochie coochie man

The line I shoot will never miss
When I make love to a woman,
She can't resist
I think I go down,
To old Kansas Stew
I'm gonna bring back my second cousin,
That little Johnny Cocheroo
All you little girls,
Sittin'out at that line
I can make love to you woman,
In five minutes time
Ain't that a man
I spell mmm, aaa child, nnn
That represents man
No B, O child, Y
That mean mannish boy
Man
I'm a full grown man
Man
I'm a natural born lovers man
Man
I'm a rollin' stone
I'm a man-child
I'm a hoochie coochie man
Well, well, well, well
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry
Don't hurt me, don't hurt me child
Don't hurt me, don't hurt, don't hurt me child
Well, well, well, well

Yeah

Source: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/muddywaters/mannishboy.html

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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannish_Boy
..."In 1986, Muddy Waters' original "Mannish Boy" was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame "Classics of Blues Recordings" category.[7] It was also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[8] "Mannish Boy" is ranked #229 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[9]"...

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: Muddy Waters plays "Manish Boy"



GtrWorkShp, Uploaded on Nov 16, 2007

In this clip from a 1971 performance, Muddy Waters and his band perform "Manish Boy." From the DVD "Muddy Waters In Concert 1971" produced by TopCat Records.
-snip-
here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:
Mael W (thesnoopyfan711), 2016
"Everything... everthing....everything... gonna be alright this morning... oh yeah.... i love this song from Muddy Waters... no other song can cheer me up, even in the darkest and sadest moments, ... this one SONG " Manish Boy " from Muddy Waters, yes Sir. R.I.P. Muddy Waters..."

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Example #2: Muddy Waters - Mannish Boy


Jeoffrey van Overveld , Published on May 17, 2012
This song is clearly not owned by me.
-snip-
Selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread
Michael Luisi, 2013
"Muddy is a national treasure. He never got the acclaim he truly deserved. The fact that a bunch of English rockers introduced this blues legend to main stream America is a frigging disgrace."

**
Reply
bluesatsunset, 2014
"I think it's more of a disgrace American mainstream didn't wake up to Muddy, Wolf, Slim etc, etc until that period of time. It was British blues artists, not "rockers", who shook the American blues scene up & made you open your ears to the genius of these men & women creating what we yearned to play from the deep south.. "

**
bluesatsunset, 2014
"Very close, if not THE greatest riff ever written."

**
Danny Pembroke, 2016
"The cornerstone of electrified blues. May sound old but Muddy hit this dirty crunchy sound before anyone else! Would love to have been around back in the day to have heard this for the first time. Been playing this riff for thirty years. It still blows me away every time I hear it. There is lots more out there. Dig, people. Keep it alive."

**
JacoZawinul, 2016
"That's Johnny Winter's howlin' in the background."

**
Reply
Gregory Pickett, 2016
"+JacoZawinul I always wondered that! :)"

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" (information, examples, lyrics, & comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

[latest revision - August 25, 2016]

This post provides information about Bo Diddley's song "I"m A Man" and showcases two examples of that song. The song's lyrics and selected comments are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Bo Diddley for his musical legacy and thanks to all those who also performed in these featured clips. Thanks also all those who are quoted in this post and the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/muddy-waters-hoochie-coochie-man-video.html for a pancocojams post on Muddy Water's "Hoochie Coochie Man".

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/07/muddy-waters-mannish-boys-information.html for a pancocojams post on the Muddy Waters song "Mannish Boy".

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INFORMATION ABOUT BO DIDDLEY'S "I'M A MAN"
From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=12395
"This classic Blues song is filled with Diddley's swagger. He sings about his sexual prowess, literally spelling out that he is indeed a man. The song is famous for its riff, which was used by many Blues and Rock musicians, notably George Thorogood on "Bad to the Bone."

This was influenced by a 1951 Muddy Waters song called "She Moves Me." Later in 1955, Waters released "Mannish Boy," which was essentially a rewrite of this song".
-snip-
"This song" means Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man".

****
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_a_Man_(Bo_Diddley_song)
"I'm a Man" is a rhythm and blues song written and recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955. A moderately slow number with a stop-time figure, it was inspired by an earlier blues song and became a number one U.S. R&B chart hit. "I'm a Man" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including The Yardbirds who had a number seventeen pop hit in the U.S. in 1965.

"I'm a Man" was released as the B-side of "Bo Diddley", his first single in April 1955.[3] The single became a two-sided hit and reached number 1 in the Billboard R&B chart. "I'm a Man" was inspired by Muddy Waters' 1954 song "Hoochie Coochie Man", written by Willie Dixon.[4] After Diddley's release, Waters recorded an "answer song" to "I'm a Man" in May 1955, titled "Mannish Boy",[4] a play on words on Bo Diddley's younger age as it related to the primary theme of the song."...

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PANCOCOJAM EDITOR'S COMMENT
The songfacts.com article that is quoted above highlights the central theme of Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" song- "He sings about his sexual prowess". That song- and "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Mannish Boy", "Bad To The Bone" and countless other Blues & R&B songs are self-bragging songs". And what the men are bragging about is how good they are- and the women know they are- "in bed".

Read this excerpt to add context to the "sexual bravado" theme that is found in all the songs that are mentioned above:
http://www.theglobaldispatches.com/articles/muddy-waters-im-a-man-m-a-n Muddy Waters – I’m a Man, M-A-N By Gary Burnett, November 27, 2013
...."Muddy Waters first recorded Mannish Boy back in 1955. He and Willie Dixon had previously written Hoochie Coochie Man, which had inspired Bo Diddley‘s I’m a Man,and which in turn provided the basis for Mannish Boy. The song is credited to Muddy Water, Mel London and Bo Diddley, and features a repeating lick based on one chord.”...

The song is basically a raunchy number, both musically and lyrically, full of male sexual bravado. When Muddy sings “I’m a natural born lover,” and “I passed 21, I want you to believe me baby, I had lots of fun,” and “I’m made to move you honey,” there’s really no doubt as to what he’s talking about. He also says he’s a “hoochie coochie man” – the hoochie coochie was a sexually provocative dance that became wildly popular in Chicago in the late nineteenth century. The dance was performed by women, so a “hoochie coochie man” either watched them or ran the show.

Despite the clear sensuality of the song, there’s something more going on in the song. In the Southern states under Jim Crow, including Mississippi where Muddy Waters grew up, a black man was never recognized as anything other than a “boy.”...

Such were the attitudes that Muddy Waters experienced growing up in Mississippi. As a black man, he was considered and treated as less than human, and one of the ways in which this was reinforced was in the way in which he would never be referred to as a man – always as “boy.” Blacks at best were children, to be looked after, provided of course they knew their place, behaved and did not become “uppity.” At worst black men were considered a source of danger to white womanhood, ready at any opportunity to act as crazed, ravishers of pure white women. On this basis, many of the atrocious lynchings that mark the Jim Crow period in the South took place.

Muddy Water’s song, then, takes on a new meaning in this context. Now that he’s free of Southern racism and oppression and is a successful musician in Chicago, Muddy can assert his black manhood – “I’m a man, I’m a full grown man,” sings Muddy, “I spell M-A, child, N.” And free from the accusations of sexual misconduct, the sexual bravado of the song becomes at least understandable."...
-snip-
That song- and "Hoochie Coochie Man", "Mannish Boy", "Bad To The Bone" and countless other Blues & R&B songs are self-bragging songs. And what the men are bragging about is their sexual prowess with women.

The men who brag about themselves in those songs are defying at least one American rule- that men (and women) should be monogamous. Isn't it therefore likely, that those men would also be defying other mainstream American rules even though that's not addressed in those songs?

"Stealing chickens from the White man's yard" is an example of a Black man during slavery and immediately post slavery who breaks the rules. While that behavior was illegal and therefore "bad", Black men who could successfully do this helped stave off malnutrition for themselves and their families. It's therefore likely that those actions were considered much more positively by Black folks than by White folks. The "Wild Ni&&er Bill" folk songs are other examples of "a good bad Black man" - and there are many more examples of from "Shine" to "Superfly", and beyond. These men could be considered anti-heroes, although those considering them as such would more likely be Black than non-Black. But it's not just Black Americans who admire anti-heroes.

One trait that those "bad men" who bragged about themselves in "I'm A Man" and those other songs have in common is their sexual attractiveness to women and their sexual prowess with women. Although "Mannish Boy" and those other sexually bragging songs don't mention any other examples of those men defying other mainstream morals, it seems likely to me that these men were badass in more ways than one.

****
LYRICS: I'M A MAN
(Elias McDaniels, aka Bo Diddley)

Now when I was a little boy
At the age of five
I had somethin' in my pocket
Keep a lot of folks alive

Now I'm a man
Made twenty-one
You know baby
We can have a lot of fun

I'm a man
I spell M-A-N, man

All you pretty women
Stand in line
I can make love to you baby
In an hour's time

I'm a man
I spell M-A-N, man

I goin' back down
To Kansas to
Bring back the second cousin
Little John the conqueroo

I'm a man
I spell M-A-N, man

The line I shoot
Will never miss
The way I make love to 'em
They can't resist

I'm a man
I spell M-A-N, man

Source: http://www.metrolyrics.com/im-a-man-lyrics-bo-diddley.html
-snip-
Read the quote included in the pancocojams post about Muddy Water's song "Mannish Boy" whose link is given above about the social meaning of calling a Black man a man and not a boy.

**
Explanation about the referent "John the conqueroo":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Conqueror
"John the Conqueror, also known as High John the Conqueror, John de Conquer, and many other folk variants, is a folk hero from African-American folklore. He is associated with a certain root, the John the Conqueror root, or John the Conqueroo, to which magical powers are ascribed in American folklore, especially among the hoodoo tradition of folk magic...

The root known as High John the Conqueror or John the Conqueror root...is... used as one of the parts of a mojo bag. It is typically used in sexual spells of various sorts and it is also considered lucky for gambling.".

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are presented in chronological order based on their publishing date on YouTube with the oldest example presented first.

Example #1: I'm a Man



Organizedblues, Uploaded on Nov 14, 2008

Muddy, Bo, and Little Walter

Some Good Blues
-snip-
selected comments from this sound file's discussion thread:

HendrixPrinceFlea89, 2009
"It doesn't have to be twelve bar blues to be blues, this is great. RIP Bo Diddley."

**
THEMOJOMANsince1959, 2010
in reply to JBerg4723
@JBerg4723 Hoochie Coochie Man and I'm a Man are two different songs. You better read the credit under the title of Mannsh Boy and I'm a Man,,,,sez ELIAS McDANIELS. Willie Dixon had nothing to do with I'm a Man. he may have been there when it was recorded as he was working at CHESS at the time. I'm a Man predates Mannish Boy."
-snip-
Elias McDaniels = Bo Didley

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unkameat74 .unkameat77, 2011
"MAIN MAN MAIN---YASSA, REAL BLACK FOLK MUSIC.."

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Anita Jeppesen, 2012
in reply to unkameat74 .unkameat77
"This is not black folk music, it's the blues. I'm a white woman who loves Muddy Waters and the blues. Shame on you for thinking the blues is black folk music. The blues is full of soul not color."

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Nacho Bidness, 2012
in reply to Anita Jeppesen
"I'm also a white woman who loves the blues. And...the blues IS (or at least WAS) black folk music. In its original form it was black folk music that influenced the rest of American music and that lots of white people either started participating in or just appropriated. Obviously no genre is open to only one race, but black people started blues music."

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TESDAGREAT, 2012
"Bad to the Bone song by George Thorogood and the Destroyers can be traced back to rock and roll musician Bo Diddley's song "I'm a Man"! Which uses a similar guitar riff and vocal rhythm, and has a similar overall structure!"

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TheOfficialPSPHacker, 2012
"So Bad to the Bone ripped their stuff from this song? I'm feel ashamed :("

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Nacho Bidness, 2012
in reply to TheOfficialPSPHacker
"oh dear...i'm sorry babe but you're in for a big shock. the stones, dylan, elvis, the beatles, so many big groups have ripped off the blues. caveat to debaters out there: I know it's complicated and musical innovation requires combining influences, paying tribute etc but you can't deny the blues has been appropriated."

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1blastman, 2012
"This is my favorite cut off my favorite blues album of all time - Super Blues. Three blues legends gettin' it on."

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MrArghhhh, 2012
"wrote by bo diddley in the 55's, inspired by muddy waters' hoochie coochie man from the 54."

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Example #2: Bo Diddley - I'm A Man (live 1959)



TerryLDaniels, Uploaded on Dec 23, 2010

Live at Cornell University. Bo really embraces the "mayygn" pronunciation here and stops singing after two verses, filling the rest of the performance with atonal slides and "mumbles" in addition to standard blues licks.

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man (Video, Lyrics, Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - April 4, 2026

This post showcases the Willie Dixon song "Hoochie Coochie Man" as performed by Muddy Waters. This is Part I in a three part series of post on three Blues songs that include references to the power of the number seven. Each of these songs are examples of "bragging Blues" and not the "sad Blues" that many think are the only way that Blues can be.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/willie-dixon-seventh-son-video-lyrics.html "Willie Dixon - Seventh Son (Videos, Lyrics, Comments) for Part II of this series.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/jt-funny-paper-smith-seven-sisters.html "J.T. "Funny Paper" Smith - Seven Sisters Blues (Video, Lyrics, Comments)" for Part III of this series.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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FEATURED VIDEO: MUDDY WATERS -hoochie coochie man (1960)



Uploaded by BestMasterGuitar on Jul 8, 2010
Newport 1960...

Newport 1960. Canción editada por Waters en 1956, escrita por Willie Dixon. Muddy Waters no tan solo influencio el Blues, más bien diversos generos musicales como el rock and roll, rock, folk y el jazz. El blues ingles fue fuertemente influenciado por este hombre y su guitarra, tanto asi que la legendaria banda inglesa The Rolling Stones lleva ese nombre gracias a uno de las canciones de Muddy, en el rock más duro también encontramos grandes guitarristas a quienes Waters infuencio tales como Angus Young de AC/DC.
-snip-
Google translate:
Song edited by Waters in 1956, written by Willie Dixon. Muddy Waters influenced not only the Blues rather different musical genres such as rock and roll, rock, folk and jazz. The English blues was heavily influenced by this man and his guitar, so much so that the legendary British band The Rolling Stones so named because one of the songs of Muddy, the harder rock also find great guitarists who Waters infuencio such as Angus Young of AC / DC.

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LYRICS: Hootchie Cootchie Man
(written by Willie Dixon)

The gypsy woman told my mother
Before I was born
I got a boy child's comin'
He's gonna be a son of a gun
He gonna make pretty women's
Jump and shout
Then the world wanna know
What this all about
But you know I'm him
Everybody knows I'm him
Well you know I'm the hoochie coochie man
Everybody knows I'm him

I got a black cat bone
I got a mojo too
I got the Johnny Concheroo
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
But you know I'm him
Everybody knows I'm him
Oh you know I'm the hoochie coochie man
Everybody knows I'm him

On the seventh hours
On the seventh day
On the seventh month
The seven doctors say
He was born for good luck
And that you'll see
I got seven hundred dollars
Don't you mess with me
But you know I'm him
Everybody knows I'm him
Well you know I'm the hoochie coochie man
Everybody knows I'm him

Lyrics reposted from http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/martinscorsesebestoftheblues/imyourhoochiecoochieman.htm

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COMMENTS ABOUT THE SONG "HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoochie_Coochie_Man
“‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ (sometimes referred to as "(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man") is a blues standard written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954 in Chicago. The song was a major hit upon its release, reaching #8 on Billboard magazine's Black Singles chart....

The song was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1984. The song was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1998. The song is a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list. The song was featured on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, where it was voted number 225 by representatives of the music industry and press.
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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoochie_coochie
"The hoochie coochie was a sexually provocative belly dance that originated at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. It became wildly popular during and after the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Described by the New York Journal in 1893 as "Neither dancing of the head nor the feet", it was a belly dance performed by women of (or presented as having) an Eastern European gypsy heritage, often as part of travelling "sideshows". Gooch, goochie or gootchie was apparently already a Southern US term for a woman's vagina, and hoochie coochie has been suggested as referring directly to sex."
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What those song descriptions don’t include is the fact that beginning of the word “hoochie” is the same as the beginning of the word "hoodoo”. I don't think that's a coincidence because the song "Hootchie Coochie Man” includes references to African American hoodoo beliefs & supersitions such as the power of the “black cat bone”, the power of the plant called “John The Conqueror", and the power inherent in the number seven”. Furthermore, notice that the song "Hoochie Cootchie Man" starts with a prediction from a gypsy woman before the singer was born that he would be a special person. This further solidifies that this song isn’t about a man who is sexual potent, but a man whose sexual powers are just one part of his overall super human nature that was bequeathed to him because of when he was born

On the seventh hours
On the seventh day
On the seventh month
The seven doctors say
He was born for good luck

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From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Conqueror
"John the Conqueror, also known as High John the Conqueror, John de Conquer, and many other folk variants, is a folk hero from African-American folklore. He is associated with a certain root, the John the Conquer root, or John the Conqueroo, to which magical powers are ascribed in American folklore, especially among the hoodoo tradition of folk magic...

The root and its magical uses are mentioned in a number of blues lyrics. Regardless of which name is used, in these contexts "conqueror" is pronounced "conker" or sometimes "conqueroo"...

The plant is known in some areas as bindweed or jalap root. It has a pleasant, earthy odour, but it is a strong laxative if taken internally. It is not used for this purpose in folk magic; it is instead used as one of the parts of a mojo bag. It is typically used in sexual spells of various sorts and it is also considered lucky for gambling."
[Italics were added by me to highlight this sentence.]

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COMMENTS ABOUT THE MEANING OF THE NUMBER SEVEN
From http://www.luckymojo.com/number7.html
"Why is 7 so fortunate? The following colloquy, begun in a Freemasonic mailing list in 1995, was continued in the alt.lucky.w newsgroup and the pre-war blues e-list from 1997 - 1999. It is currently my most complete summary of the LUCKY SEVEN concept.

From: Rick Reade (email address deleted)
“There are seven visible planets and luminaries (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). Each one rules a day of the week (Sun=Sunday, Saturn= Saturday, Moon=Monday, etc.) and that is where the seven day week came from. Each one is supposed to have a particular virtue or power.”...

From: catherine yronwode (email address deleted)
...In African-American hoodoo there is are several formulas for anointing oil, soap, and floor wash that use the numebr seven. Among them are Seven Herb Bath, Gambler's Gold Lucky Seven Hand Wash, Seven-Eleven Holy Type Oil, and a relatively modern line of products marketed under the name Seven African Powers. These "powers" are better known in the African-Caribbean Santeria religion as the Orishas or natural forces of the African Yoruba people, who during slavery days became identified with seven Catholic saints. Images of the Seven African Powers can be found on Santeria votive candles...
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From http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3406300275.html
"The number seven has been regarded with superstitious awe for centuries—some consider seven to be lucky; others, unlucky. Rather than being viewed as bringing good fortune or misfortune, the number seven has long been considered a digit of great power. For example, there are seven ecstasies of Zoroaster, the seventh day that celebrates the Sabbath, the seven days of the week, the seven golden candlesticks of Solomon's temple. Among various early peoples, the seventh son of a seventh son was believed to be born with supernatural powers, a boy who would become a wizard when he grew to manhood. Likewise, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter was believed to be born with gifts of prophecy and healing."
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Other quotes about the meaning of the number seven can be found on the other pancocojams post in this series.

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.muddywaters.com/home.html Official website for the great American Blues musician and vocalist Muddy Waters (April 4, 1915 - April 30, 1983)
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http://www.nairaland.com/1473/life-possessed-number-seven-7/1
This is a Nigerian blog ["Naira" is a contemporary vernacular term for Nigeria, West Africa]. In particular read the posts by cushman. A number of his posts are quotes from http://www.luckymojo.com/number7.html

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http://www.seiyaku.com/reference/seven/seven-church.html
This article discusses the significance of seven in the Bible & Christian religion

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
Thanks to Willie Dixon for composing "Hoochie Coochie Man" song, and Muddy Waters for performing that song. Thanks also to those whose transcriptions and comments I quoted in this post, and thanks to the uploader of this post's featured video.

Thank you for visiting pancocojams.

Viewer comments are welcome.