Hambone by John Dee Holeman (2024)

Hambone

John Dee Holeman»Bull Durham Blues

BluesPiedmont bluesCountry bluesSeen liveFolk

John Dee Holeman (born April 4, 1929) is an American Piedmont blues guitari… Read Full Bio ↴John Dee Holeman (born April 4, 1929) is an American Piedmont blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His music includes elements of Texas blues, R&B and jazz. In his younger days he was also known for his proficiency as a 'buckdancer'.

Holeman was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina, United States, but since 1954 he has been based in Durham, North Carolina. Inspired by Blind Boy Fuller, Holeman was both singing and playing his guitar at local parties and other events by his mid-teens. By his mid-twenties Holeman had bought his first electric guitar and relocated to Durham, where he played with the pianist, Fris Holloway. The duo became adept at the Juba dance, also known as the hambone or buckdance.
During his working lifetime, Holeman had full-time employment was a construction worker, and music was a part-time pursuit. However, Holeman toured both in the United States and overseas in the 1980s, which included performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, and abroad on behalf of the United States Information Agency's 'Arts America' program. In 1980, Holeman played at the 42nd National Folk Festival at Wolf Trap, Virginia. He recorded his debut album, Bull Durham Blues in 1988, which featured Taj Mahal. It was re-released on the Music Maker label in 1999. Also in 1988, the National Endowment for the Arts presented Holeman with a National Heritage Fellowship.
In 1994, Holeman was presented with the North Carolina Folk Heritage Award. A song he co-wrote with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, "Chapel Hill Boogie", was featured on the 2007 Grammy Award nominated album, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads.
In 2007, Music Maker also issued the John Dee Holeman & the Waifs Band album, where Holeman was backed by the Australian folk rock group, The Waifs.

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[edit]John Dee Holeman was born in Orange County, North Carolina in 1929. He is a storyteller, dancer and a blues artist that played with musicians who had learned directly from Blind Boy Fuller. He possesses an expressive blues voice and is a wonderful guitarist incorporating both Piedmont and Texas guitar styles. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage fellowship and a North Carolina Folk Heritage award, John Dee has toured the U.S, Europe and Asia. John recently retired from a career as a heavy machine operator and continues to tour both in the states and abroad.

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hambone! Hambone!

Hambone, hambone
Where you been?
Round the world and I'm going again
What you gonna do when you come back?
Take a little walk by the railroad track
Hambone

Hambone, hambone
Where you been?
Round the world and I'm going again
I just skinned an alley cat
To make my wife a Sunday hat
Took the hide right off a goat
To make my wife a Sunday coat

Hambone, hambone
Where's your wife
Out to the kitchen, cooking beans and rice
Hambone
Hambone

Hambone, hambone
Trying to eat
Ketchup on his elbow, pickle on his feet
Bread in the basket
Chicken in the stew
Supper on the fire for me and you

Look at him holler, look at him moan
That hambone just can't hambone

Hambone
Hambone

Overall Meaning

The song “Hambone” by John Dee Holeman is a traditional folk tune that has been passed down through generations of African American musicians. The song is believed to have originated during the era of slavery in the United States when enslaved Africans would use their bodies as percussion instruments as they worked in the fields or performed various chores. In the song, the singer, who is referred to as “Hambone,” is depicted as a wanderer who has traveled around the world and is about to embark on another journey.

Throughout the song, Hambone recites various rhyming verses that detail his travels and experiences. He talks about buying a mockingbird and a diamond ring, and the consequences if they don't meet his standards. He also discusses how he has skinned an alley cat and taken the hide off a goat to make his wife a hat and coat. In the final verse, Hambone is portrayed as a hapless character who can't even eat without making a mess.

The lyrics of “Hambone” are playful and contain a lot of wordplay and rhymes. Despite the light tone of the song, it also serves as a commentary on the experiences of African Americans during a particularly difficult time in American history. The line “skinned an alley cat to make my wife a Sunday hat” is particularly poignant, as it highlights the resourcefulness and creativity of enslaved Africans who had to make do with very little.

Line by Line Meaning

Hambone! Hambone!
The singer is calling out his own name, Hambone, and it serves as a way to start the song and capture the listener's attention.

Hambone, hamboneWhere you been?Round the world and I'm going againWhat you gonna do when you come back?Take a little walk by the railroad trackHambone
The singer is explaining that he's going to travel the world again and upon his return, he would take a stroll down by the railroad track. The words signify his desire for adventure and freedom.

Hambone, hamboneHave you heard?Papa's gonna buy me a mocking birdAnd if that mocking bird don't singPapa's gonna buy me a diamond ringAnd if that diamond ring don't shinePapa's gonna take it to the five and dimeHambone
The singer tells a childlike loop about his father buying him gifts. However, the poem reflects his joy in the simple pleasures of life and his resilience in handling disappointment.

Hambone, hamboneWhere you been?Round the world and I'm going againI just skinned an alley catTo make my wife a Sunday hatTook the hide right off a goatTo make my wife a Sunday coatHambone,
The singer proudly tells how he skinned an alley cat to create a beautiful hat for his wife, and also that he took the hide off a goat to create a coat. The words demonstrate a resourcefulness and creativity to provide for his family.

Hambone, hamboneWhere's your wifeOut to the kitchen, cooking beans and riceHambone
This line continues the theme of the previous two lines. The singer tells that his wife is cooking beans and rice while he is singing for the audience. The words give listeners an insight into the daily lives of ordinary working-class African Americans in the south.

Hambone, hamboneTrying to eatKetchup on his elbow, pickle on his feetBread in the basketChicken in the stewSupper on the fire for me and youLook at him holler, look at him moanThat hambone just can't hamboneHamboneHambone
The lyrics describe a scene where the singer was having supper. When he sang, he noticed that he had ketchup on his elbow and a pickle on his feet. The chorus, 'look at him holler, look at him moan, that hambone just can't hambone,' is a reference to his inability to control the urge to dance or perform for the audience. The words speak to the carefree attitude and the joyous spirit of the singer, even during the toughest times of life.

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