Redhouse

soundclip

by John Lee Hooker
recording
from , copyright notice

There's a redhouse¹ over yonder, that's where my baby stays
Lord, there's a redhouse over yonder, Lord, that's where my baby stays
I ain't been home to see my baby in, ninety-nine and one half days

Wait a minute, something's wrong here, the key won't unlock this door
Wait a minute, something's wrong, Lord, have mercy, this key won't unlock this door
Something's goin' on here
I have a bad bad feeling that my baby, don't live here no more

Well, I might as well a go back over yonder, way back up on the hill,
That 's something to do
Lord, I might as well go back over yonder, way back yonder cross the hill
'Cause if my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will

__________
Note 1: redhouse, a house of prostitution, a whorehouse. There would often be a red light lit over the front door to alert those who were looking for some action as a means of saying "Hey, here's where you get that stuff!" Though you will not likely find red lights burning outside a brothel today, historically speaking, areas of a city where there were concentrations of such places were known as "red-light districts". Thanks to Larry Haston from Tennessee, "a native U.S. Southerner and a blues freak", for this contribution to the list. Sounds to me like Larry knows what he's talkin' 'bout ;-).