Deliberately one day after the traditional date of Groundhog Day, life and music repeats itself with two songs by the British 60s band were inspired the great American bluesman and one of his numbers.
Groundhog Day, that date of Canadian and American folklore, is is named after the the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog, also known as a woodchuck emerges from its burrow on 2 February, sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks. Winter seems to in fact persist far long than that each year, and popular films and plays on the theme show, history repeats itself. Much of white, western music, from Elvis Presley to the Rolling Stones and onwards is a narrative of copying black American blues musicians. But the Groundhogs, originally formed as The Dollar Bills in New Cross, London in 1962 by brothers Pete and John Cruickshank, then renamed themselves after playing at the backing band for John Lee Hooker in 1965, inspired by his songs Groundhog Blues and Dirty Groundhog. As garage blues rockers, they went on to record many great songs in their own right, so let’s enjoy a couple of classic tracks, the first from Split (1971), the second from Thank Christ For The Bomb (1970) as well as footage of their appearance with Hooker doing Boom Boom:
All night long, I loved her
Morning came too soon
I knew she'd be gone by the afternoon
I said "Please don't go!"
Still she said goodbye
But as she turned around she had a glad look in her eye
But as she turned around she had a glad look in her eye
But as she turned around she had a glad look in her eye
And I thought it said:
When you look round to see me
You turn right in your bed
The warmth of my body will heat you
Make your blood run cherry red
Cherry red, cherry red
All next day I waited for her return
But she didn't show
Until I turned to look on your night
I said, "Please come soon!"
Still there was no sign
But as the dawn returned that look round was just a lie
As the dawn returned that look round was just a lie
As the dawn returned that look round was just a lie
And I thought it said:
When you look round to see me
You turn right in your bed
The warmth of my body will heat you
Make your blood run cherry red
Cherry red, cherry red
My chest is a 36
My overcoat is full of poison
My trousers end six inches from the ground
Three inches from my shoes
Tied up with a piece of string and
Held together with free spoon glue
Call me an eccentric man
I don't believe I am
Call me an eccentric man
I don't believe I am
My bed is a park bench
And my sheet and blankets are newspaper pages
The people think I'm crazy
But I know I'm wiser than all the sages
'Cos I have money they think that I'm a fool for doing what I do, but I know it's right
Call me an eccentric man
I don't believe I am
Call me an eccentric man
I don't believe I am
If ever I want to
I could have the comfort of my country home
But until that time
I'm quite content to have
Walls made of bridge stones
A carpet of moss, a ceiling of sky
And a brown rat for a watch dog
Call me an eccentric man
I don't believe I am
Call me an eccentric man
I don't believe I am
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