"It was a rewrite of Muddy Waters' Hootchie Cootchie Man"



Adapted from Smithsonian, August 2008. By Ned Sublette, "Who Do You Love?"

"Both sides of Bo Diddley's first single were one - chord tunes, cut at the same March 2, 1955, session, I'm a Man and Bo Diddley.

"The lyrics of Bo Diddley owed something to Hambone, Red Saunders' 1952 Chicago - made novelty hit, which in turn referred to a popular lullaby.

"But Bo Diddley ditched the bird and went straight to the ring, creating one of the iconic verses of rock 'n' roll:

Bo Diddley buy baby diamond ring,
If that that diamond ring don't shine,
He gonna take it to a private eye."

I'm a Man...Little John the Conqueroo...

"I'm a Man was recorded the year after the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education."

The third verse:

I'm goin' back down

To Kansas to

Bring back the second cousin,

Little John the Conqueroo...

"High John the Conqueror was a root that root doctors used.

"You might come back to Chicago from down South with some in your pocket.

"But in African - American lore, John the Conquerer was also an African king sold into slavery.

"Bo Diddley was claiming kinship to a king..."

Good man!!