I don’t play a lot of fancy guitar. I don’t want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks.

Meaning of the quote

The famous American musician John Lee Hooker didn't want to play fancy, complicated guitar music. Instead, he preferred a rougher, more intense style with "mean, mean licks" - powerful guitar riffs that had a strong, aggressive sound. He didn't care about showing off technical skills, but instead focused on creating a raw, emotional style of music that captured the heart of the blues.

About John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker was an American blues legend who rose to prominence with his unique electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. He was known for his driving-rhythm boogie style and powerful vocals, and is considered one of the greatest male blues vocalists of all time. His best-known songs include “Boogie Chillen’,” “Crawling King Snake,” and “Boom Boom.”

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More quotes from John Lee Hooker

They wasn’t gonna give you nothin’. I didn’t care as long as they let me play my music. Cash on the spot… You cheat me and I’m gonna get me some money, too.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I just get an idea and then all of a sudden I’ve got a song.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I hitchhiked, took trucks ‘n’ trains – anything that would pick me up. I stopped in Memphis for about six months and they found me and come got me. Stayed about a month an’ split again.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

In my career, people in the record business have been rockin’ in the same ol’ boat. They all crooks – I’ll say it clear and loud – especially the big ones.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I am a happy man. I’ve had a good life.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I like the small clubs.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

Since you knew they was goin’ to cheat you anyway, I recorded under any name with all of ’em.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I don’t play a lot of fancy guitar. I don’t want to play it. The kind of guitar I want to play is mean, mean licks.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

Oh, I still like to play and I still play when I want to.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

Like you and your woman ain’t gettin’ along and you’re in love. You can’t sleep at nights. Your mind is on her – on whatever. You know, that’s the blues. You can’t hug that money at night. You can’t kiss it.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

But I don’t want to do no big tours or go out on the road.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

The one thing the blues don’t get is the backing and pushing of TV and radio like a lot of this garbage you hears. They choke stuff down people’s throat so they got no choice but to listen to it.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I’ve got enough money to live me two lifetimes so I don’t have to do nothing I don’t want to.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

Groups are corporations now. They have pension plans. Musicians have saw the daylight.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

The way Will Moore taught me, and the way I play it, the blues is just something different.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

My style is all to myself.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

If they played more blues, people would just get it – they try to hold it back but just about can’t hold it back now because the blues is really going.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

You can go to Europe, and there’s no turnin’ back – any parts of Europe. Wherever you are, there is no stop and go for the blues. The blues go but it don’t stop.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I do benefits. I do them all the time. There’s so many people out there that needs help that I can’t say I won’t help them.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I have heartaches, I have blues. No matter what you got, the blues is there. ‘Cause that’s all I know – the blues. And I can sing the blues so deep until you can have this room full of money and I can give you the blues.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I went on to Cincinnati. I had got a taste of the big cities and them bright lights. I stayed there until I was about 18 or 19 and then I went on to Detroit.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I remember back in Detroit, I used to go to the Apex Bar every night after I got off work. The bartender there used to call me Boom Boom. I don’t know why, but he did.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I want to play music when I want, write a song if I want or watch a baseball game if I want.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

All my life I been doin’ what people tell me to do. Now, I’m telling them.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

It don’t take me no three days to record no album.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I don’t do nothing I don’t want to do.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I like dropping into a small club and playing with some people, trying to help them get a start.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)

I don’t think about time. You’re here when you’re here. I think about today, staying in tune.

John Lee Hooker

American blues musician (1912 or 1917-2001)