8 - "I'm a King Bee" by Slim Harpo - Mississippi Dave - E St Cafe Open Mic

Social Sound System
http://www.socialsoundsystem.com

This was the highlight of my night. Freaking awesome. I heard the original song one morning on the blues show on 94.9 in the morning and just about lost it. This song has been covered by likes of The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Muddy Waters, John Belushi, Aerosmith, and the Grateful Dead.

Here's a link to the Wiki on Slim Harpo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Harpo

Lyrics:

Well I'm a king bee, buzzing around your hive
Well I'm a king bee, buzzing around your hive
Well I can make honey baby, let me come inside

I'm young and able to buzz all night long
I'm young and able to buzz all night long
Well when you hear me buzzin' baby, some stinging is going on

(well... buzz a while... sting it then...)

Well I'm a king bee, want you to be my queen
Well I'm a king bee, want you to be my queen
Together we can make honey, the world ever never seen

Well I'm a king bee, can buzz all night long
Well I'm a king bee, can buzz all night long
Well I can buzz better baby, when your man is gone

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[dangtang707]

playing just the notes that matter. can hear jack white in there at points. its dirrty blues

[rasta1982]

More-like you can hear this in Jack White at points ;)

[blardosplats]

"King Bee" isn't straight 12 bar blues.

That's why you have trouble with your timing.

You can't sing 'off the beat' until you have a 'beat'.

No offense.

[Keithava]

So if I am right what you are saying is don't worry about the timing and act like you are drunk? Hey I do that now.. Youtube user hoosierhiver plays I'm a king bee, that is how I got interested in the song.

[blardosplats]

@Keithava

It's not about the chords. I was talking about singing off the beat. Sometimes in blues, the vocals don't exactly follow the metering of the music. You don't have to wait until the chords or the rhythm or the downbeat or whatever tell you when to sing, or when not to. Also, in Harpo's version the chord changes don't always happen when you'd expect them to.

It's more of a nuance, and not a rule.

[Keithava]

@blardosplats

Hi..Can you explain to me what you mean? I want to learn this song on the ukulele and here are the chords I was told it uses..E-A-E-B7-A-E Thanks.

[m1ck57]

great blues playing

[ChessemillX]

I love this song, I like the Rolling Stones cover, better