The first time I listened to John Lee Hooker Hobo Blues’s song, I was captivated. That music was speaking to me like no others. Since then, I’vebeen listening to Blues music. When I finally got my first guitar at the age of 16, I started listening to many different kind of music; the Blues was the one that moved me the most. I listened to all the greatest blues players: BB King, Robert Johnson, Albert King…
For me, the hobo music is symbolised by the railroad tracks of America, a music made by travellers, feeling free and at the same time lonesome, missing their home. Their music is the translation of these feelings.
John Lee Hooker Hobo Blues
John Lee Hooker Hobo Blues
His song is basically a hobo definition: the story of a young man leaving his home. Travelling all around the country by train. He misses his home and didn’t see his family for a very long time. Here you can read the lyrics.
The hobo life, is for me, an existence of freedom that I always idealised: train carriages, traveling workers moving from places to places, soulful music… Hobo life has somehow participated in the creation of incredible music. Many hobos were amazing musicians.
I can’t pretend being a hobo like all this generation of people from the beginning of the last century. Although, I spent some period of my life travelling with my guitar, a hobo knife and a tent. I was hitch hiking and sleeping in bushes, train stations and wherever I could find a place to sleep. These experiences inspired me the song ‘Hobo Blues’ during my road-trips in Switzerland.
Hobo Blues live
After writing the song ‘Hobo Blues’, I went to Istanbul during the winter time and I played that song with the band. I started to sing with a megaphone on the street and we added a banjo and a street drum set. That song represents the new identity of our band at that time, back in 2016. We created a new sound for our music. We were able to play on the street and be heard by everyone thanks to our instruments set up.
We had the pleasure to record ‘Hobo Blues’ live at the Komsu cafe.
We met JPublic, a video maker who really loved our sound and asked us to make a video of a live session at the Komsu cafe. It is located on the asian side of Istanbul, it’s a lovely place welcoming locals and foreigners. We made a concert that night. A tiny scene on the back of the bar, we played acoustic as we did on the street.
Here is a short video of us playing the song on the streets of Istanbul!
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