# "Who do you love?" - the song... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965 "2001-11-07T06:01:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![darkcool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@darkcool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/darkcool)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/1 "2001-11-07T06:01:04Z")
Ronny Hawkins. “I walk 47 miles of barbed wire, use a cobra snake for a necktie…” New house made of “rattlesnake hide”, chimney made from “human skulls”. What does any of this have to do with the chorus, “Who do you love?”? ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/2 "2001-11-07T06:04:07Z")
Don’t know, I’m just piping up with my appreciation for the song. I always thought it was George Thorogood though. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/3 "2001-11-07T06:29:09Z")
Man, I know the guy’s probably never received a royalty check for it in his life, but you only have to hear the rhythm to know that it’s a Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel to the IRS) song. I’m as fond of Ronnie Hawkins as the next guy (and his former backing band as well, of course), but let’s give credit where it’s due. As for the question in the OP, it’s just a melange of standard blues vocal riffs, in the [“signfying” tradition](http://web.utk.edu/~bledsoe/courses/fall99/tours/signify1.htm), boasting that the singer’s a force to be reckoned with, dangerous, afraid of nothing – bad to the bone, in other words. But you knew that. ---
**Author:** ![Hombre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecb155/32.png) [@Hombre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hombre)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/4 "2001-11-07T06:43:29Z")
I’m not clear, are you saying that the structure of the song was stolen are that ‘The Hawk’ covered it? Chord patterns are not copy-writable. Though riffs can be. However, that is a pretty standard riff. Not to take anything away from Bo, but I’d bet it came before his time. WAG. Also, are you saying the “Who do you love” part is kind of like (since I’m so bad) ‘Who’s your daddy’? Cause that song never made much sense to me either. But I like it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/5 "2001-11-07T09:00:08Z")
I don’t know if it’s a Bo Diddley original, but he has a version of this song on a blues collection tape my Dad has. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/6 "2001-11-07T10:55:44Z")
While I realize that this song has early influences and remakes, but I’m just amazed to see it attributed to anybody but Bo Diddley. I really, strongly recommend that everyone run out and buy a Bo Diddley CD, and then we’ll start this conversation over. **Hombre** wrote: > [@](#): > > I’m not clear, are you saying that the structure of the song was stolen are that ‘The Hawk’ covered it? Chord patterns are not copy-writable. Though riffs can be. However, that is a pretty standard riff. Not to take anything away from Bo, but I’d bet it came before his time. WAG. There is a reason Bo Diddley is often called [The Originator](http://members.tripod.com/~Originator_2/index_2.html). In particular, he had a way of using his guitar as some kind of percussion instrument. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/7 "2001-11-07T11:40:09Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s a Bo Diddley original. Am I imagining things are do the Doors also cover this song? I do think George does a pretty rocking version. Saw Bo Diddley once at the Sacto Blues Festival and he really really really rocked. Saw him later in SF and it was a pretty mediocre show. He was a nice guy though. Did an interview with him for the radio station I used to work at. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/8 "2001-11-07T13:19:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hombre \* > \*\*I’m not clear, are you saying that the structure of the song was stolen are that ‘The Hawk’ covered it? > Chord patterns are not copy-writable. Though riffs can be. However, that is a pretty standard riff. Not to take anything away from Bo, but I’d bet it came before his time. WAG. > > Also, are you saying the “Who do you love” part is kind of like (since I’m so bad) ‘Who’s your daddy’? Cause that song never made much sense to me either. But I like it! > 🙂 \*\* Sorry not to be more explicit. The song “Who Do You Love?” is credited to Ellas McDaniel on the majority of recorded versions. And that rhythm **did** originate with Bo Diddley; as much as it’s become a standard part of the landscape (like the twelve-bar blues progression), it didn’t exist before Bo Diddley. As for the question in your second paragraph: in a word, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/9 "2001-11-07T14:35:51Z")
Yep, Ellas McDaniel IS Bo Diddley. And if you want to hear one of the best versions of “Who Do You Love” ever recorded, check out the 1969 release “Happy Trails” by Quicksilver Messenger Service. They also do a kick-ass version of another Bo Diddley classic: “Mona.” And Quicksilver properly credits Bo Diddley on both songs. ---
**Author:** ![Daytona\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Daytona\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daytona_Dave)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/10 "2001-11-07T16:38:08Z")
You can see Ronnie Hawkins do a great version of this song in **The Last Waltz.** backed-up by **The Band** who at one time were Ronnie’s back-up band. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/11 "2001-11-07T17:05:03Z")
Shouldn’t that be “Whom do you love?” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/12 "2001-11-07T20:32:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\*Shouldn’t that be “Whom do you love?” \*\* No, **Ethilrist** , you wouldn’t want “Whom do you love” in a song that also contains the line “You shoulda’ heard just what I seen.” Listen to Bo Diddly do this one and you’ll see that “Who do you love” works out just fine! ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/13 "2001-11-07T21:05:39Z")
Try listening to it performed by The Jesus and Mary Chain. It’s slower, heavy on the bass, and way sexy. Definately changes how you react to it. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/14 "2001-11-07T23:19:48Z")
The guitar riff used in “Who Do You Love?” was also used to great effect by Buddy Holly on “Not Fadeaway.” The most badass line in nearly any song I can think of is from “Who Do You Love” - “I gotta brand new house on the roadside, made outta rattlesnake hide. Its gotta little tiny chimney, built on top, made out of human skulls. C’mon, baby, take a walk with me darlin’ and tell me who do you love?” If you’re building chimneys out of human skulls you are not to be fucked with. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Fibonacci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Fibonacci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibonacci)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-you-love-the-song/91965/15 "2001-11-08T00:03:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Labdad \* > \*\*Yep, Ellas McDaniel IS Bo Diddley. > > And if you want to hear one of the best versions of “Who Do You Love” ever recorded, check out the 1969 release “Happy Trails” by Quicksilver Messenger Service. They also do a kick-ass version of another Bo Diddley classic: “Mona.” > > And Quicksilver properly credits Bo Diddley on both songs. \*\* I have to agree with Quicksilver’s version being one of the best. Word of warning though. The Quicksilver compilation Sons Of Mercury only has the single edit of Who Do You Love. You gotta hear the Happy Trails album, where one whole side was devoted to Diddley!