George Thorogood is bad to the funny bone.
“People enjoy a good laugh and that’s what I want to give them – a good time,” Thorogood said in a telephone interview. “Rock and roll is too serious, because anything that makes money is serious.”
George Thorogood and the Destroyers have been rocking for four decades and will play The Sharon on Oct. 17. Their hits include “Bad to the Bone,” “Move It On Over,” “Who Do You Love,” “I Drink Alone” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.”
Thorogood has sold more than 15 million records, toured with The Rolling Stones and played “Live Aid.” He combines blues, country, roots rock and British Invasion sounds with the raw, combustible energy of a garage band playing a local bar.
Seeing George Thorogood and the Destroyers live is a mandatory assignment for any student at the School of Rock.
“This Cat gets deep into bar rock,” said Andy Matchett, leader of the Johnny Wild band. “George Thorogood has an unreal voice. He can really play guitar and when he plays the blues, you know it’s true, because you feel it.”
Here’s a video of “Bad to the Bone”:
Thorogood grew up near Wilmington, Del., a big fan of “I Love Lucy” and “The Three Stooges.” The kid loved slapstick comedy. Then, one Sunday night, an adolescent Thorogood had a near-religious experience watching the Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Instead of Curly, Larry or Moe, young Thorogood wanted to be John, Paul or George Harrison. Next thing you know, the kid was playing in a local band. Thorogood discovered the blues during his 20s, playing acoustic guitar and riffing to the likes Robert Johnson and Elmore James.
The kid was growing up, reading John Steinbeck, studying history, philosophy and digging the blues. It’s hard to believe, but “nobody liked me,” Thorogood said. But he learned an important lesson.
“A lot of comedy and music is created out of pain,” Thorogood said. “Look at Robin Williams, look at Janis Joplin. They gave everything they had to performing. Janis left her heart on stage every night. A lot of comedy and music comes out of tragedy.”
One of Thorogood’s biggest hits, “Move It On Over,” was written by Hank Williams.
“Nobody is more associated with pain than Hank Williams,” Thorogood said. “‘Move It On Over’ sounds like a funny song, but there’s a lot of pain in that song.”
The song is about a guy who gets tossed out of his house, has nowhere to sleep and spends the night in a dog house outside. “Move over little dog, because the big dog’s moving in,” is one lyric.
Here is a video of Thorogood singing that song:
Thorogood changed his attitude about music one night, fittingly, at a party in a bar. “I was a serious guy,” Thorogood said, recalling that he sat in a corner during the party. Then, he said, the drummer in the band started acting wild and having fun, and Thorogood had an epiphany.
The serious, philosophical bluesman rediscovered his rock and roll roots. Thorogood was severely infected with the rocking pneumonia and the boogie-woogie blues. He caught the spirits of Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Hank Williams and John Lee Hooker – and it all came out in his voice and guitar.
Goodtime George was ready to rock. He hooked up with the Destroyers – Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone). And the band not only rocked but provided something rock music in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s was lacking – a sense of fun.
“Rock and roll should be fun,” Thorogood said, and talked about touring with The Rolling Stones. “Mick Jagger is a funny guy. He says funny things that make you laugh and if you look at his lyrics, they can be funny.”
Thorogood offered the example of “Live With Me:” “I got nasty habits, I take tea at three/Yes, and the meat I eat for dinner/Must be hung up for a week.”
“Chuck Berry is funny,” Thorogood added, citing the example of “Too Much Monkey Business:” “Workin’ in the fillin’ station, too many tasks/Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas/Too much monkey business, too much monkey business/Don’t want your botheration, get away, leave me….”
Then, of course, there is Thorogood’s own classic rock anthem, “Bad to the Bone,” with these poetic lyrics: “Bad to the bone/Bad to the bone/B-B-B-B-Bad/ B-B-B-B-Bad/B-B-B-B-Bad/Bad to the bone.”
OK, so it’s not Bob Dylan. “I can’t write Bob Dylan songs,” Thorogood said.
It doesn’t matter. The kid grew up doing what he loved and like some of his major influences – Little Richard, Keith Richards and Richard “Ringo” Starkey – George Thorogood wants to have a good time rocking the rest of his life.
“This is my job,” Thorogood stated on his Web site. “I’ve always loved it, and I love it now more than ever.”
Villager Tony Violanti is a correspondent for Villages-News.com.
