Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker

Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker – The Healer

“The Healer” is a blues album by John Lee Hooker, released in 1989 by Chameleon Music Group Chameleon. The album features collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Musselwhite, Los Lobos and Carlos Santana, among others. The Healer peaked at number 62 on the Billboard 200 and “I’m in the Mood” won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Performance. Produced by Roy Rogers of the Delta Rhythm Kings, and executive produced by Mike Kappus (who conceived the idea for the project), and Stephen Powers, founder and President of Chameleon Records. Powers and Kappus knew each other from the music business in Wisconsin — Rosebud Agency was originally based in Milwaukee, and Powers’ label, Mountain Railroad Records, was headquartered in Madison. Chameleon had recently acquired Vee-Jay Records and reissued Hooker’s numerous albums for Vee-Jay, plus a “Best of” compilation of Hooker’s early entitled “The Hook.”

The video for “The Healer” featuring Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker was filmed in the Chameleon warehouse in Hawthorne, CA amidst stacks of Hooker’s old vinyl LPs, and live on stage at “The Palace,” a Hollwood nightclub across from Capitol Records on Vine St.

John Lee Hooker was 73 years of age when the album was released. It was his first Grammy win. The album had such success that it “permitted John Lee Hooker to live out the end of his life in comfort”. Powers recounts with joy sending a large royalty check to Hooker, and the deep gratitude he felt for the opportunity to help him to finally achieve the recognition he deserved.
— Black Strat

Lyrics:
Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Hmm, oh Lord, Lord
Hmm, hmm, hmm
hmm, hmm
Hmm, hmm, hmm

Blues a healer, all over the world
Blues a healer, healer, all over the world, all over the world
It healed me, it can heal you
The blues can heal you, early one morning
It can heal you
The blues can heal you
Yeah, yeah
It healed me, healed me
It healed me
I was down
I was down
It healed me
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, yes it did, yes it did
Look now
My woman left me
The blues healed me
My woman left me, left me early one morning
Hmm, hmm
The blues healed me, it healed me, healed me
Yeah, yeah!
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord
Hmm, have mercy
The blues , the blues is a healer
Blues, blues, is a healing healer
it healed, healed, healed
Heal!
Heal, heal, heal!
All over the world, all over the world
It’s a healer

One night, I was laying down, feeling so bad, so low, so low
My woman had left me, blues came along and healed me
Heal!
Heal!
(Carlos, it healed me, Carlos)
Carlos!
It healed me!
The blues, it healed , it healed, healer
Hey!
Hey!
Healed me!
Healed me!
Healer!
Hey!
Blues a healer
The blues a healer, all over the world, all over the world
Hmm

Lord, Lord, Lord
Blues a healer, all over the world, all over the world
Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord
Healed me, healed, healed, healed
It healed me
It healed me, to heal me
Can heal you, can heal you, heal you, if you let it