Lyr Req: You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover

Subject: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: The Shambles
Date: 30 Sep 98 - 05:13 PM

Can anyone help with the words for this one please?

Subject: RE: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: Chet W.
Date: 30 Sep 98 - 06:59 PM

It may or may not be the original version, but the only time I remember hearing this song was at a show by Texas blues boy Delbert McClinton. Don't have the record, but it must be out there.

Good luck, Chet W.

Subject: RE: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: Roger Himler
Date: 30 Sep 98 - 07:36 PM

Shambles,

The song is by Willie Dixon. Covered by Tom Rush on his "Take a Little Walk With Me" album. I'l search for the words.

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU CAN'T TELL A BOOK BY ITS COVER
From: Roger Himler
Date: 30 Sep 98 - 08:54 PM

YOU CAN'T TELL A BOOK BY ITS COVER
by Willie Dixon

Now, you can't tell the honey, babe, lookin' at the bee.
You can't tell an apple lookin' at the tree.
Can't tell the sister lookin' at the brother.
Can't tell a book lookin' at the cover.

CHO:
Baby can't you see how you misjudged me.
I may look like a farmer, baby, but I'm a lover.
Can't tell a book lookin' at the cover.

Now, you can't judge the sugar lookin' in the cane.
You can't tell a woman lookin' at her man.
Can't judge a father lookin' at the brother.
Can't tell a book lookin' at the cover.

Now, you can't tell the fish lookin' in the pond.
You can't judge a right lookin' at the wrong.
Can't judge the one lookin' at the other.
Can't judge a book lookin' at the cover.

Transcribed from the singing of Tom Rush on "Take a Little Walk With Me"

First popularized by Bo Diddley

copyright Arc Music, BMI

Enjoy the song!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: The Shambles
Date: 01 Oct 98 - 01:35 PM

Thank you all very much. When we used to play Trivial Pusuits, in the Geography section when you didn' know the answer, the thing to do was to say Paris, for nine times out of ten it was Paris. It would appear to be the same with songs if in doubt say Willie Dixon. What a man!

Subject: RE: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: Paul
Date: 01 Oct 98 - 02:22 PM

Bo Diddley also claims he wrote this. He does a pretty fun version of it on one of his early albums.

Shambles: If the answer isn't Willie Dixon, you can be pretty sure that it's either Carl Perkins, or Leiber & Stoller.

Subject: RE: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: Brad Sondahl
Date: 02 Oct 98 - 11:45 AM

John Hammond did a nice version of it also. Brad http://www.camasnet.com/~asondahl/music.html

Subject: RE: Can't judge a book by looking at the cover?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 15 Apr 02 - 12:06 PM

AMG has the following song titles listed in its database (not counting a couple of obvious typos):

You Can't Judge a Book
You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover
You Can't Judge a Book by Its Hair
You Can't Judge a Book by Looking at the Cover
You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover
You Can't Judge the Book
You Can't Judge the Book Polka
You Can't Tell a Book by the Cover

Willie Dixon is most often credited as the author, but Rick Springfield does a version that he claims authorship for himself. But even when Dixon is credited, the titles aren't consistent.

I think "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" is most likely the correct original title, based on the fact that Chess Records uses that title in the compilation, "The Chess Box."

The one written by Willie Dixon has been recorded by Bo Diddley, the Yardbirds, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tim Hardin, Sleepy LaBeef, Eric Clapton, the Monkees, Hank Williams Jr., Patti Labelle, John Hammond Jr., Dion, Stephen King (yes, the writer, on "Stranger than Fiction"), and others.

Oddly, I could not find any evidence of a recording made by Willie Dixon himself.

It's not unusual, in the folk or blues field, to find variant titles, but it's unusual to find so many variants, especially when the author is known.

(I'm not related to him, by the way, although I did coincidentally name my son William.)