Aerosmith – “Baby, Please Don’t Go” Live

Can’t Get Enough Of This!

Released on March 30, 2004, Aerosmith recorded their version of “Baby, Please Don’t Go” for “Honkin’ on Bobo.” This was their 14th studio album and it’s basically a reflection of how much blues has influenced the band. With 11 covers, it also showcased a raw sound. Their rendition peaked at number 7 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and after its release, it remained a staple in their concert repertoire.

Billboard magazine describes the song as “the kind of straight-ahead, hard-driving track that always typified the band’s [1970s] records”. Edna Gundersen of USA Today called their version a “terrific revival.”

“Baby, Please Don’t Go” was popularized by Big Joe Williams and his recording was released in 1935. This blues song was said to be an adaptation of an old folk called “Long John.” Other versions were recorded by legendary blues musicians such as John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Papa Charlie McCoy and Big Bill Broonzy to name a few.

The song’s roots have been traced back to nineteenth-century American songs which deal with themes of bondage and imprisonment.

Check out this spectacular Aerosmith cover!