Who Do You Love

Looking to capitalize on his voodoo-man persona, Bo Diddley cut "Who Do You Love" during a blistering 1956 session in Chicago. He abandoned his signature "Bo Diddley beat" for a relentless, driving shuffle. Diddley chanted incredibly vivid, macabre lyrics about rattlesnake neckties and chimney skulls, sounding like a wild, backwoods shaman. His explosive, distorted guitar work was perfectly matched by Jody Williams's razor-sharp lead fills. The song became a definitive swagger anthem, fiercely covered by generations of rock and roll rebels, from Ronnie Hawkins and the Band to George Thorogood.