Born Graham Barnes in Nottingham England, Alvin Lee took up guitar at the age of thirteen. By the age of fifteen he had formed the group Jaybirds. Following in the footsteps of earlier beat groups such as the Beatles, the Jaybirds played the clubs in Hamburg, Germany to great local acclaim. On returning to London in 1966, the group changed its name to Ten Years After.
Ten Years After scored hits with many albums and became a popular touring band. The band gained note in America after their appearance at Woodstock in 1969.
Lee's guitar work on ‘I’m Going Home’ on the 'Woodstock' album and film remains a standard for many rock guitarists to emulate.
Ten Years After played a mix of rock and blues tinged with jazz. In 1973, Lee left Ten Years After to pursue a solo career.
His first work was a collaborative effort with American gospel singer Mylon LeFevre on an album entitled On The Road To Freedom; other artists on the album included George Harrison, Mick Fleetwood and Steve Winwood. A year later he formed the band Alvin Lee & Company and released a double live album recorded at the Rainbow in London, In Flight.
Lee continued to record albums and play live until his death in 2013, thrilling audiences with his guitar virtuoso and nimble fingered fret work.
Having recorded over twenty albums, some of the key solo works Alvin Lee has recorded are:
1973 On The Road To Feedom
1974 In Flight
1975 Pump Iron
1976 Let it Rock
1978 Rocket Fuel
1979 Ride On
1980 Freefall
1981 RX5
1986 Detroit Diesel
1992 Zoom
1994 I Hear You Rockin
1996 Live In Vienna
2004 In Tennessee
2007 Saguitar
2012 Still On The Road To freedom
Official Website: Alvin Lee
You can also see Alvin Lee & Ten Years After and / or Alvin Lee & Co and / or Ten Years After and or Alvin Lee & Ten Years Later and / or The Alvin Lee Band on Last.fm.
I Don't Give a Damn
Alvin Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said you quit draggin' me around girl, I ain't that kind of cat
I said, I expect some respect, so what you think of that
She said, I don't give a damn, I am what I am
I don't give a damn, I am what I am
No matter what you say, I'm gonna do it anyway
Because I don't give a damn
She said, now you listen to me babe,that's alright for you
You swarming around with that band of yours,
I don't know what you been up to
But you expect me to be sittin' here,
Like a good woman when you get home,
Well you got another thing coming
I said, I don't give a damn, I am what I am
I don't give a damn, I am what I am
No matter what you say, I'm gonna do it anyway
Because I don't give a damn
She said, now you wait a minute buster, I'm gonna give you a clue
If you don't get your ass back home tonight,
Then you and me are through
And if you don't take my advice, you know what you can do!
I said, I don't give a damn, I am what I am
Well, I don't give a damn, I am what I am
No matter what you say, I'm gonna do it anyway
Because I don't give a damn
I don't give a damn now baby!
I don't give a damn, I am what I am
Well, I don't give a damn, I am what I am
No matter what you say, I'm gonna do it anyway
Because I don't give a damn
The lyrics to Alvin Lee's song "I Don't Give a Damn" is about a couple in a heated argument. The man is confronting his woman, telling her that he wants respect and doesn't appreciate being dragged around by her. He insists on being treated properly and warns her that he won't tolerate anything less. The woman responds by saying she doesn't care what he thinks because she is who she is and she will do what she wants regardless of what anyone says. Despite her threat to end their relationship, the man stands his ground and declares that he doesn't give a damn, and he will do what he wants.
The lyrics paint a picture of a relationship where one person is trying to control the other, and the other is pushing back against that control. The man wants respect and to be treated as an equal, while the woman is asserting her independence and refusing to be told what to do. Despite their differences, neither is willing to back down, resulting in a heated exchange that ultimately leads to a stalemate.
The song is an anthem for anyone who has ever felt trapped or oppressed by someone else's expectations. It's a message of empowerment, encouraging listeners to stand up for themselves and be true to who they are, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Line by Line Meaning
I went talkin' to my woman, I had to tell her where its at
I had a conversation with my girlfriend and told her how things are.
I said you quit draggin' me around girl, I ain't that kind of cat
I asked her to stop playing games with me and treating me like a pushover.
I said, I expect some respect, so what you think of that
I told her that I deserve to be treated with respect and asked for her thoughts on it.
She said, I don't give a damn, I am what I am
She expressed her indifference to my expectations and stated that she is who she is.
No matter what you say, I'm gonna do it anyway
She made it clear that she's going to do what she wants regardless of my opinion.
Because I don't give a damn
She doesn't care about my feelings or thoughts on the matter.
She said, now you listen to me babe, that's alright for you
She told me to pay attention to her and that my behaviour is fine for me, but not for her.
You swarming around with that band of yours, I don't know what you been up to
She pointed out that I'm always with my band and she doesn't know what I'm doing.
But you expect me to be sittin' here, like a good woman when you get home
She expressed her frustration that I expect her to wait for me to get home like a traditional obedient woman.
Well you got another thing coming
She said that I shouldn't have that expectation, and there will be consequences if I continue to expect it.
She said, now you wait a minute buster, I'm gonna give you a clue
She warned me to pay attention and listen to her carefully.
If you don't get your ass back home tonight, Then you and me are through
She threatened to end our relationship if I didn't come home that night.
And if you don't take my advice, you know what you can do!
She advised me to make the right decision or suffer the consequences.
I don't give a damn now baby!
I expressed my lack of concern for her feelings or opinions.
No matter what you say, I'm gonna do it anyway
I reiterated that I am going to do what I want, regardless of what she says.
Because I don't give a damn
I don't care about her opinions or feelings and will continue to do what I want.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALVIN LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Debra Altizer
R.I.P my brother. Your guitar playing will be missed! You are awesome.
Elly Winterquist
Best guitar picker EVER!!!! Rest In Peace Mr. Alvin Lee... 😔 Gone, but never forgotten You made Great music.
Da MORG
I've had the pleasure of wtching Alvin play with; drum stick, mic/stand and harmonica. It was GREAT!
Kenny Knott
Alvin Lee is another icon !!!!!
daud abdulahi
incredible boogie by Alvin Lee! RIP
Tina Hedge
That fukkkin TONE Alvin always coaxed out of his gitts!! Frikkkin EPIC!
Jim Topsecret
Up there with Eric, I think it's a tie but who cares...both are fantastic
Joe Jacovino
Thanx for the tip on the Alvin Lee TYA book. I saw him at least a dozen times in the 70's, ere was nothin' like it. Most guys did leads and then played rhythm while they sang, he could do such intricate picking while he sang, he was really really amazing. peace Joe J
Gary Michalsen
Saw them 2 nights in a row in Chicago many years ago!!! Wow!!!!
marktarmannpiano
1968 woodstock guitar solo and vocal !!! one of the best fast blues EVER!!! "goin'home"