B.B. King & Eric Clapton are two well known blues guitarists. The collabora… Read Full Bio ↴B.B. King & Eric Clapton are two well known blues guitarists. The collaboration between these two blues legends is best known for the blues album "Riding with the King" which was released in 2000.

Although Eric Clapton and B.B. King had a 30-plus years friendship originating with a chance meeting and subsequent jam session at New York City's Café Au Go Go in 1967, the idea for a collaborative album only crystallized during the sessions for King's 1997 album Deuces Wild. The resulting record, "Riding with the King", is a stellar event thanks to a wealth of rich material and a solid supporting cast including Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Sample and Steve Gadd.

B.B. King's extensive catalog provides a wellspring of inspiration, including signature songs such as the smoldering "Three O'Clock Blues", alongside lesser-known numbers like the ribald shuffle "Days Of Old", and the Live at the Regal chestnut "Help The Poor". Elsewhere, King and Clapton look to guitarist Big Bill Broonzy (an acoustic "Key to the Highway") and Chicago pianist Maceo Merriweather (the slow-rolling "Worried Life Blues") for inspiration. Even the non-blues numbers are delivered with a rich subtlety befitting these guitar icons' consummate musicianship. John Hiatt's title track becomes a mid-tempo exchange between old friends, while their honeyed vocals on the standard "Come Rain or Come Shine" are worthy of Ray Charles' 1959 version.

"Riding with the King" won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Official website for B.B. King: www.bbking.com
Official website for Eric Clapton: www.ericclapton.com

Lay Down Sally
B.B. King & Eric Clapton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is nothing that is wrong
In wanting you to stay here with me
I know you've got somewhere to go
But won't you make yourself at home and stay with me?
And don't you ever leave

Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms
Don't you think you want someone to talk to?

Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon
I've been trying all night long just to talk to you

Sun ain't nearly on the rise
We still got the moon and stars above
Underneath the velvet skies
Love is all that matters
Won't you stay with me?
And don't you ever leave

Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms
Don't you think you want someone to talk to?
Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon
I've been trying all night long just to talk to you

I long to see the morning light
Coloring your face so dreamily
So don't you go and say goodbye
You can lay your worries down and stay with me
And don't you ever leave

Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms
Don't you think you want someone to talk to?
Lay down, Sally, there's no need to leave so soon
I've been trying all night long just to talk to you

Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms
Don't you think you want someone to talk to?

Lay down, Sally, there's no need to leave so soon
I've been trying all night long just to talk to you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to B.B. King & Eric Clapton's song "Lay Down Sally" is about a man who wants a woman named Sally to stay with him instead of leaving. He is pleading with her to make herself at home and not leave him, as he has been trying to talk to her all night. The song suggests that the man wants more than just a conversation with Sally, wanting to hold her in his arms and have her rest there. He also mentions love being all that matters and wants Sally to lay her worries down and stay with him. The lyrics suggest a desire for companionship and connection, with the man hoping that Sally will be there with him until the morning light.

Line by Line Meaning

There is nothing that is wrong
There's nothing wrong with me wanting you to stay with me.

In wanting you to stay here with me
I want you to stay here with me.

I know you've got somewhere to go
I understand that you have somewhere to be.

But won't you make yourself at home and stay with me?
Please stay with me and make yourself comfortable.

And don't you ever leave
Please don't ever leave me.

Lay down, Sally, and rest you in my arms
Please lay down and rest in my arms, Sally.

Don't you think you want someone to talk to?
Don't you want someone to talk to, Sally?

Lay down, Sally, no need to leave so soon
You don't have to leave so soon, Sally. Please stay a while longer.

I've been trying all night long just to talk to you
I've been trying to talk to you all night, Sally.

The sun ain't nearly on the rise
It's still nighttime and the sun hasn't come up yet.

And we still got the moon and stars above
We still have the beauty of the moon and stars above us.

Underneath the velvet skies
The sky is like velvet, soft and beautiful.

Love is all that matters
Love is the only thing that truly matters in this moment.

Won't you stay with me?
Please stay with me, Sally.

I long to see the morning light
I want to see the light of day with you, Sally.

Coloring your face so dreamily
The morning light will make your face look even more beautiful.

So don't you go and say goodbye
Please don't say goodbye, Sally.

You can lay your worries down and stay with me
You can relax and stay with me, Sally. You don't have to worry about anything.

And don't you ever leave
Please don't ever leave me, Sally.