Quintessential blues singer and guitarist Big Dave McLean contributed primarily to the blues frombehind-the-scenes between 1970-98, but it was his 1998 release, For The Blues ... Always, that pushed him more to the forefront of the blues arena. The Canadian-based singer/guitarist released one other album before 1998, titled Muddy Waters For Presiden., It was recorded in 1989 at the Bud's on Broadway club in Saskatoon. Billboard's Larry LeBlanc wrote in 1998, "At 45, the Winnipeg, Manitoba-based singer/guitarist [McLean] has done more to shape western Canada's blues scene than perhaps any other artist. He has been a significant influence on such leading Canadian blues-styled acts as singer guitarist Colin James, who produced For The Blues...Always, and young Atlantic Records trio Wide Mouth Mason." James told LeBlanc, "Dave's so good at the that acoustic [blues] stuff. He's something else with a National Steel (slide guitar)." Wide Mouth Mason singer/guitarist Shaun Verrautt added, "Any aspiring blues musicians from west of Winnipeg has likely seen Big Dave perform several times. He's the real deal."
Good Morning Little School Girl
Big Dave McLean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good mo'nin, little school girl
Can I go home with
Can I go home wit' you?
I tell yo' mama an' yo' papa
I once was a school boy, too
Come on be my baby
I'll buy you a diamond
I'll buy you a diamond ring
If you won't be my pretty little school girl
Won't buy you most any thing
I wanna buy me a airplane
I wanna buy me a airplane
I wanna fly over (?) this land
I wanna fly over (?) town
If you won't be my pretty school girl
Ain't gonna set my airplane down
Good mo'nin, little
Good mo'nin, little
Can I go
I tell yo' mama an' yo' papa
I once was a school boy, too
Good mo'nin, little school girl
The song “Good Morning Little School Girl” by Big Dave McLean is a blues classic that has been covered by many artists since it was first recorded in the 1930s. The song is about a man who sees a young school girl and is immediately attracted to her. He asks if he can go home with her and promises to buy her a diamond ring if she will be his. He also mentions that he wants to buy an airplane and fly over the land and town, but he won’t do it if the schoolgirl doesn’t agree to be with him.
The lyrics of the song are suggestive and somewhat controversial. The man is clearly older than the schoolgirl and it is unclear whether she consents to his advances or not. Some interpretations of the song suggest that it is about older men preying on young girls, while others argue that it is simply a blues love song. The repetition of the line “Good mo’nin, little school girl” throughout the song is both catchy and provocative.
Overall, “Good Morning Little School Girl” is a blues classic that has remained popular for over eight decades. While some interpretations of the lyrics may be problematic by modern standards, the song remains a testament to the power of the blues to both entertain and provoke listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Good mo'nin, little school girl
The singer is greeting a young girl who is on her way to school.
Good mo'nin, little school girl
The singer repeats his greeting to the young girl.
Can I go home with
The singer is asking the young girl if he can accompany her home from school.
Can I go home wit' you?
The singer is repeating his question to make sure the young girl heard him.
I tell yo' mama an' yo' papa
The singer is saying that he will talk to the young girl's parents to let them know he used to be a student as well.
I once was a school boy, too
The singer is connecting with the young girl by saying he can relate to her as he was once a student too.
Come on be my baby
The singer is asking the young girl to enter into a romantic relationship with him.
Come on be my baby
The singer repeats himself to emphasize his request.
I'll buy you a diamond
The singer is offering to buy the young girl a diamond ring as a gift.
I'll buy you a diamond ring
The singer is specifying the type of gift he is willing to purchase for the young girl to show his affection.
If you won't be my pretty little school girl
The singer is saying that if the young girl doesn't agree to his romantic advances, he won't give her any gift.
Won't buy you most any thing
The singer is emphasizing that he is only willing to buy the young girl a gift if she agrees to be in a relationship with him.
I wanna buy me a airplane
The singer is expressing his desire to own an airplane.
I wanna buy me a airplane
The singer is repeating his desire for an airplane for emphasis.
I wanna fly over (?) this land
The singer is saying he wants to fly over the land, but the lyrics are not clear on what 'this land' means.
I wanna fly over (?) town
The singer is expressing his desire to fly over a specific town, but the lyrics do not specify which one.
If you won't be my pretty school girl
The singer is saying that if the young girl doesn't accept his romantic advances, he won't bother landing his plane for her.
Ain't gonna set my airplane down
The singer is saying that he won't land his plane for the young girl if she doesn't agree to be in a relationship with him.
Good mo'nin, little
The singer is addressing the young girl again after the previous verses.
Good mo'nin, little
The singer repeats his greeting to the young girl.
Can I go
The singer is once again asking the young girl if he can accompany her somewhere.
I tell yo' mama an' yo' papa
The singer is saying he will speak to the young girl's parents to let them know about his innocent intentions.
I once was a school boy, too
The singer is reminding the young girl that he can relate to her as he was once a student too.
Good mo'nin, little school girl
The singer repeats his affectionate greeting to the young girl.
Contributed by Blake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.