Early in the Morning
Big Joe Williams and Sonny Boy Williamson I Lyrics
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Beginin' to think she grown
Well, you can never catch that kinda
Little girl at home
But you have to go there early in the mornin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day
Now, you oughta see me grab the pillow
Now, that I've got a little woman
Her name is, Miss Kate
She told me to come to the house this mo'nin'
I got there about half past eight
She ask, 'I told you, come early in the mo'nin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day'
Now, ya oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay
I said, 'Look-a-here, woman
You fool with too many men
I can't never come to see you in the evenin
I have to come 'n see you when I can'
You tell me, 'Come early in the mo'nin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day'
Now, you oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay
(harmonica & guitar)
Well now, I said, 'Look-a-here, woman (good!)
I ain't gonna fool 'round wit' you, no mo'
I know you don't love me
You out, 'round with Mr. So 'n So
You tell me, 'Come early in the mo'nin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day'
Now, ya oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay.
The song "Early in the Morning" by Big Joe Williams and Sonny Boy Williamson I is a track filled with innuendo and a story of a man chasing after a woman. The lyrics talk about a young girl coming of age and becoming too independent and restless to stay at home. The man in the song wants to see the girl, but she is never at home, so he needs to go there early in the morning, around sunrise. He paints a vivid picture of himself grabbing the pillow where his beloved used to lay, suggesting that he is deeply in love with her and misses her badly.
The story then transitions to the present, where he talks about his new woman, Miss Kate, who asked him to come to her house early in the morning. He obliges, but protests against seeing her only in the morning as he is busy at night. In the song, the man suspects that Miss Kate is fooling around with other men, and he is jealous. He complains that he won't put up with this forever, but throughout the song, he seems to keep coming back to her house, unable to resist her.
The song is a classic of the acoustic blues genre, with simple but catchy guitar riffs combined with Sonny Boy Williamson's impressive harmonica playing. The lyrics are a perfect example of the double entendre, with the man's desire for the young girl and his mistrust of Miss Kate layered upon each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, when a little girl becomin' twelve years old
Beginin' to think she grown
Well, you can never catch that kinda
Little girl at home
When a girl reaches the age of twelve and thinks she's grown, it becomes hard to keep her at home.
But you have to go there early in the mornin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day
Now, you oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay
To catch her at home, you have to go very early in the morning, just before daybreak, and I always remember the place where my baby used to lay.
Now, that I've got a little woman
Her name is, Miss Kate
She told me to come to the house this mo'nin'
I got there about half past eight
Now I have a woman named Miss Kate, and when she asked me to come to her house this morning, I arrived at around half-past eight.
She ask, 'I told you, come early in the mo'nin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day'
Now, ya oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay
Miss Kate reminded me that she asked me to come earlier in the morning, just around daybreak, and when I got there, I held onto the pillow where my previous girlfriend used to lay.
I said, 'Look-a-here, woman
You fool with too many men
I can't never come to see you in the evenin
I have to come 'n see you when I can'
I told Miss Kate that she has been seeing too many men, making it hard for me to visit her in the evening, but I promised to visit her whenever I can.
You tell me, 'Come early in the mo'nin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day'
Now, you oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay
Miss Kate insists that I should visit her early in the morning, around daybreak, and I always remember the place where my previous girlfriend used to lay.
(harmonica & guitar)
Instrumental.
Well now, I said, 'Look-a-here, woman (good!)
I ain't gonna fool 'round wit' you, no mo'
I know you don't love me
You out, 'round with Mr. So 'n So
I told Miss Kate that I won't continue to see her because I know she doesn't love me and has been seeing someone else named Mr. So 'n So.
You tell me, 'Come early in the mo'nin'
Baby, 'bout the break of day'
Now, ya oughta see me grab the pillow
Where my baby used to lay.
Even though I've decided to stop seeing Miss Kate, she still insists that I should visit her early in the morning, around daybreak, and I always remember the place where my previous girlfriend used to lay.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GARY STEFAN HARRISON, LONNIE MICHAEL WILSON
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