Billy Boy Arnold is back. With his 1992 Alligator Records debut, BACK WHERE I BELONG (AL 4815), Arnold firmly reestablished himself as one of the foremost practitioners of classic Chicago blues. His wailing harmonica playing and soulful vocals are a perfect match for his streetwise songwriting. The combination of Delta-influenced blues with a more urban sophistication not only defines Arnold's sound, but was also a significant contribution in the early, formative days of rock and roll. His early work with Bo Diddley and his highly influential singles in the late 1950s (including I Wish You Would and I Ain't Got You), brought him some local attention, but he never received the recognition he rightly deserved. Now, with his new release, ELDORADO CADILLAC (AL 4836), he shows that he is not only back where he belongs, he is back to stay.
ELDORADO CADILLAC's 13 songs, including nine Arnold originals, feature his "wah wah" harmonica style, smooth vocals and colorful lyrics. The album kicks off with a hard-edged reinvention of Arnold's VeeJay hit, I Ain't Got You. He moves effortlessly from the warnings of Don't Stay Out All Night to the sound advice of My Mama Told Me to the braggadocio of Man Of Considerable Taste to the smooth, sophisticated vocals on It Should Have Been Me and Sunny Road . Along with a tough backing band (featuring fellow Alligator recording artist Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin on guitar), Arnold is in the driver's seat, and he's riding his Eldorado Cadillac right into blues stardom. Billy Boy Arnold was born in Chicago on September 16, 1935. Unlike the many blues artists who migrated to Chicago from the South, Arnold is among the first generation of bluesmen actually born and raised in the city. He fell in love with the blues at an early age and was especially moved by the records of the first Sonny Boy Williamson. In 1948, young Billy found out that Williamson lived nearby, and he set out to find him. "To me, this was a burning desire-I wanted to be like Sonny Boy," recalls Billy. Williamson took a liking to the young fan and revealed his trademark style of "choking" the harp to Billy. Shortly after their third visit together, Williamson met his untimely death. But the few visits were enough to make Billy determined to become a bluesman. In the ensuing years, Arnold befriended many of the local blues legends, and he began to learn everything he could about the blues. Blind John Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Memphis Minnie, Muddy Waters, Johnny Jones, Johnny Shines, Otis Rush, Little Walter, and Earl Hooker all played a part in Arnold's musical education.
In 1952, the teenaged Billy landed his first recording contract with Chicago's Cool label. It wasn't until his first record came out (I Ain't Got No Money b/w Hello Stranger ) under the name "Billy Boy Arnold" that he realized he had a nickname. "I didn't like it at first," recalls Billy Boy. "I was 17 and looked 15 but told people I was 19, so I didn't want to be known as a boy. I wanted to be a man." Though the recording was admittedly immature, the name stuck, and Billy Boy Arnold was on his way.
While still a teenager, Arnold hooked up with a young street musician/electronics buff named Ellis McDaniel (Bo Diddley) who fashioned an amplifier for Billy Boy out of an orange crate. Billy Boy eventually talked Diddley into auditioning for Chess Records. In 1955, with Billy Boy playing his signature "stop time" harmonica, Diddley scored the first of his many hits for Chess with Bo Diddley/I'm A Man . The future looked very bright, but Billy Boy didn't want to be a sideman. He wanted to make records under his own name.
After a misunderstanding with Leonard Chess (Bo Diddley told Arnold that Leonard didn't like him), Arnold crossed the street to the offices of VeeJay Records, where he was promptly signed. He recorded I Wish You Would (reportedly the first blues session to feature an electric bass), and it quickly became a regional hit. He was playing across the South Side of Chicago with stars like Little Walter and Junior Wells, and local radio airplay for his song was heavy. Even the great Muddy Waters took a liking to the young bluesman. "You made a good record," Waters said of I Wish You Would. "You keep on making those good records." And that's just what Billy Boy did: I Ain't Got You, She's Fine, She's Mine and Prisoner's Plea followed. Although only 20 years old, Billy Boy Arnold had arrived.
Arnold continued to play the Chicago clubs and record 45s throughout the late 1950s. His debut album, 1963's MORE BLUES FROM THE SOUTH SIDE for the Prestige label, remains a classic. But the gigs began to dry up, and the difficulty of raising a family and keeping a band together led Arnold to pursue a career as a Chicago bus driver and truant officer and later as a parole officer for the State of Illinois. By the middle of the 1960s, the first generation of British blues bands were taking notice of Arnold's talent-his VeeJay singles became valued collectors' items among the musicians. The Yardbirds and The Animals each had hits with Billy Boy's songs. Later, The Blasters and David Bowie both covered his material. All of this interest led Billy Boy to tour and record in Europe (and play the occasional U.S. festival gig) during the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s.
With the release of BACK WHERE I BELONG in 1992, Billy Boy Arnold enjoyed the greatest success of his career. "Billy Boy Arnold delivers the goods," exclaimed the Los Angeles Daily News. "Highly recommended," agreed Jazz Times. "Triumphant," added Billboard. Features and reviews ran in magazines and newspapers from coast to coast and in Europe, including Rolling Stone, Audio, CD Review, Living Blues, Blues & Rhythm, The Chicago Tribune, and The Washington Post . Everyone agreed. Billy Boy Arnold had created an album of songs that not only equaled the strength of his early hits, but indeed surpassed them in their maturity and execution.
The strength of BACK WHERE I BELONG brought Arnold back into the public eye. Since the album's release, he's played clubs and major festivals in the United States and Europe, including England's Burnley Blues Fest; Germany's Breminale Blues Fest; the Montreal Jazz Fest; Norway's Notodden Blues Fest; Toledo's Rock, Rhythm and Blues Fest; the Chicago Blues Fest; the Poconos Blues Fest; and the Long Island Blues Fest. Performance after performance, Arnold has delighted old fans and made scores of new ones. Eagerly, everyone waited for Arnold's next move.
With ELDORADO CADILLAC, the wait is over, and Arnold's fans will not be disappointed. His singular harmonica playing and silky vocals - not to mention his songwriting talents - place him at the forefront of classic Chicago blues artists. Finally back where he belongs, this bluesman is prepared to take his music to more people than ever before. So sit back and enjoy the ride-and leave the driving to Billy Boy Arnold.
Quotes:
"A blues legend is back...The grand Chicago blues sound of the 1950s presented with authenticity and vitality by an underappreciated harmonica great."
-- CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"Arnold blows fine in the old Chicago style with a meaty, undiminished attack."
-Rolling Stone
"Arnold is singing and playing harp as well as ever...he remains a creative musician rather than a mere caricature of his former self."
-Living Blues
"Triumphant..."
-Billboard
"A fully realized, wide ranging blues workout, as authentic as it is joyous...."
-CD Review
"Contrasting melodic hooks and rhythms...boundless energy and original blend of elements...Arnold excels in rhumba-boogies, quick shuffles, and deliberately mid-tempo drags; he gives his stories entertaining, close-up details, and his harp is recorded with glorious in-your-face presence."
-Audio
"Arnold hasn't lost anything to the years. He still blows his mouth-harp in the wah-wah riff style of his mentor Sonny Boy Williamson, and his vocals have grown deeper, darker and fuller with age... implying a hard-earned experience the teenaged Arnold could only guess at."
-Washington Post
"Veteran Chicago blues singer/harpist Arnold can swing from suave to raunchy in a heartbeat."
-New Review Of Records
"Chicago blues harpist and singer Billy Boy Arnold delivers the goods...distinctive."
-Los Angeles Daily News
"A gritty, expressive vocalist and harmonicat...jagged harmonica playing in the country-rooted style of Sonny Boy Williamson."
-Request
"Arnold is smoother and more powerful than ever. Highly recommended."
-Jazz Times
"In the hands of Billy Boy Arnold, the blues can sound as lively as a razor fight in a Mississippi juke joint. Matching the lilting drive of Chuck Berry with the ominous power of Muddy Waters, Arnold earns much respect for keeping the blues alive and well."
-Option
"Arnold is a powerful purveyor, innovator, and certified master of the Chicago blues sound created by Muddy Waters and Little Walter. Combining his soulful vocals with poignant harp riffs and crafty songwriting, Arnold's musicianship authenticates his place among the great blues harmonica players in history."
-Blues Revue
Source: Alligator Records - Billy Boy Arnold
My Babe
Billy Boy Arnold Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh no she don′t stand no cheatin', my babe
Oh yeah she don't stand no cheatin′
She don′t stand none of that midnight creepin'
My babe, true little baby, my babe
My baby don′t' stand no drinking, my babe
Oh no she don′t stand no drinking, my babe
When you get drunk your breath starts stinking
My babe, true little baby, my babe
My baby I know she love me, my babe
Oh yes I know she love me, my babe
Oh yes I know she love me
She don′t do nothing but kiss and hug me
My babe, true little baby, my babe
My baby don't stand no foolin', my babe
Oh no she don′t stand no foolin′, my babe
Oh yeah she don't stand no foolin′,
When she's hot there ain′t no coolin'
My babe, true little baby, my babe
My baby I know she love me, my babe
Oh yes I know she love me, my babe
Oh yes I know she love me
She don′t do nothing but kiss and hug me
My babe, true little baby, my babe
My baby don't stand no cheatin', my babe
Oh no she don′t stand no cheatin′, my babe
Oh yeah she don't stand no cheatin′,
Everything she do she do so pleasing
My babe, true little baby, my babe
That's my baby (True little baby)
That′s my baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
That's my baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
My baby (True little baby)
The lyrics of Billy Boy Arnold's "My Babe" speak of a loyal and devoted woman, a true little baby that won't tolerate any cheating, drinking or foolin' from her man. The singer affirms his baby's love, stating that she doesn't do anything else but kiss and hug him, and that he feels confident with her since there's no other woman like her. The song reinforces traditional gender roles, praising the woman who patiently endures her man's misbehaviour while remaining faithful and supportive. The lyrics also highlight the importance of honesty and sincerity in relationships, as the woman demands respect and trust from her partner.
The song "My Babe" was originally recorded by blues singer/writer Little Walter in 1955, and the version of Billy Boy Arnold that we know today was released in 1957. The song was written by Willie Dixon, one of the most important figures in the Chicago blues scene, who also wrote songs for other blues legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Koko Taylor. The song became a hit and was covered by many artists over the years, from Elvis Presley to The Righteous Brothers, and even by The Rolling Stones. Interestingly, "My Babe" is one of the few blues songs that have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby don't stand no cheatin', my babe
My significant other won't tolerate infidelity
Oh no she don't stand no cheatin', my babe
Absolutely not, she doesn't tolerate cheating whatsoever
Oh yeah she don't stand no cheatin′
She's dead set against cheating in a relationship
She don't stand none of that midnight creepin'
She won't accept any sneaking around in the middle of the night
My babe, true little baby, my babe
She's my true partner, my baby
My baby don't' stand no drinking, my babe
My significant other will not tolerate any drunkenness
Oh no she don't stand no drinking, my babe
Absolutely not, she won't accept any drinking at all
Oh yes she don't stand no drinking
She's totally against excessive alcohol consumption
When you get drunk your breath starts stinking
One of her reasons for not tolerating drinking is bad breath
My babe, true little baby, my babe
She's my true partner, my baby
My baby I know she love me, my babe
I'm absolutely confident that my partner loves me
Oh yes I know she love me, my babe
Without a doubt, she has true love for me
She don't do nothing but kiss and hug me
She's always affectionate towards me, always showing me love
My baby don't stand no foolin', my babe
She doesn't tolerate being deceived or tricked
Oh no she don't stand no foolin′, my babe
Absolutely not, she hates feeling like she's being fooled or taken advantage of
Oh yeah she don't stand no foolin′,
She's wary of any kind of deception or trickery
When she's hot there ain't no coolin'
When she's angry or upset, she won't be calmed down easily
My baby, true little baby, my babe
She's my true partner, my baby
Everything she do she do so pleasing
Everything she does is pleasing and delightful to me
That's my baby (True little baby)
That's my partner (A true companion)
That′s my baby (True little baby)
She's my significant other (A true companion)
My baby (True little baby)
She's my partner (A true companion)
My baby (True little baby)
She's my loved one (A true companion)
That's my baby (True little baby)
That's my cherished companion (A true companion)
My baby (True little baby)
She's my dear significant other (A true companion)
My baby (True little baby)
She's my sweet companion (A true companion)
My baby (True little baby)
She's my darling partner (A true companion)
My baby (True little baby)
She's my beloved companion (A true companion)
Writer(s): Willie Dixon
Contributed by Leah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.