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
Sinner's Prayer
Billy Boy Arnold Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sinners Prayer (Sinners Prayer Sinners Prayer)
Sinners Prayer (Sinners Prayer Sinners Prayer)
Sinners Prayer (Sinners Prayer Sinners Prayer)
I could have been dead sleeping in my grave
but god blessed me to see another day
even when I did wrong he was still there
I'm so glad that god still hears a sinners prayer
I walked in the church lord on a sunday morning
stood out side contemplating wether I should walk through the door
ya see, a lot of folks knew me from way back when
people holding me to all those past sins
but I know all have sinned and come short of his glory
I'm just glad I'm still here to tell the story
I could have been dead sleeping in my grave
but god blessed me to see another day
even when I did wrong he was still there
I'm so glad that god still hears a sinners prayer
I'm so glad that god still hears a sinners prayer
Ye that's without sin, wont you cast the first stone
cus ain't nobody perfect but the man sitting on the throne
but it's about time for us to stop judging one another
stop acting holier than thou and start lifting up your brother
but I know all have sinned and come short of it's glory
I'm just glad i'm still here to tell the story
I could have been dead sleeping in my grave
but god blessed me to see another day
even when I did wrong he was still there
I'm so glad that god still hears a sinners prayer
I'm so glad that god still hears a sinners prayer
Now let me pray let me pray
our father which art in heaven hollowed would be thy name
thy kingdom come thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
give us this day our daily bread
and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors
and lead us not into temptation
But deliver us deliver us from evil
hey hey hey hey hey he
for thine is the kingdom and the powere and the glory forever
forever and ever and ever and ever and ever
I'm so glad i'm so glad god still here a sinners prayer
The lyrics to Billy Boy Arnold’s “Sinners Prayer” are a reflection on the singer’s gratitude for being alive and for the mercy of a God who forgives even the worst of sins. The repetition of “Sinners Prayer” throughout the song creates a hymnal quality, underscoring the singer’s plea to a higher power for salvation. The singer describes how they have done wrong, but has found redemption through prayer and faith. The lines “Ye that's without sin, won't you cast the first stone / cus ain't nobody perfect but the man sitting on the throne” is a reference to a Bible story in which a group of men wanted to stone a woman for committing adultery. The singer is reminding listeners that no one is without sin, and that those who judge others are also flawed. The song ends with a recitation of “The Lord’s Prayer”, further highlighting the singer’s faith and belief in the power of prayer.
The song was written and recorded by blues musician Billy Boy Arnold in the 1950s, a time when African American people were struggling for civil rights and greater recognition. “Sinners Prayer” can be seen as a reflection of the hope and belief in something greater that many people turned to during difficult times. The song has since been covered by numerous artists, including Ray Charles, who turned it into a hit in the 1950s, and Eric Clapton, who included it on his 2016 album “I Still Do”.
Line by Line Meaning
I could have been dead sleeping in my grave
I was lucky to be alive instead of being dead and buried
but god blessed me to see another day
God was gracious enough to allow me to see another day
even when I did wrong he was still there
God continued to love and support me despite my mistakes
I'm so glad that god still hears a sinners prayer
I am grateful that God is willing to listen to and answer the prayers of sinners
I walked in the church lord on a sunday morning
I entered the church on a Sunday morning with the intention of seeking God
stood out side contemplating wether I should walk through the door
I hesitated outside, wondering if I should go in or not
ya see, a lot of folks knew me from way back when
Many people knew me from a long time ago
people holding me to all those past sins
People judged me based on my past mistakes
but I know all have sinned and come short of his glory
I recognize that everyone has made mistakes and fallen short of God's standards
I'm just glad I'm still here to tell the story
I am grateful to be alive and able to share my experiences
Ye that's without sin, wont you cast the first stone
Those who have not sinned should be the first to judge others
cus ain't nobody perfect but the man sitting on the throne
No one is perfect except for God
but it's about time for us to stop judging one another
It's important for us to stop criticizing and condemning each other
stop acting holier than thou and start lifting up your brother
We need to stop pretending to be superior and instead support each other
Now let me pray let me pray
I want to pray now
our father which art in heaven hollowed would be thy name
I am addressing God, who is in heaven and whose name is holy
thy kingdom come thy will be done
I am asking for God's kingdom and will to be established and fulfilled
on earth as it is in heaven
I want God's will to be done on earth, just like it is in heaven
give us this day our daily bread
I am asking for God to provide for our daily needs
and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors
I am asking for God to forgive our sins just as we forgive those who have sinned against us
and lead us not into temptation
I am asking God to guide us away from temptation and sin
But deliver us deliver us from evil
I am asking God to protect us from evil and harm
hey hey hey hey hey he
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
for thine is the kingdom and the powere and the glory forever
I am acknowledging God's supremacy and power, which will last forever
forever and ever and ever and ever and ever
God's Kingdom and power will endure for eternity
I'm so glad i'm so glad god still here a sinners prayer
I am expressing my gratitude that God hears the prayers of sinners
Contributed by Hailey Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.