After learning guitar at the age of 12, Scaggs met Steve Miller at St. Mark's School of Texas in Dallas. In 1959, he became the vocalist for Miller's band The Marksmen. The pair later attended the University of Wisconsin together, playing in blues bands like The Ardells and The Fabulous Knight Trains. Leaving school, Scaggs briefly left Texas to join the burgeoning rhythm and blues scene in London. After singing in bands such as The Wigs and Mother Earth, he recorded his first solo album Boz in 1965, which was not a commercial success. He traveled to Sweden as a solo performer and did a brief stint with the band The Other Side with fellow American Jack Downing and Brit Mac MacLeod.
Returning to the US, Scaggs promptly headed for the booming psychedelic music center of San Francisco in 1967. Linking up with Steve Miller again, he appeared on the Steve Miller Band's first two albums Children of the Future and Sailor, which won over critical reviews. After being spotted by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, Scaggs secured a solo contract with Atlantic Records in 1968. Despite good reviews, his first Atlantic album was met with lukewarm sales, as were followup albums on Columbia Records. In 1976, he linked up with session musicians who would later form Toto and recorded his smash album Silk Degrees. The album reached number 2 on the US charts and number 1 in a number of countries across the world, spawning three hit singles: "Lowdown", "Lido Shuffle", and "What Can I Say", as well as the MOR standard "We're All Alone", later a hit for Rita Coolidge. A sellout world tour followed, but his follow-up album, the 1977 Down Two Then Left, lacked the cohesion of Silk Degrees.
Scaggs' 1980 album Middle Man would spawn two top 20 hits, "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jojo," and Scaggs would enjoy two more hits over 1980 and 1981 ("Look What You've Done to Me" from the Urban Cowboy soundtrack, and "Miss Sun" from a greatest hits set).
Scaggs continued to record and tour sporadically throughout the 1980s and 1990s, although he semi-retired from the music business and turned owner of the San Francisco nightclub Slim's. His lengthy hiatus from the music industry slowed his chart career down dramatically.
Scaggs recorded Other Roads in 1988, took another hiatus, and then came back in 1994 with Some Change. In the late 190s he released Come On Home, an album of blues, and My Time, an anthology. He garnered good reviews with Dig, although the CD, which was released on September 11, 2001, was lost in the post-911 melée. In May, 2003, Scaggs released But Beautiful, a collection of jazz standards that debuted at number 1 on the jazz charts.
In 2013 he released the album Memphis
Call Me
Boz Scaggs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A little sun comes shining through, yeah
For once in my life I can feel like
The sun is shining for me too
'Cause in my life
It's never been this way before
Some thing's calling me, calling now
Did you ever think, well, love ain't right for me
Though you try and try
It's one of those things make you feel like
It's just not meant to be
'Cause in my life
I never felt this way before
But you call me, babe, call me now
Yeah, you call me now
You just call
Call me, babe, call me now
You better call me now
The other night I'm down at Slim's place
This melody comes drifting through, yeah
The thing is this song's got some blue eyes
And stands about five foot two
Now it's my life
And someone's knocking at the door
'Cause you call me, baby, call me now
You better call me now
If you call
Call me baby, call me now
You better call me now
Call me, baby, call me, girl
Just call me, call me girl
Call me, call me now
Call me now
Call, call me, baby
The song “Call Me” by Boz Scaggs presents a catchy and uplifting tone that tells the story of newfound love, happiness and hope. The singer says that there is a place in the heart of this city where a little sun comes shining through, and for the first time in his life, he feels like the sun is shining for him too. He also mentions that he is being called, and wonders if the person calling is love. Previously, the singer had never felt this way before, and had been skeptical about love and its affect on his life. However, this time around, he seems to be convinced that he has found the right person to call him and bring love into his life.
The singer communicates his feelings of joy and relief through his lyrics, which are very relatable to anyone who has ever found love. It is like all the problems that were there before have been solved, and he can see clearly now. The message in this song is that love can change everything, and the person singing the song is coming around to the idea that being open and vulnerable is the only path to happiness.
Overall, “Call Me” is a beautiful song that speaks to the emotions that people feel when falling in love. The lyrics are powerful, and the melody is infectious. Boz Scaggs hits all the right notes in this track, and it is no surprise that it has become such a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a place in the heart of this city
There is a special spot, a kind of shelter, in the center of this city.
A little sun comes shining through, yeah
A ray of hope, a beam of light, glimmers through the city's heart.
For once in my life I can feel like
For the first time in my existence, I can actually sense that
The sun is shining for me too
Good fortune is smiling upon me as well.
'Cause in my life
Because so far in my life,
It's never been this way before
I have never experienced this kind of joy before.
Some thing's calling me, calling now
Something is coaxing me, beckoning me right now.
Yeah, it's calling now
Yes, it is calling me right now.
Did you ever think, well, love ain't right for me
Have you ever considered that romantic love may not be for you?
Though you try and try
Despite your best efforts
It's one of those things make you feel like
It is one of those situations that gives you the feeling that
It's just not meant to be
It is simply not destined to be.
'Cause in my life
Because in my life thus far,
I never felt this way before
I have never experienced this sensation before.
But you call me, babe, call me now
But you are summoning me, my dear, pleading with me to come to you.
Yeah, you call me now
Yes, you are calling me right now.
You just call
You must just call me.
Call me, babe, call me now
Summon me, my dear, call me this instant.
You better call me now
You ought to call me immediately.
The other night I'm down at Slim's place
A few nights ago, I was at the joint called Slim's.
This melody comes drifting through, yeah
I hear this tune wafting through the air, yes.
The thing is this song's got some blue eyes
What's intriguing is that the performer of the song has lovely blue eyes.
And stands about five foot two
Additionally, the performer is quite short, roughly five feet and two inches tall.
Now it's my life
Presently, it is my existence.
And someone's knocking at the door
Furthermore, someone has come knocking at my door.
'Cause you call me, baby, call me now
Because you are beseeching me, darling, to come to you this very moment.
You better call me now
You must call me as soon as possible.
Call me, baby, call me now
Summon me, my dear, call me this instant.
You better call me now
You must call me right away.
Call me, baby, call me, girl
Summon me, my darling, call me, dear.
Just call me, call me girl
Simply call me, my beloved.
Call me, call me now
Call me, summon me immediately.
Call, call me, baby
Please call me, summon me, darling.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WILLIAM R. ROYCE SCAGGS, ROBBEN FORD, MICHAEL OMARTIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind