12 Bar Blues
Bruce Robison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was my baby just callin' let me know she's gone
There's nothin' left to say
She said I had it with you honey and I'm movin' away
I get the feelin' it's just no use I got the 12 bar blues
Well at night in this town there ain't no place to go
There's no penny arcade and no picture show
I headed out to where the lights are dim
And the people love to get loose
They got the 12 bar blues
C H O R U S:
'Cause in this sleepy little town
Well you wouldn't think there was nobody around
But the sound of the swingin' doors
On the honky tonks they got a dozen or more
And the hardest thing is to choose
They got the 12 bar blues
They got the best juke box down at Jimmy and Joe's
My picture on the wall at the Yellow Rose
They got the best pinball game at Bill's
The best hardwood floor at Henry's Bar and Grill
They wash away my bad news
I got the 12 bar blues
C H O R U S
The hardest thing is to choose
They got the 12 bar blues
The song "12 Bar Blues" by Bruce Robison is a melancholic depiction of a man who has been recently abandoned by his lover. The song begins with the singer receiving a call from his partner, telling him that she's leaving him. The man is resigned to this unfortunate reality, and there's nothing left to say. The tune moves on to explore the feeling of isolation that the singer experiences in his town. His desire to escape from his thoughts leads him to a location in his town where the lights are dim, and people love to get loose. The place's atmosphere provides him with a fleeting sense of happiness, and this leads him to find comfort within the 12 bar blues. The chorus further elucidates that despite the apparent emptiness of his surroundings, there is a selection of bars in his town that provide him solace in the form of the 12 bar blues. The central theme of the song is beautifully accentuated by the accompanying music that has a slow, melancholic tempo that sets the tone for the singer's resignation to his circumstance.
The song's lyrics present to the listener a mood of melancholy that is enhanced by the slow-paced music accompanying them. Bruce Robinson effectively conveys the feeling of resignation towards the end of the song. The song explores the feeling of loneliness and the sense of isolation that can result from a breakup. The people around the singer appear to be of no help to him, thus leading him to mundane activities that provide temporary respite from his thoughts. However, the singer's refuge lies in the 12 bar blues, which manages to provide him with an iota of solace amidst his melancholic existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I woke at 11 to the ring of the phone
The singer got a phone call at 11 in the morning.
Was my baby just callin' let me know she's gone
The singer's significant other called to inform them that they left.
There's nothin' left to say
There is no point in saying anything after the significant other has already left.
She said I had it with you honey and I'm movin' away
The significant other is fed up with the singer and is moving away from their relationship.
I get the feelin' it's just no use I got the 12 bar blues
The singer realizes that their relationship is over and feels down.
Well at night in this town there ain't no place to go
There is nowhere to go in the singer's town at night.
There's no penny arcade and no picture show
There are no entertainment options in the singer's town.
The sun goes down and then
Nighttime falls.
I headed out to where the lights are dim
The singer went to a dimly lit area.
And the people love to get loose
People in the dimly lit area are carefree and having fun.
They got the 12 bar blues
People in the area are also feeling sad and down.
'Cause in this sleepy little town
The singer's town is small and not active.
Well you wouldn't think there was nobody around
There aren't many people in the singer's town.
But the sound of the swingin' doors
The only noise in the town is the sound of swinging bar doors.
On the honky tonks they got a dozen or more
There are many honky tonk bars in the town.
And the hardest thing is to choose
Choosing which bar to go to is a difficult decision.
They got the best juke box down at Jimmy and Joe's
Jimmy and Joe's bar has the best jukebox.
My picture on the wall at the Yellow Rose
The Yellow Rose bar has a picture of the singer on their wall.
They got the best pinball game at Bill's
Bill's bar has the best pinball game.
The best hardwood floor at Henry's Bar and Grill
Henry's Bar and Grill has the best hardwood floor.
They wash away my bad news
Going to these bars takes the singer's mind off of their problems.
The hardest thing is to choose
Again, choosing which bar to go to is a difficult decision.
They got the 12 bar blues
All of these bars also have a sad and down atmosphere.
Contributed by Cooper A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.