Guy is known for his showmanship; for example, he plays with drumsticks and walks into the audience whilst playing, the latter being a gimmick he picked up from a local blues guitarist at an early age (joining or leaping into the audience has also long been common in both American popular and gospel music, as in the earlier work of Big Jay McNeely or the Dixie Hummingbirds).
Guy grew up in Louisiana where he learned to play guitar. In the early 1950s he began performing with bands in Baton Rouge. Soon after moving to Chicago in 1957, Guy fell under the influence of "Mighty" Muddy Waters. In 1958 he won a record contract with Artistic Records after beating the West Side guitarists Magic Sam and Otis Rush in a "Head Cutting Contest" at the Blue Flame Club. Soon afterwards he recorded for the Cobra label.
In the early 1960s, Guy was a session guitarist for Chess Records. He recorded on Junior Wells sessions for Delmark Records under the pseudonym Friendly Chap in 1965 and 1966. His career took off during a blues revival period in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was sparked by Eric Clapton's request that Guy be part of the '24 nights' all-star blues guitar lineup at London's Royal Albert Hall and Guy's subsequent signing with Silvertone Records.
5 Long Years
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then you got to, you got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Yes, have you ever been mistreated?
Then you got to, you got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Lord I work five long years for one woman
And she had the nerve to kick me out
I got a job at a steel mill
I'm chucking steel just like a slave
Five long years, every Friday y'all I went straight home, yeah
I went straight home
Mistreated
Then you got to
You got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Lord I work five long years for one woman
And she had the nerve to kick me out
Lord but I finally learned a lesson
I should have known long time ago
The next woman I marry, she gotta have two jobs
And she gotta go out and work long and bring some dough home
Lord, said I been mistreated
And you got to, you got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Lord I work five long years for one woman
And she had the nerve to kick me out
Have you ever been mistreated?
Then you got to
You got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Yes, have you ever been mistreated?
Then you got to
You got to know just what I'm talking about?
Lord I work five long years for one woman
And she had the nerve to kick me out
I got a job at a steel mill
I'm chucking steel just like a slave
Five long years, every Friday, yes, y'all I went straight home
I went straight home with all my pay
Yes, I've been mistreated
And you got to
You got to know just what I'm talking about
Lord I work five long years for one woman
And she had the nerve to kick me out
Lord
Lord, I finally learned a lesson
I should have known a long time ago
The next woman I marry, she gotta have two jobs
And she gotta go out and work and bringing home some dough
I've been mistreated, yeah
And you, you know just what I'm talking about
I work five long years for one woman
And she had the nerves to kick me out
The lyrics of "Five Long Years" by Buddy Guy are about a man who has been mistreated by a woman he loved for five long years. He worked hard for her, but she kicked him out in the end. The song is a reflection on the feeling of betrayal, hard work and wanting better from a relationship.
The opening lines of the song "Lord, if you've ever been mistreated, Then you got to, you got to know just what I'm talkin' about" sets the tone for the rest of the song. Buddy Guy is speaking to those who have experienced painful and difficult times in their lives due to betrayal from a loved one.
The singer in the song says "I work five long years for one woman, And she had the nerve to kick me out," this line reveals that the man had devoted himself to this relationship for an extended period, only to be left without any explanation from his partner. The singer acknowledges his mistreatment as he repeats the phrase, "Mistreated, then you got to, you got to know just what I'm talking about."
In conclusion, "Five Long Years" captures the emotions of a man who loved and worked hard for a woman for five years, only to be kicked out with nothing to show for his efforts. The song speaks to the universal experience of betrayal and heartbreak and conveys a sense of hope despite the pain of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord, if you've ever been mistreated
Asking if the listener has ever experienced being mistreated in a certain way
Then you got to, you got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Implying that the listener can relate to the feeling of being mistreated
Lord I work five long years for one woman
Informing the listener that the songwriter worked hard for a woman for a long time
And she had the nerve to kick me out
Expressing the songwriter's frustration over being kicked out despite all his hard work
I got a job at a steel mill
The songwriter took a job at a steel mill
I'm chucking steel just like a slave
Describing the songwriter's hard work and comparing it to slavery, likely implying unfair treatment
Five long years, every Friday y'all I went straight home, yeah
Indicating that the songwriter worked hard for five years and would go straight home after work
Mistreated
Reiterating the main theme of the song, about being mistreated
Then you got to
Encouraging the listener to understand what it feels like to be mistreated
You got to know just what I'm talkin' about
Asking the listener to relate to the songwriter's experiences of being mistreated
Lord but I finally learned a lesson
Revealing that the songwriter learned a lesson from his experiences
I should have known long time ago
Specifically stating that the lesson learned should have been realized earlier
The next woman I marry, she gotta have two jobs
Describing what the songwriter expects from his future partner
And she gotta go out and work long and bring some dough home
Revealing the songwriter's expectations about his partner's work ethic and financial contribution
Yes, have you ever been mistreated?
Repeating the question asked earlier
Then you got to
Encouraging the listener to understand what it feels like to be mistreated
You got to know just what I'm talking about?
Asking the listener to relate to the songwriter's experiences of being mistreated
I got a job at a steel mill
Reiterating the fact that the songwriter has a job at a steel mill and works hard
Five long years, every Friday, yes, y'all I went straight home
Repeating what was stated earlier about the songwriter's hard work and dedication for five years
I went straight home with all my pay
Showing that the songwriter was responsible with his earnings by going straight home with them
Lord
An expression of frustration or exasperation
I've been mistreated, yeah
Reiterating the main theme of the song, about being mistreated
And you, you know just what I'm talking about
Acknowledging that the listener can relate to the feeling of being mistreated
And she had the nerves to kick me out
Expressing the songwriter's frustration over being kicked out despite all his hard work
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eddie Boyd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Miguel Mattos
The Color Of FIre
Vi essa fera tocando no free jaz festival e fiquei petrificado com a dinâmica e expressão desse gênio do blues!
O cara brinca com a guitarra!
Solar é uma diversão para ele!
Tira onda mesmo e vou ser sincero!
Ai vejo criatividade e repostas a um certo proposito!
A música é parte de nós!
Ouve ai e dá seu preço!
I`m not afraid
Miguel Mattos
Kerginaldo Queiroz
ღ♪ - ღúsicas ♪nesquecíveis 100% musical
Buddy Guy, nascido George Guy, em 30 de julho de 1936 em Lettsworth, Louisiana é um guitarrista e cantor norte-americano de blues e rock. Conhecido por servir de inspiração para Jimi Hendrix e outras lendas dos anos 60, Guy é considerado um importante expoente do chamado Chicago blues, tornado famoso por Muddy Waters e Howlin' Wolf. Foi considerado o 23º melhor guitarrista de todos os tempos pela revista norte-americana Rolling Stone.
Tinha cinco irmãos e seus pais eram Sam e Isabel Guy. Cresceu sob os conflitos da segregação racial onde banheiros, restaurantes e assentos de ônibus eram separados para brancos e negros. Com sete anos de idade Buddy fez a sua primeira “guitarra”, um pedaço de madeira com duas cordas amarradas com os grampos de cabelo de sua mãe. Com ela passava o tempo nas plantações e desenvolvia as suas “técnicas” musicais. Depois ele ganhou a sua primeira guitarra de “verdade”, um violão acústico Harmony que hoje se encontra no Hall da Fama do Rock and Roll, em Cleveland, nos EUA.
Em 1955, com 19 anos, Buddy trabalhava na Universidade Estadual da Louisiana. Nunca havia saído do estado quando em 1957 um amigo seu que era cozinheiro em Chicago foi visitá-lo e disse que ele precisava ir para Chicago tocar sua guitarra de noite e trabalhar de dia. Guy se interessou pela proposta financeira, pois poderia ganhar em torno de 70 dólares por semana e quem sabe sair de noite para ver os mestres Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Little Walter e de “quebra”, ainda aprender alguma coisa para tocar sua guitarra em casa. Em 25 de setembro de 1957 Buddy saiu de Lettsworth e chegou em Chicago. O choque foi grande, saindo do ambiente rural e chegando na metrópole totalmente urbana. Buddy arrumou um emprego e após alguns meses conseguiu uma audiência no 708 Club. Naquela noite chegou ao clube, em um Chevrolet vermelho, nada menos que Muddy Waters. Buddy foi servir sanduíche de salame para ele que perguntou se ele estava com fome. Buddy respondeu que, se ele era Muddy Waters, não estava mais com fome, encontrá-lo o alimentou. Guy começou a tocar em bares de Chicago e seu estilo foi bem aceito. Ele começou a chamar atenção. Gostava de tocar como B.B. King e atuar no palco como Magic Slim. Resolveu, então, enviar uma fita para a gravadora Chess Records, selo tradicional do blues que contava com artistas como Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter e Koko Taylor. Em 1960 começou a fazer as guitarras das gravações destes grandes mestres da Chess. Era sempre o primeiro guitarrista a ser chamado pela gravadora.
ღ♪ jazz blues ღúsicas ♪nesquecíveis
Mark Gordine
What a performance, the man himself, what a legend. Thank you Buddy
Merhawi Tewelde
Buddy's blues never get old, his showmanship is amazing. He simply enjoys playing and I sure do enjoy seeing/ listening to his genius.
oORJOo
Fantastic ! 😎
Eman JavaScript
this is by far the best blues i heard for the pass five long years..
Paulo Boff
A masterpiece! Wonderful and playful atmosphere. Very glad to be able to appreciate this!
africanchina1
Wow incredible this is AMAZING!! They are all so good.. the pianist, the saxophone.. just wow!
Gintautas Neverdauskas
This is one of the best Buddy performance what I have seen. Amazing Buddy. Also very good Tony Z and Jason Moynihan with saxophone. Great performance. I am happy that you enjoyed this video.
Ted Woolridge
Great great performance from Buddy Guy to the rest of the band and especially the solos!!
Andrew Lowe
I saw Buddy April 22 2016 live in Toronto. He is simply the greatest Blues guitarist and singer I have ever heard perform at only 79 years young! The power of him playing loud and fast or slow and soft is next to unbelievable. Keep on playing Buddy and God bless you. I hope to see you perform again in Toronto next year.
Paul Jarman
I've seen Buddy live twice now in Sydney and think he's brilliant, this would have been a tremendous concert to attend especially loved the keyboard and sax. Man I got chicken skin !