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.
Are You Lonely For Me Baby
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you lonely for me baby?
Are you lonely for me baby?
Are you lonely for me baby?
Oh, it's the last train to Jacksonville
And I'm gonna get on it baby, you know I will
Will you try, come on and try
Come on and cry, go ahead and cry
I know, I'm the one who thought you
To be lonely baby
I'm lonely and blue
I'm lonely baby
And I'm lonely for you
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Yes, I am
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Oh, it's my last buck in Jacksonville
Are you my sweet baby, are you still?
Tell your friend, this is the end
And I never again deserve you
I can hear them laugh, I can hear them laugh
You say, I'd was gonna hurt you
Oh, I'm sorry baby
I'm sorry and blue
Hey, I'm lonely baby
And I'm lonely for you
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Yes, I am
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
I'm comin' home, oh, yes I am
Oh, it's a long ride to Jacksonville
No one would ever know, the way I feel
Will you be there, will you be there?
When I get on the train
You see you gotta be there
You gotta be there, I just got to see you again girl
Because I'm lonely baby
I'm lonely and blue
I'm lonely baby
And I'm lonely for you
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Yes, I am
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Yes I am, yes I am
The lyrics of Buddy Guy's song "Are You Lonely For Me Baby" depict a man who has caused the woman he loves pain and loneliness, and now wants her back. The repetition of the opening line "Are you lonely for me baby?" sets the tone of the song as one of yearning and regret. The man acknowledges the pain he brought to the woman and pleads for her forgiveness - "Will you try, come on and try, to forget all the pain I brought you, come on and cry, go ahead and cry, I know, I'm the one who tortured you". He acknowledges his own loneliness and regrets losing the woman he loves, "I'm lonely baby, and I'm lonely for you".
The chorus of the song, "Are you lonely for me baby?", is a question that the man asks repeatedly throughout the song. He wants to know if the woman feels the same way he does and if she still wants him back. He is willing to go to great lengths to be with her - "Oh, it's the last train to Jacksonville, and I'm gonna get on it baby, you know I will". He wants her friends to know that he has changed and that he wants her again - "Tell your friend, this is the end, and I never again deserve you".
Overall, the lyrics of "Are You Lonely For Me Baby" reflect the pain of regret and the desperation of a man who wants his lover back. The song is a classic soul ballad that has been covered by many artists over the years, but Buddy Guy's original version remains a timeless classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you lonely for me baby?
Asking if the person is missing the singer
Oh, it's the last train to Jacksonville
The singer is leaving and this is the last train out of town
And I'm gonna get on it baby, you know I will
The singer is determined to leave on this train
Will you try, come on and try
Asking the person to try to forget the pain he caused
To forget all the pain, I brought you
The singer knows he caused the person pain
Come on and cry, go ahead and cry
Encouraging the person to express their emotions
I know, I'm the one who thought you
The singer is acknowledging that he caused the person's sadness
To be lonely baby
The singer made the person feel lonely
I'm lonely and blue
The singer is also feeling lonely and sad
And I'm lonely for you
The singer misses the person
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Repeating the main question of the song
Yes, I am
The person confirms they are missing the singer
Oh, it's my last buck in Jacksonville
The singer is running out of money
Are you my sweet baby, are you still?
The singer is questioning if the person still cares for him
Tell your friend, this is the end
The singer wants the person to let their mutual friends know that it's over
And I never again deserve you
The singer knows he won't have a chance with the person again
I can hear them laugh, I can hear them laugh
The singer hears people laughing at him for the situation he's in
You say, I'd was gonna hurt you
The person reminds the singer that he promised not to hurt them
Oh, I'm sorry baby
The singer apologizes
I'm sorry and blue
The singer is remorseful and sad
Hey, I'm lonely baby
Repeating that the singer is lonely
And I'm lonely for you
The singer is missing the person
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Repeating the main question of the song
I'm comin' home, oh, yes I am
The singer is coming back to the person
Oh, it's a long ride to Jacksonville
The singer is taking a long journey back to the person
No one would ever know, the way I feel
The singer is keeping his emotions hidden from others
Will you be there, will you be there?
Asking if the person will be waiting for him
When I get on the train
The singer is hoping the person will be waiting when he arrives
You see you gotta be there
Emphasizing how important it is for the person to be there
I just got to see you again girl
The singer wants to see the person again
(Are you lonely for me baby?)
Repeating the main question of the song
Yes, I am, yes, I am
Both the singer and the person are missing each other
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BERT BERNS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind