Buddy Guy (born George Guy, July 30, 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana) is an A… Read Full Bio ↴Buddy Guy (born George Guy, July 30, 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana) is an American blues music and rock music guitarist, as well as a singer. Known as an inspiration to Jimi Hendrix and other 1960s blues and rock legends, Guy is considered as an important proponent of Chicago blues made famous by Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He has influenced both widely known and local blues guitarists.

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.

Bad Bad Whiskey
Buddy Guy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Made me loose my happy home
Made me loose my happy home

Whiskey endless women
Is driving me out of my mind

Ev'ry time I get a lover that's tough you know
I think I'm doin' just fine
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Made me loose my happy home
Made me loose my happy home

I went out last night
Finally knocked myself outta sight
I got full of that bad stuff
And almost started a fight
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Made me loose my happy home
Made me loose my happy home

I want to tell you baby
I'm now feeling just fine
I think I'll stop drinking whiskey,
and going back to bad wine
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Bad, bad whiskey
Made me loose my happy home
Made me loose my happy home

Let me tell you
Oh, that bad whiskey

Oh, that bad whiskey
Oh, that no good whiskey

Overall Meaning

Buddy Guy's song "Bad Bad Whiskey" is about the destructive power of alcohol on his life. The lyrics emphasize the negative impact it has had on his relationships, particularly with women, and how it has caused him to lose his happy home. He acknowledges that the whiskey has driven him out of his mind and has caused him to act recklessly, at times almost starting a fight. He expresses regret for his behavior and expresses the desire to quit drinking whiskey and switch to bad wine instead.

The lyrics provide a compelling illustration of the consequences of excessive drinking and the impact it can have on one's life. It's a cautionary tale about the importance of moderation and the danger of letting alcohol take control. The song also portrays the difficulty of breaking free from addiction and the struggle to resist temptation.

Line by Line Meaning

Bad, bad whiskey
The whiskey is very bad

Made me loose my happy home
Drinking the whiskey caused me to lose my happy home

Whiskey endless women
Drinking whiskey and being with many women is driving me crazy

Is driving me out of my mind
I am losing my sanity due to drinking whiskey and being with many women

Ev'ry time I get a lover that's tough you know
Whenever I am with a difficult lover

I think I'm doin' just fine
I believe everything is going well

I went out last night
I went out last night

Finally knocked myself outta sight
Got very drunk and passed out

I got full of that bad stuff
I got drunk on the bad whiskey

And almost started a fight
I almost got in a fight

I want to tell you baby
I want to tell you how I feel