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 Life Blues
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby and you treat me so bad
It's raining I know
Baby and you treat me so bad
Is the worst known feeling Woman that I ever had
I got holes in my pocket
(Weir big)Patches on my pants
(Weir big)Patches on my pants
Am behind on my house rent
And I owe it all in advance
You know I feel like walking (baby)
And I feel like lying down
You know I feel like walking (baby)
And I feel like lying down
I feel like drinking
But there ain′t no whiskey around
You hear that bell ringing
Or (You) hear that whistle blow
You hear that bell ringing
Or (You) hear that whistle blow
Am leaving you baby
And I won't be back no more
Baby baby
You brought it all on yourself
Baby baby (babyyyyyyyy)
You brought it all on yourself
I'm leaving you woman
I don′t want nobody else
In Buddy Guy's song "Bad Life Blues," the singer expresses his feeling of hopelessness and despair as he faces a difficult period in his life. The lyrics begin with him acknowledging the rain outside, which is a metaphor for how he feels inside. He tells his lover that she treats him badly, and that he feels worse than ever before. The constant rain echoes his deep sadness and feelings of isolation, and he is unable to find any solace.
The following verse sees him expressing his financial difficulties, with taking his patches on pants and holes in his pocket as visual elements. He is struggling to make ends meet, and he owes back rent on his house. This financial stress adds to the already overwhelming emotional burden that he is carrying. The singer says that he feels like walking away, lying down, and drinking, but he is unable to find any whiskey.
In the last verse, the singer decides to leave his lover, and he lets her know that she brought it all on herself. He knows that his life won't change unless he takes control, and leaving her is the first step. This song captures the raw emotions of a man who feels helpless and trapped, giving a voice to those who are going through similar struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
It's raining I know
Baby and you treat me so bad
I'm aware of the rain, but it's not as bad as the way you treat me, which is the worst feeling I've ever experienced, my dear.
I got holes in my pocket
(Weir big)Patches on my pants
Am behind on my house rent
And I owe it all in advance
I'm struggling financially, with holes in my pocket and patches on my pants. I'm behind on paying rent for my house, and I owe all of it in advance.
You know I feel like walking (baby)
And I feel like lying down
I feel like drinking
But there ain′t no whiskey around
I feel like I need to get away from everything, either by walking or lying down. I also feel like drinking, but there's no whiskey to be found.
You hear that bell ringing
Or (You) hear that whistle blow
Am leaving you baby
And I won't be back no more
I hear the bell ringing and the whistle blowing, and that means I'm leaving you, my dear. I won't be coming back anymore.
Baby baby
You brought it all on yourself
Baby baby (babyyyyyyyy)
You brought it all on yourself
I'm leaving you woman
I don't want nobody else
I'm leaving you and it's all your fault. I don't want anybody else, but I can't stay with someone who treats me badly.
Writer(s): Joe Bihari, Hogg Andrew
Contributed by Joseph F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.