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.
Blues Don't Care
Buddy Guy Lyrics
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Makes no different if you're wrong or right
Blues will track you down, it's gonna pick a fight
Blues don't care, blues don't care
I know, cause I've had my share
It'll creep up on you when you least expect,
Make the hair stand up on the back of your neck,
It's a middle finger on the hand up faith, oh don't care.
Blues ain't fair, I know, cause I've had my share
You can buy insurance, try to ease your mind
Lock up your woman and hide your wine, bury your money in the cold hard ground
But the blues are gonna get you some way, somehow
Blues don't care, no blues don't care
I know, yes y'all, cause I really had my share
In Buddy Guy's song, Blues Don't Care, the lyrics depict how the blues come without prejudice or discrimination based on age, social status, or personality. Whether one is young or old, rich or poor, right or wrong, the blues will hunt them down and bring about discomfort. The blues are synonymous with pain, grief, and sadness, and they strike when it's least expected, making the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up. There's no escape from the blues, and no matter how much one tries to avoid them, they always manage to creep up and settle in people's lives.
The lyrics also suggest that the blues are not fair; they don't care if a person has tried to protect themselves from it. One can buy insurance, secure their possessions, or hide their money, but the blues will still find a way to take hold. The blues are like a middle finger to the hand of faith. The song's lyrics emphasize that the blues are a force beyond human control and they can't be bent to one's will. Nevertheless, Buddy Guy has personally experienced a fair share of the blues, as evident in the chorus's repetition 'Blues don't care, blues don't care, I know 'cause I've had my share.'
Line by Line Meaning
Blues don't care if you're young or old, a real big deal or some poor soul
The blues are indiscriminate and do not care about one's status, age, or social standing.
Makes no different if you're wrong or right
The blues do not discriminate based on whether one is right or wrong in their actions or decisions.
Blues will track you down, it's gonna pick a fight
The blues have the tendency to find you and bring about conflict.
Blues don't care, blues don't care
The blues do not care about anything and are indifferent to the struggles of the individual.
I know, cause I've had my share
The artist knows this to be true because they have experienced the effects of the blues on their own life.
It'll creep up on you when you least expect
The blues can arise suddenly and when least expected.
Make the hair stand up on the back of your neck
The presence of the blues can cause a physical sensation of fear or nervousness.
Try to run but there ain't no escape
Despite efforts to avoid or escape the blues, they will persist and cannot be avoided.
It's a middle finger on the hand up faith, oh don't care
The blues represent a symbol of defiance to hope, faith, or anything that would give comfort or solace.
Blues ain't fair, I know, cause I've had my share
The blues do not conform to fairness, and the artist knows this from personal experience.
You can buy insurance, try to ease your mind
Attempts to mitigate the effects of the blues, such as purchasing insurance or finding comfort, will ultimately be futile.
Lock up your woman and hide your wine, bury your money in the cold hard ground
Actions such as securing possessions cannot protect one from the effects of the blues.
But the blues are gonna get you some way, somehow
Despite attempts to avoid or mitigate the blues, they will eventually impact one's life in some way or another.
Blues don't care, no blues don't care
The blues remain indifferent to the struggles and troubles of the individual.
I know, yes y'all, cause I really had my share
The singer reiterates their own firsthand knowledge and experience with the effects of the blues.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD FLEMING, TOM HAMBRIDGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind