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.
Crosscut Saw
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, drag me across your log.
I'm a crosscut saw,
Baby, drag me across your log.
I cut your wood so easy for you,
You can't help but say, "Hot Dog!"
Some call me Woodcutting Sam,
The last girl I cut wood for,
She wants me back again.
[Chorus:]
I'm a crosscut saw,
Baby, drag me across your log.
I cut your wood so easy for you,
You can't help but say, "Hot Dog!"
I got a double-bladed axe
That really cuts good.
Well, I'm a crosscut saw,
Gonna bury me in your wood.
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Buddy Guy's "Crosscut Saw" are all about innuendos and sexual undertones. The song is about wanting to be in a sexual relationship with a woman and being used as a tool to "cut" her "wood" or satisfy her sexual desires. The term "crosscut saw" refers to a type of saw that is used to cut logs into various sizes. The lyrics have a double meaning that leads to a sexual interpretation. The singer is comparing himself to a saw, and he is asking the woman to drag him across her log, a log being a metaphor for her body. The saw also represents the process of getting physical pleasure from each other. The singer boasts of his ability to cut the woman's wood so easily that she won't be able to resist exclaiming, "Hot dog!" The chorus repeats the idea that the singer is a crosscut saw, and he wants the woman to use him to satisfy her desire.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a crosscut saw,
I have the strength and sharpness of a saw meant for cutting logs.
Baby, drag me across your log.
Use me to do your work and I'll go wherever you need me to go.
I cut your wood so easy for you,
My abilities make the task of cutting wood seem effortless for you.
You can't help but say, "Hot Dog!"
You'll be ecstatic with how easily and quickly I am able to complete the job.
Some call me Woodcutting Sam,
Some people refer to me by the name Woodcutting Sam.
Some call me Woodcutting Jim.
Others call me Woodcutting Jim.
The last girl I cut wood for,
The most recent woman I assisted with woodcutting.
She wants me back again.
She desires for me to help her with woodcutting once more.
I got a double-bladed axe
I possess a tool that has two sharp edges for cutting.
That really cuts good.
It is highly effective at cutting through wood.
Well, I'm a crosscut saw,
Once again, I am a saw designed for cutting logs.
Gonna bury me in your wood.
I am going to be used to cut through an abundance of wood in your possession.
[Chorus:]
These are the recurring lines that serve as the chorus of the song.
I cut your wood so easy for you,
Once again, I am emphasizing how easy it is for me to cut your wood.
You can't help but say, "Hot Dog!"
The reaction to how quickly I cut your wood will be extreme excitement.
I'm a crosscut saw,
As before, I am a saw for cutting logs.
Baby, drag me across your log.
Again, I implore you to utilize my abilities to make cutting wood much easier and efficient.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOMMY MCCLENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind