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.
Early in the Morning
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had a little date with my baby last night
I said, early in the morning (early in the morning)
I know it's early in the morning (early in the morning)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
I went to her house and she don't live there no more
I said, early in the morning (early in the morning)
I know it's early in the morning (early in the morning)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
I went to a girlfriend's house and she was out
I knocked on her father's door and he began to shout
I said early in the morning (early in the morning)
I know it's early in the morning (early in the morning)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
(yeah)
(early in the morning)
(early in the morning)
(early in the morning)
(yeah)
(blues)
I went to Bob Evans to get me something to eat (yeah)
The waitress looked at me said, "Buddy, you sure look beat" (yeah)
I said early in the morning (early in the morning)
I know it's early in the morning (early in the morning)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
I had a lot of money when I started out (yeah)
I can't find my baby, you know my money run out (yeah)
I said early in the morning (early in the morning)
I know it's early in the morning (early in the morning)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
"Buddy Guy's Early In The Morning" is a song about heartbreak and disappointment. The lyrics convey the singer's emotional state after a night out with his beloved, which ended with an unfortunate conclusion, leaving him feeling lonely and nothing but the blues. The opening lines illustrate his misery: "Early in the morning I can't get right. I had a little date with my baby last night." This song is a representation of the blues genre's characteristics, with the singer's mournful voice and the guitar's slow, steady beat. The chorus repeats the phrase "early in the morning" twice, emphasizing the singer's loneliness and desperation as he cannot find his lover.
The song's theme of heartbreak is further highlighted as the singer visits the usual places he and his lover frequented and discovered that she's gone. Throughout the song, the singer seems to be searching for someone or anyone to provide some comfort, but his luck continues to run out. He visits a girlfriend's home hoping for solace, but she is not there, and her father yells at him. Then he goes to a restaurant, where the waitress takes note of his state and questions his well-being. The lyrics maintain a wistful tone throughout, with the chorus emphasizing the singer's loneliness in the early morning when he cannot sleep and has nothing but the blues.
Line by Line Meaning
Early in the morning I can't get right
I'm feeling down and lost in the early morning hours
I had a little date with my baby last night
I was out with my lover in a date last night
I said, early in the morning (early in the morning)
I know it's early in the morning (early in the morning)
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
I'm repeating that it's early in the morning and I'm feeling blue
I went to the places where we used to go
I went to her house and she don't live there no more
I visited the places we used to visit together and went to my lover's house, only to find out she's not there anymore
I went to a girlfriend's house and she was out
I knocked on her father's door and he began to shout
I went to visit another girlfriend, but she wasn't there and when I knocked on her father's door, he shouted at me
(yeah)
(early in the morning)
(early in the morning)
(early in the morning)
(yeah)
(blues)
Repeating the same refrain of being blue in the early morning
I went to Bob Evans to get me something to eat (yeah)
The waitress looked at me said, "Buddy, you sure look beat" (yeah)
I went to a diner to have a meal and the waitress noticed my downtrodden appearance
I had a lot of money when I started out (yeah)
I can't find my baby, you know my money run out (yeah)
I used to have a lot of money, but now it's run out and I can't find my lover
Early in the morning (yeah)
And I ain't got nothin' but the blues (blues)
Closing stanza repeating the same refrain of feeling blue in the early morning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE SEAGO, MIKE LEANDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind