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.
Going To School
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fleece was white as snow, yeah
And everywhere that she went
The lamb was sure to go
He followed her to school one day
And broke the teacher’s rule, yeah
What a time they had
Tisket, tasket, tasket, tasket now
My green and yellow basket
I wrote a letter to my baby, yeah
And on my way I past it
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, yeah
No, no, no, no, no
No, no, no, no, no, no
The lyrics to Buddy Guy's song "Going To School" are a playful and lighthearted take on the classic nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb." The song begins with the familiar lines, "Mary had a little lamb/Fleece was white as snow, yeah/And everywhere that she went/The lamb was sure to go." These lines set the stage for the story that follows, in which the lamb follows Mary to school and gets into trouble.
The second verse goes on to describe the scene at school when the lamb causes a disruption by breaking the teacher's rule. The lyrics read, "He followed her to school one day/And broke the teacher's rule, yeah/What a time they had/That day at school." This verse captures the chaos and excitement of the moment, as the lamb's presence brings unexpected joy and energy to the classroom.
The third verse, which includes the lines "Tisket, tasket, tasket, tasket now/My green and yellow basket," seems to be a bit of a departure from the rest of the song. These lyrics suggest a different story or context, perhaps one in which the singer is on a journey or traveling somewhere. However, the repetition of the phrase "No, no, no" at the end of the song ties everything back together, creating a sense of unity and coherence.
Overall, the lyrics to "Going To School" are a fun and endearing take on a classic nursery rhyme. The song celebrates the joy and innocence of childhood, while also exploring themes of mischief, rule-breaking, and adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
Mary had a little lamb
A girl named Mary owned a lamb as a pet.
Fleece was white as snow, yeah
The lamb had white and fluffy fur.
And everywhere that she went
The lamb followed Mary around wherever she went.
The lamb was sure to go
The lamb always followed Mary without fail.
He followed her to school one day
The lamb followed Mary to school one day.
And broke the teacher’s rule, yeah
The lamb disobeyed the school's rules by entering the classroom.
What a time they had
Everyone in the classroom was excited and amused to see a lamb in the classroom.
That day at school
The events that happened at school that day.
Tisket, tasket, tasket, tasket now
Singing a nonsense phrase as the story transitions.
My green and yellow basket
A basket that is colored green and yellow.
I wrote a letter to my baby, yeah
I wrote a letter to my significant other.
And on my way I past it
I passed by the basket while traveling to deliver the letter.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Singing a repeated sound.
No, no, no, no, no, yeah
The repeating sound ends with a variation on the last note as the story ends.
No, no, no, no, no
Continuing the repeated sound.
No, no, no, no, no, no
Continuing the repeated sound until the song ends.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BUDDY GUY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind