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.
I've Got News For You
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That your life was awful tame
Well, I took you to a night club
And the whole band knew your name
Oh well, baby, baby, baby
I've got news for you
Oh, somehow your story don't ring true
Well, you phoned me you'd be late
'Cause you took the wrong express
And then you walked in smiling
With your lipstick all a mess
Oh, let me say to you little mama
Wo, I've got news for you
Ah, your story don't ring true lil' girl
Yeah, I've got news for you, baby
Oh, you wore a diamond watch
Claimed it was from Uncle Joe
When I looked at the inscription
It said, "Love from Daddy-o"
Oh, well baby, wo lil' girl
I wanna say I've got news for you
Ah, if you think that jive will do
Let me tell you, oh, I've got news for you
Well, somehow your story don't ring true
Wo, I've got news for you, oh, oh
In Buddy Guy's "I've Got News for You," the singer confronts their lover, accusing them of lying about their life before they met. The song's opening lines suggest that the lover's life was boring before they met, but the singer took them to a nightclub where they became an instant celebrity. The lyrics go on to tell several stories, all of which the singer catches their lover in a lie.
The second verse tells of the lover being late because they took the wrong express. However, when they arrive, their lipstick is smudged, suggesting they were doing something else. In the third verse, the lover claims to have gotten their diamond watch from their Uncle Joe, but the inscription reveals that it was a gift from their father. Throughout the song, the singer implies that the lover is trying to deceive them, and they see through every lie.
Line by Line Meaning
You said before we met
You claimed that your life was boring and not interesting before we came into each other's lives
That your life was awful tame
Your life was incredibly dull and uneventful
Well, I took you to a night club
I brought you to a lively venue with live music and dancing
And the whole band knew your name
The performers were familiar with you and recognized you by name, suggesting that you frequent the club often
Oh well, baby, baby, baby
This line is a playful and affectionate expression towards the person he's talking to
I've got news for you
He has new information to share with the other person
Oh, somehow your story don't ring true
The story you've been telling him seems false and inconsistent
Well, you phoned me you'd be late
You called him to inform him that you would be running late
'Cause you took the wrong express
You claim that you took the wrong mode of transportation and ended up off course
And then you walked in smiling
Despite claiming to have taken the wrong train, you seemed happy when you arrived
With your lipstick all a mess
Your makeup appeared smudged and out of place, indicating something suspicious occurred during your travels
Oh, let me say to you little mama
A term of endearment and familiarity towards the other person
Wo, I've got news for you
He has fresh and insightful information to share with the other person
Ah, your story don't ring true lil' girl
Your explanation about being late and your current appearance don't add up
Yeah, I've got news for you, baby
An assertion that he has something important to share with the other person
Oh, you wore a diamond watch
You wore a valuable and luxurious timepiece on your wrist
Claimed it was from Uncle Joe
You stated that the watch was a gift from a family member named Uncle Joe
When I looked at the inscription
When he inspected the watch more closely
It said, "Love from Daddy-o"
The engraving on the watch revealed that it was actually a gift from a different family member, Daddy-o
Oh, well baby, wo lil' girl
A playful and affectionate expression towards the other person
I wanna say I've got news for you
He is eager to share some new information with the other person
Ah, if you think that jive will do
If you believe that he will fall for your lies and deception
Let me tell you, oh, I've got news for you
He has new knowledge to share with the other person, something that they may not expect
Well, somehow your story don't ring true
The things you've been saying and the explanations you've given aren't consistent and seem false
Wo, I've got news for you, oh, oh
His final reminder that he has information to share that could reveal the truth about their relationship
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROY ALFRED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
lawlaw1
One of the best live blues albums of all time... period
Happy Birthday Buddy!!!!!
JAN LIPSKI
Fully agree.These guys are all cream of the crop.
R Sanchez
Much feeling in this interpretation, and excellent musicians playing with the master Buddy
Tom Lowe
The piano and the organ absolutely fucking kick ass p.s excuse my language but....