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 Didn't Know My Mother
Buddy Guy Lyrics
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That she had a son like me, oh no, he baby
I say I didn't know my mama, no, no
I didn't know she had a son like me
Oh baby, baby, baby
I want you to come on, you gotta see it like him
Let me tell you about it
I can look at the sky
You know I can predict the rain
I say I can look at the sky
I believe I can predict the rain
Oh, I can tell when my lady
I can tell when she got another man
Well, this is what I say
I didn't know my mama, oh she had a son like me
I say I didn't know my mama, no, no
I didn't know, I didn't know
I didn't know she had a son like me
All you gotta do is come around me, people
And I'll show you and you can say
Alright
Squeeze water out of rock
And I make water come out of dry sand
I squeeze water out of rock, yeah
I can get water out of dry sand
Oh, when you listen to my story, little girl
I'll prove to you I'm a nutcho man
That's why I didn't know my mother
Had a, had a nice little son like me
I said I didn't know my mother, no, no, no, no, Lord
I didn't know, I didn't not know
I didn't know, girl, she had something like me
All you girls gotta do is look at me
Take your time and come and see, yeah
Alright
The lyrics to Buddy Guy's song "I Didn't Know My Mother Had a Son Like Me" touch on the theme of self-discovery and realizing one's own potential. Buddy Guy starts off by saying that he didn't know his mother had a son like him, indicating that he may have been underestimated or overlooked in the past. However, he then goes on to list his unique abilities and qualities that set him apart from others. For example, he can predict the rain by looking at the sky, and he can tell when his lady is seeing another man. He also claims to be able to "squeeze water out of a rock" and "make water come out of dry sand," which are impossible feats, but serve as metaphors for his resourcefulness and determination. The overall message of the song seems to be one of empowerment and self-affirmation, as Buddy Guy declares that he is a "nutcho man" and urges others to come see for themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't know my mama
I was not aware of my mother
That she had a son like me, oh no, he baby
I never knew that she had a son like me
I say I didn't know my mama, no, no
I repeat, I had no idea about my mother
I didn't know she had a son like me
It came as a surprise to me that she had a son like me
Oh baby, baby, baby
An expression of excitement and enthusiasm
I want you to come on, you gotta see it like him
I want you to come along and experience things from my perspective
I can look at the sky
I have the ability to observe the sky
You know I can predict the rain
I can accurately forecast rain
I say I can look at the sky
I declare that I can observe the sky
I believe I can predict the rain
I am confident that I can forecast the rain
Oh, I can tell when my lady
I can sense when my woman
I can tell when she got another man
I can detect when she is seeing someone else
Well, this is what I say
I am expressing my opinion on this matter
All you gotta do is come around me, people
You just need to be around me to understand
And I'll show you and you can say
I will demonstrate it to you, and you can attest
Squeeze water out of rock
I have the ability to extract water from a rock
And I make water come out of dry sand
I can produce water from dry sand
Oh, when you listen to my story, little girl
If you pay attention to my tale, young lady
I'll prove to you I'm a nutcho man
I will demonstrate to you that I am special and unique
That's why I didn't know my mother
This is why I never knew my mother
Had a, had a nice little son like me
Did not possess a great son like me
I said I didn't know my mother, no, no, no, no, Lord
I repeated that I have no idea about my mother, my God
I didn't know, I didn't not know
I lacked awareness, I was ignorant
I didn't know, girl, she had something like me
I did not know that she had an individual like me
All you girls gotta do is look at me
You just need to observe me, ladies
Take your time and come and see, yeah
Relax and take your time to witness, yeah
Alright
An expression of affirmation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUDDY GUY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind