Buddy Guy (born George Guy, July 30, 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana) is an A… Read Full Bio ↴Buddy Guy (born George Guy, July 30, 1936 in Lettsworth, Louisiana) is an American blues music and rock music guitarist, as well as a singer. Known as an inspiration to Jimi Hendrix and other 1960s blues and rock legends, Guy is considered as an important proponent of Chicago blues made famous by Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He has influenced both widely known and local blues guitarists.

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 Go Crazy
Buddy Guy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you leave me
I'll go crazy
If you quit me
I'll go crazy
'Cause I love you
I love you
Oh, I love you too much

If you forget me
I'll go crazy
If you leave me
I'll go crazy
'Cause I love you
I love you
Oh, I love you too much

You got to live for yourself
Yourself and nobody else
You got to live for yourself
Yourself and nobody else

If you quit me
I'll go crazy
If you forget me
I'll go crazy
'Cause I love you
I love you
Oh, I love you too much

You got to live for yourself
Yourself and nobody else
You got to live for yourself
Yourself and nobody else

If you leave me
I'll go crazy
If you quit me
I'll go crazy
'Cause I love you

I love you
Oh, I love you too much

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "I Go Crazy" by Buddy Guy express the intense love and attachment that the singer feels towards their lover. The repeated phrases "If you leave me, I'll go crazy" and "If you forget me, I'll go crazy" emphasize the deep fear of abandonment that the singer is experiencing. The lines "You got to live for yourself, Yourself and nobody else" suggest that the singer realizes that their unhealthy dependence on their lover is not sustainable and that they need to focus on their own needs and desires.

The overall message of the song is the importance of self-love and self-reliance in a relationship. The singer acknowledges that their love for their partner is too much, and that they need to find a way to balance their feelings with their own individuality. The song also speaks to the universal human experience of dealing with intense emotions and the fear of loss.

Overall, "I Go Crazy" is a powerful expression of love, attachment, and self-discovery in a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

If you leave me
If you decide to abandon me

I'll go crazy
I will lose my sanity and become mentally unstable

If you quit me
If you end our relationship

I'll go crazy
I will become irrational and uncontrollable

'Cause I love you
Because I have strong feelings of affection for you

I love you
I feel a deep love for you

Oh, I love you too much
My feelings of love for you are intense and overwhelming

If you forget me
If you fail to remember or acknowledge my existence

You got to live for yourself
You must prioritize your own needs and desires

Yourself and nobody else
No one else should have control over your life