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.

Keep It To Myself
Buddy Guy Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, you know you ain't no Fridgidaire.
You can't keep nothin', tell everything you hear.
But everything I know, I keep it to myself,
'Cause 'n I ever tell you, you tell someone else
What I say.
(I'm gonna – gotta keep it to myself, heh.)

Woman, you know you ain't nothin' but a tattle-tale.

You told on my brother, and he landed to jail.
You said that, you know, you didn't mean no harm,
but they gave him forty days on the County Farm.
What I say.
(I'm gonna keep it to myself, yeah.)

You just a blabber-mouth baby,
And spreadin' gossip is your game.

When you get to rappin' baby,
You make a stool pigeon feel ashamed.

Baby you must be from'a outer space.
'Cause the way you run your mouth is a natch'l disgrace.
I don't know how much trouble you cause',
But I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't start the last war.
What I say, yeah.

I've got-ta, I gotta keep it to myself.
Lord, I ain't gonna tell nobody else, no.
I gotta, I gotta, I gotta keep it to myself.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Hey hey
Hey hey haay yeeeeeeeeeh yeh
Keep it all now;

I gotta keep it all now.
I gotta keep it a-a-a-all now.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Buddy Guy's "Keep It To Myself" depict a situation where the singer is warning his partner about her tattletale tendencies while relaying a story about her sending his brother to jail. The opening line of the song, "Baby, you know you ain't no Fridgidaire," conveys the idea that the woman he’s singing to is loose-lipped and can't keep secrets. The singer goes on to acknowledge that he knows plenty about her that he could reveal, but chooses to keep silent because he knows that if he spills the beans, she'll only go and tell someone else. He chides her, saying that she's nothing more than a "tattle-tale" who spreads gossip like it's a game.

The lyrics employ humor in describing her loose lips, saying that when she gets to talking, even a stool pigeon feels ashamed. The singer describes her as being from outer space because of the way she causes trouble with her mouth. The warning is that she must be careful because she could inadvertently start World War III. Throughout the song, the heart of the message is about the need for discretion, and the importance of being able to keep information close to one's chest. "Keep it to Myself" is an anthem for those who believe that the less you say, the more power you have.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, you know you ain't no Fridgidaire.
Woman, you are not able to keep any secrets. You reveal everything you hear.

You can't keep nothin', tell everything you hear.
You cannot keep any information or secrets to yourself. You share all that you hear.

But everything I know, I keep it to myself,
I keep all the information that I have to myself and don't share it with anyone.

'Cause 'n I ever tell you, you tell someone else
If I ever share any information with you, I know that you will tell someone else.

What I say.
Any words spoken by me.

(I'm gonna – gotta keep it to myself, heh.)
I will ensure that I keep everything to myself and not disclose anything to anyone else.

Woman, you know you ain't nothin' but a tattle-tale.
You are known for being a person who gossips and tells secrets about others.

You told on my brother, and he landed to jail.
You revealed information about my brother, and he was arrested and put in jail.

You said that, you know, you didn't mean no harm,
You said that you didn't intend to harm anybody by revealing the information.

but they gave him forty days on the County Farm.
Nevertheless, because of your revelation, my brother got a 40-day sentence at the County Farm.

What I say.
Any words spoken by me.

(I'm gonna keep it to myself, yeah.)
I shall ensure that I do not tell anyone else and keep everything to myself.

You just a blabber-mouth baby,
You talk too much, and everyone knows it.

And spreadin' gossip is your game.
The act of spreading rumors about others is something you revel in doing.

When you get to rappin' baby,
Whenever you start talking or conversing with someone, baby,

You make a stool pigeon feel ashamed.
You are so good at talking and sharing gossip that even a professional informant would feel embarrassed.

Baby you must be from'a outer space.
The way you talk so consistently and effortlessly without getting tired, you must come from another planet.

'Cause the way you run your mouth is a natch'l disgrace.
Because of the way you speak constantly without keeping secrets and giving out confidential information, it is a natural embarrassment.

I don't know how much trouble you cause',
I don't have any idea regarding how much harm and hurt you can bring by talking unfiltered about everything and everyone.

But I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't start the last war.
I would not be surprised if you were the one who initiated the final war through your incessant talking and gossiping about the wrong stuff.

What I say, yeah.
Anything that I say.

I've got-ta, I gotta keep it to myself.
It is imperative that I keep all information to myself and not share it with anyone else.

Lord, I ain't gonna tell nobody else, no.
I swear to the Lord that I will not share any confidential information with anyone else.

I gotta, I gotta, I gotta keep it to myself.
It is extremely important that I keep everything to myself and assure that no one else hears about it.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Hey hey
Hey hey.

Hey hey haay yeeeeeeeeeh yeh
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Keep it all now;
Keep everything now.

I gotta keep it all now.
It is absolutely vital that I keep all of it to myself and ensure that no one else hears anything.

I gotta keep it a-a-a-all now.
I really have to keep everything confidential and not tell anyone what I know.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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