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.
Man Of Many Words
Buddy Guy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a many of a many word
I can speak things to you darlin', my dear
I could swear that you never heard
I rap slow and I know I rap long
Come on mama let me turn you on
Now come on, alright
When I rap my game and call your name
In the midnight hours when ya dream, my darlin'
I swear you will call my name
I rap strong and I know I rap long
Come on mama let me turn you on
Now, come on
I was hauled off to jail, late last night
With no one to go my bail
I rapped strong to the judge early this mo'nin'
And the judge put the cops in jail
I rap strong and I know I rap long
Come on mama let me turn you on
Now come on
Let me tell ya 'bout that baby
I've got to tell ya
I'm gonna preach about it
I want the world to know about it
I want to know what ya did to me
Let me tall ya
Listen!
Can ya hear me?
I want to know do ya hear me now?
I got to know, do you hear me?
I want to know do ya hear me?
The lyrics to Buddy Guy & Junior Wells's song "A Man of Many Words" speak about the power of language and its ability to captivate and persuade. The singer, who considers himself a man of many words, boasts of his ability to communicate his message effectively, even to those who may not have heard it before. He uses his words to entice and seduce his listener to the point where they will never be the same.
The song is structured around a hypnotic and repetitive rhythm, with the lyrics being sung in a slow and deliberate manner. The repetition of the chorus, "Come on mama let me turn you on," highlights the seductive undertones of the song. The singer is using his words to not only persuade but also to arouse his listener.
The final verse of the song takes a turn as the singer shares a personal story about being arrested and using his language to convince the judge to put the cops in jail instead of him. This verse showcases the power of language in a different way, as the singer uses his words to manipulate the legal system.
Overall, "A Man of Many Words" is a song about the power of language and how it can be used to captivate, seduce, and persuade.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't care what nobody say
I am not bothered by anyone's opinions
I'm a many of a many word
I am a man who uses a lot of words to speak
I can speak things to you darlin', my dear
I can express myself to you in a special way, my love
I could swear that you never heard
I am confident that you have never heard anyone speak like me
I rap slow and I know I rap long
I take my time when speaking, and I can keep going for a while
Come on mama let me turn you on
Let me impress and excite you with my words, my dear
When I rap my game and call your name
When I express myself and mention your name
You will never be the same
You will experience something new and transformative
In the midnight hours when ya dream, my darlin'
When you dream late at night, my dear
I swear you will call my name
You will say my name in your dreams
I was hauled off to jail, late last night
I was arrested and taken to jail yesterday night
With no one to go my bail
No one paid my bail and got me out of jail
I rapped strong to the judge early this mo'nin'
I spoke persuasively to the judge this morning
And the judge put the cops in jail
The judge punished the police officers instead
Let me tell ya 'bout that baby
Let me share with you about my experience, my dear
I've got to tell ya
I have to express myself to you
I'm gonna preach about it
I am going to speak passionately and emphatically about it
I want the world to know about it
I want everyone to be aware of this
I want to know what ya did to me
I am curious about what you did to me
Let me tall ya
Let me tell you something important
Listen!
Pay attention to what I am about to say
Can ya hear me?
Do you understand what I am saying?
I want to know do ya hear me now?
Do you hear me clearly at this moment?
I got to know, do you hear me?
I need to make sure that you are able to hear me
I want to know do ya hear me?
I want to make sure that you are listening to what I am saying
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BUDDY GUY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SvendBosanvovski
Buddy and Junior toured down under when this LP was released. I bought a copy and wore the grooves out. Buddy's fingerstyle break at about 1:30 here blew my mind completely.
@randallkennedy2066
Coolest cat on the planet, Buddy Guy!!!
@j.bustillo6910
This is just so bad ass.
@brownj2
I had never heard this before, it kicks butt
@jonvalinski
Thanks for putting this on here as it is FANTASTIC !!!!!!
@wcoleman99
thanks to the black crowes for using this to do hard to handle which got me into soul and blues music like this
@kristonterbutt7373
Otis Reading wrote and recorded Hard to Handel back in 68. This is what they covered.
@BJGFilms1
Only recently discovered this album. Fantastic!
@ianboelts
his solo is bangin!!!
@mrboogie107
this song sounds exactly as hard to handle=)