Hoodoo Man Blues
Buddy Guy / Junior Wells Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Early this morning
I saw my baby makin' love to the garbage man
Early this morning
Saw my baby makin' love to the garbage man
The little girl know she was wrong
The little girl know I was leavin' her

The little girl know she was wrong
Oh yeah, oh yeah, the little girl know I could catch a plain
Little girl know she was wrong
Ohh, the little girl know I could catch a plain
But ohhh early this morning
Saw my baby making love to the garbage man

You know what, I ain't go up with that shit

Hey Buddy, will you play me some blues

You know I checked out that insurance man
And I checked out that mail man
But you know all the time, baby it was that old, old garbage man
Early this morning
Uhh saw my baby making love to the garbage man
The little girl know she was wrong
Hmmm, everything gonna be allright yeah
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah




You know four o'clock this morning
I saw my baby making love to the garbage man

Overall Meaning

The Garbage Man Blues is a classic blues song written and performed by Buddy Guy. The lyrics in the song are quite simple and straightforward, yet they convey intense emotions of betrayal and hurt. In the song, Buddy sings about catching his lover in the act of infidelity with the garbage man. The repetition of the phrase “early this morning, saw my baby making love to the garbage man” highlights the shock and pain of witnessing such an event. Buddy’s use of the blues technique of repetition creates an inconsolable feeling, communicating to the audience a genuine sense of pain and sorrow.


The lyrics suggest that Buddy’s lover is fully aware of the mistake she has made and that she knows Buddy will leave her. The line “the little girl know I was leavin’ her” confirms the suspicion that the relationship has no future. The betrayal, hurt, and anger conveyed in the lyrics are typical of the blues genre. Buddy recognizes that there are other potential culprits for his lover's cheating, such as the insurance man and the mail man, but ultimately, it is the garbage man who is responsible for destroying his relationship. The song speaks to the universality of betrayal and heartbreak and reminds listeners that these experiences are an inevitable part of life.


Line by Line Meaning

Early this morning
At dawn today


I saw my baby makin' love to the garbage man
I witnessed my partner having sex with the garbage collector


The little girl know she was wrong
My girl realized she made a mistake


The little girl know I was leavin' her
My girl understands that I am leaving her


Oh yeah, oh yeah, the little girl know I could catch a plain
I can easily leave her behind and fly away


But ohhh early this morning
But unfortunately today


You know what, I ain't go up with that shit
I cannot tolerate this behavior


Hey Buddy, will you play me some blues
Asking Buddy Guy to play some sad music


But you know all the time, baby it was that old, old garbage man
To my surprise, it was always the garbage collector


Hmmm, everything gonna be allright yeah
Everything will be fine despite this experience


Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Expressing agreement


You know four o'clock this morning
At four in the morning today


I saw my baby making love to the garbage man
I witnessed my partner having sex with the garbage collector




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