Bell learned to play the harmonica in his hometown of Macon, Mississippi and was playing professionally with his uncle Lovie Lee's band by the age of 13. In 1956, Lee convinced Bell to move to Chicago.
Struggling to find work as a harmonica player, Bell learned to play bass from Hound Dog Taylor and played with Big Walter Horton while honing his blues harp chops.
Bell played harp and bass with other blues icons for decades, including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Earl Hooker, Robert Nighthawk, Lowell Fulson, Eddie Taylor, Louisiana Red, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Billy Branch, Jimmy Dawkins and his son, blues guitarist Lurrie Bell.
In 1998, Carey Bell was awarded the Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Artist Of The Year.
Carey Bell died of heart failure on May 6, 2007 in Chicago.
Mellow Down Easy
Carey Bell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You jump, jump, there
You jump, jump, jump,
everywhere
Then you mellow down easy
Mellow down easy
You mellow down easy when you really wanna blow your top
You shake, shake, there
You shake, shake, shake,
everywhere
Then you mellow down easy
Mellow down easy
You mellow down easy when you really wanna blow your top
You wiggle, wiggle, here
You wiggle, wiggle, there
You wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
everywhere
Then you mellow down easy
Mellow down easy
You mellow down easy when you really wanna blow your top
The lyrics of Carey Bell's song "Mellow Down Easy" speaks about a person who is struggling to control their emotions. The song describes the person jumping, shaking, and wiggling everywhere before finally mellowing down easy. The person is believed to be in a state of excitement, possibly because of their partner or just their general situation. However, they have to calm down at some point to avoid getting into trouble.
The phrase "mellow down easy" is repeated multiple times in the lyrics of the song, and it appears to be significant. Specific emphasis is placed on the phrase to get the message across that when a person is too excited or emotional, they must learn to calm down, handle themselves and their problems with ease. The song's overall message could be that we need to learn to control our emotions as we go through life to avoid bad situations.
Line by Line Meaning
You jump, jump, here
You are full of energy and constantly on the move
You jump, jump, there
You cannot sit still and are constantly moving around
You jump, jump, jump, everywhere
Your energy is infectious and you are always in motion
Then you mellow down easy
Eventually, you calm down and become more relaxed
Mellow down easy
Take it easy and relax
You mellow down easy when you really wanna blow your top
You calm down only when you are facing a situation that could be frustrating or anger-inducing
You shake, shake, here
You are constantly moving and shaking
You shake, shake, there
You are always in motion and cannot stay still
You shake, shake, shake, everywhere
Your restlessness is apparent in everything you do
You wiggle, wiggle, here
You cannot stand still and are constantly moving around
You wiggle, wiggle, there
You cannot sit still and are always moving around
You wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, everywhere
Your energy and restlessness are evident in everything you do
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WILLIE DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind