With his backing group The Shadows, he dominated the British popular music scene in the late 1950s and early 1960s, before and during the The Beatles' first year in the charts. A conversion to Christianity and subsequent softening of his music led to his having more of a pop than rock image. Although never able to achieve the same impact in the United States as in Britain (in spite of several chart hits there), Richard has remained a popular music, film, and television personality in the UK and also retains a following in several other countries.
During the last six decades, Cliff Richard has charted many hit singles, and holds the record (along with Elvis Presley) as the only act to make the UK singles charts in all of its active decades (1950s–2000s). According to his website, he has sold 250 million records over the course of his career. In the British charts alone, Richard has had more than 150 singles, albums and EPs make the top 20.
Mean Woman Blues
Cliff Richard & The Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Gotta woman mean as she can be
I Gotta woman mean as she can be
Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
A black cat up and died of fright
'Cos she crossed it's path last night
Well I've Gotta woman mean as she can be
Well now I ain't bragging it's understood
Well everything I do well I sure do it good
A well uh I've Gotta woman mean as she can be
Yeah! Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
Well she's the strangest gal I ever had
Never was happy unless she's mad
A well uh I've Gotta woman mean as she can be
Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
One more time!
Well she makes love, without a smile
And Oh hot dog it drive a me wild
A well uh I've Gotta woman mean as she can be Oh Yeah
Now sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
Oh yeah now
Mean mean woman blues
Mean mean woman blues
Mean mean woman blues
Mean mean woman blues
Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
The song "Mean Woman Blues" by Cliff Richard and The Shadows portrays the singer's frustration with his mean and moody partner. The lyrics indicate that the woman is not easy to get along with and is often in a bad temper, which leads to problems in their relationship. The singer compares her to a black cat that died because of her, emphasizing her negative energy and suggests that she is almost as mean as he is.
The song has a fast-paced, rock and roll beat, and the repetitive chorus of "mean mean woman blues" emphasizes the theme of the song. Despite the singer's frustration with his partner, he highlights her unusual nature as being both captivating and challenging. He even describes how her love-making, while lacking a smile, drives him wild. Overall, the song is a humorous reflection on a challenging relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmmmmm
Instrumental
I Gotta woman mean as she can be
I have a woman who is very cold-hearted and cruel
Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
At times it feels like she's just as mean as I am
A black cat up and died of fright
A black cat died of fear because it crossed paths with my woman last night
'Cos she crossed it's path last night
Because my woman crossed its path last night
Well I've Gotta woman mean as she can be
I have a woman who is very cold-hearted and cruel
Well now I ain't bragging it's understood
I'm not boasting, it's just a fact
Well everything I do well I sure do it good
I excel at everything I do
A well uh I've Gotta woman mean as she can be
I have a woman who is very cold-hearted and cruel
Yeah! Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
Sometimes I feel like she's just as mean as I am
Well she's the strangest gal I ever had
She's the weirdest woman I've ever been with
Never was happy unless she's mad
She's never truly happy unless she's angry at me
A well uh I've Gotta woman mean as she can be
I have a woman who is very cold-hearted and cruel
Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
At times it feels like she's just as mean as I am
Well she makes love, without a smile
She shows no joy or happiness when we make love
And Oh hot dog it drive a me wild
It drives me crazy when she acts that way
A well uh I've Gotta woman mean as she can be Oh Yeah
I have a woman who is very cold-hearted and cruel
Now sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
At times it feels like she's just as mean as I am
Mean mean woman blues
This song is about the woes of dealing with a mean woman
Mean mean woman blues
This song is about the woes of dealing with a mean woman
Mean mean woman blues
This song is about the woes of dealing with a mean woman
Mean mean woman blues
This song is about the woes of dealing with a mean woman
Well sometimes I think she's almost mean as me
At times it feels like she's just as mean as I am
Contributed by Dominic I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Geoff T
This clip really shows why Cliff and The Shads were the best combo around in the late 50’s and early 60’s, Cliff’s at his best when singing rocky numbers.
alibawb
What a rocker...Cliff.......What a band...The Shadows.......love this.
Alan Thurley
Talking about Cliff and The Shadows being the best rock n roll combo in the 50s and 60s, they still are to this day.
tracy hodgkins
A fantastic example of early Cliff and the Shads!
Rosalinda Dattola
A real great rock and roll star Sir Cliff you're the best!!!
Epikouros Allebook
THESE OLD GEMS GIVE A SPECIAL PLEASURE TO ALL OF US WHO HAVE A ROCKABILLY HEART
Jos van der Gun
Terrific, Cliff & the Shadows at their very, very best!
Isabelle Lévy - Banchereau
Merci pour ce partage en live
J'adore Cliff Richard et encore plus avec les Shadows
Excellent chanteur de rock britannique
Claude Progni
avec Cliff c est merveilleux et avec les ombres ce l ai encore plus la vidéo est super
Jacky Van Hal
GREAT performances all the time Sir Cliff Richard A theme for a dream you still are!