Outside Woman Blues
Cream Lyrics

The opening lines of Cream's song "Outside Woman Blues" offer a form of advice or warning to the listener. Derek and the Dominos' previous version of the song opens with the same two lines, and the phrasing used is something of a mixing of the two idioms “don’t lose your head” and “don’t lose your shirt”. This advice could be interpreted as a figurative warning to not lose one’s sense of self or priorities while in pursuit of money, which could involve women. The following line, "And if you lose your woman, please don't fool with mine", suggests that the advice given is personal and prompted by recent, firsthand experience. The song seems to be about the singer's struggle with trust and infidelity, highlighting the sense of paranoia and anxiety that comes with being in love.

The singer suggests that the only way to prevent being emotionally wounded is by buying a bulldog, to watch over his lover while he sleeps. The lyrics are an interesting commentary on the complexity of sexual relationships and the difficulty of maintaining control in such a dynamic. The image of the bulldog as a protector is also an important symbol in the song. The bulldog may represent the singer's own desire to control something or someone, or it could represent his connection to his past or his heritage. Either way, the song's powerful imagery creates a vivid mental picture of the emotions and desires of the singer.