Relocating to Los Angeles in the early 1970s, McClinton emerged in a partnership with fellow Texan Glen Clark, performing a combination of country and soul music. They achieved a degree of artistic success, releasing two albums before splitting, with McClinton embarking on a solo career. Emmylou Harris had a number 1 hit in 1978 with his composition "Two More Bottles of Wine", and McClinton's "B Movie Boxcar Blues" was covered on the first album of The Blues Brothers, Briefcase full of blues. His 1980 album, The Jealous Kind contained his only Top 40 hit single "Givin' It Up for Your Love".
After a rest period during much of the '80s, McClinton made a welcome return in 1989 with the fiery album Live From Austin, taped during an Austin City Limits appearance. He won a 1991 Grammy for his duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Man, Good Woman", and reached the Top 5 of the country charts with the Tanya Tucker duet, "Tell Me About It". He recorded the opening title song "Weatherman" for the Bill Murray film Groundhog Day. The fledgling label Rising Tide offered One of the Fortunate Few in 1997, but the label quickly folded. In addition to releasing two new studio albums in the early 2000s, New West Records issued Delbert McClinton Live in 2003, a compilation of songs from throughout his career.
McClinton is the star of the upcoming musical documentary: "Rocking the Boat: A Musical Conversation and Journey" by Hawaii-based film maker Jay Curlee. The feature includes interviews and performances by McClinton, Marcia Ball, Rodney Crowell, Stephen Bruton, Wayne Toups, Jimmy Hall,Paul Thorn, Jeffrey Steele and Teresa James. Sometime author, musician, sheriff and now Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman also stars. The film will be entered in the 2006 Telluride Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, and Hawaii International Film Festival.
Blues About You Baby
Delbert McClinton Lyrics
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I'll get my old guitar down off the rack
And sing the blues about you, baby, sing the blues about you, baby
It's really bringin' me down, I'm just mopin' around
I got the blues about you, baby
Well, the hardest thing honey 'bout havin' the blues
Like walkin' the floor in a dead man's shoes
Maybe this homemade wine will wash you outta my mind
I got the blues about you, baby
I keep knockin' at the door but you won't let me in
I'll be back tomorrow night a knockin' again
I got the blues about you, baby, I got the blues about you, baby
I'm a fool for you, I got nothin' to lose
I got the blues about you, baby, alright
Well, now honey, if we had a little heart to heart
Maybe we could find us a brand new start
I got the blues about you, baby, I got the blues about you, baby
Well, I'm a fool for you, I ain't got nothin' to lose
I'm a fool about you, baby
Well, now I can't sleep but just lay in bed
Starin' at the ceiling, going outta my head
I got the blues about you, baby, I got the blues about you, baby
It's really bringin' me down, I'm just a mopin' around
I got the blues about you, baby, alright kid
You know you really oughta be ashamed of yourself
For breakin' my heart and ruinin' my health
I got the blues about you, baby, I got the blues about you, baby
Well, you committed the crime but I'm doin' the time
I got the blues about you, baby
I got the blues about you baby, I got the blues about you, baby
I'm a fool for you, I ain't got nothin' to lose
I got the blues about you, baby
"Blues About You Baby" is a song by Delbert McClinton that describes the feeling of a man who is unable to get past a break-up with his lover. As the song begins, the singer comes to terms with the fact that his lover is not coming back, causing him to feel incredibly sad. The singer then picks up his guitar and starts singing the blues, which he hopes will make him feel better. The first verse suggests that the singer is in a state of mourning and cannot stop thinking about his lost love.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on what it's like to have the blues. He likens the experience to "walking the floor in a dead man's shoes," implying that there is a sense of hopelessness and despair associated with the blues. He attempts to self-medicate with "homemade wine," but it does little to ease his pain.
The third verse shows the singer attempting to win back his lost love. He keeps knocking at her door, but she won't let him in. Despite this, he remains a fool for her and is willing to try again. The final chorus declares that he has the blues about her and that he's a fool for her, despite having nothing left to lose.
Overall, "Blues About You Baby" is a poignant and relatable song about the pain of heartbreak and the inability to let go of a lost love. Its bluesy melody and soulful lyrics make it a classic of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's finally sinkin' in, you ain't comin' back
I am finally realizing that you will not return to me
I'll get my old guitar down off the rack
I will retrieve my old guitar to help me express my emotions
And sing the blues about you, baby, sing the blues about you, baby
I will sing a song about my sadness over losing you
It's really bringin' me down, I'm just mopin' around
My misery over losing you is affecting me greatly and I am constantly feeling down
Well, the hardest thing honey 'bout havin' the blues
The most difficult aspect of feeling blue is...
Like walkin' the floor in a dead man's shoes
...feeling as though I am in someone else's hopeless situation
Maybe this homemade wine will wash you outta my mind
Perhaps this homemade wine will help me forget about you
I keep knockin' at the door but you won't let me in
I am trying to reach out to you but you are not receptive
I'll be back tomorrow night a knockin' again
I will persist in reaching out to you, even if it means coming back every night
I'm a fool for you, I got nothin' to lose
I still care for you deeply, despite being left with nothing else
Well, now honey, if we had a little heart to heart
Perhaps if we could talk honestly about our feelings...
Maybe we could find us a brand new start
...we could potentially move forward with a fresh beginning
Well, I'm a fool for you, I ain't got nothin' to lose
I still hold onto hope for reconciliation, as I have nothing more to lose
Well, now I can't sleep but just lay in bed
I am unable to sleep and can only lie in bed awake...
Starin' at the ceiling, going outta my head
...as my mind races with thoughts of you
You know you really oughta be ashamed of yourself
You should feel remorse for causing me such pain
For breakin' my heart and ruinin' my health
Your actions have led to my heartbreak and physical deterioration
Well, you committed the crime but I'm doin' the time
While you are the one who caused the pain, I am the one who must suffer through the consequences
I got the blues about you baby, I'm a fool for you
I am deeply saddened by your absence and still hold onto feelings of love for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: AL ANDERSON, DELBERT MCCLINTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind