Delbert McClinton is a blues musician born 4 November 1940, in Lubbock, Tex… Read Full Bio ↴Delbert McClinton is a blues musician born 4 November 1940, in Lubbock, Texas. He honed his craft working in a bar band, The Straitjackets, backing visiting blues giants such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Howlin' Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jimmy Reed. He made his first recordings as a member of the Ron-Dels and was noted for his distinctive harmonica work on Bruce Channel's 1962 hit "Hey Baby". On a tour of the UK with Channel, McClinton met a young John Lennon and advised him on his harmonica technique, resulting in the sound heard on the Beatles hit "Love Me Do".

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.

Stir It Up
Delbert McClinton Lyrics

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Stir it up, little darlin'
Stir it up, oh yeah
Stir it up, little darlin'
It's been a long, long time
Since I had you on my mind
Now you are here; and it's so very clear
There's so much we can do
Just me and you

Come on, stir it up, little darlin' Stir it up, oh yeah
Stir it up, little darlin'

I'll push the wood, light the fire
Oh, I'll satisfy your heart's desire
I will stir it every, every, every minute baby

All you have to do girl, is
Oh baby, stir it up, little darlin'
Stir it up, oh yeah
Stir it up, little darlin'

I'll push the wood, light the fire
Oh, satisfy your heart's desire
Little girl, I'll stir it every, every, every minute

All you got to do baby
Come on, come on
Stir it up, little darlin'
Stir it up, oh yeah
Stir it up, little darlin'
Stir it up, oh yeah
Come on, stir it up
Stir it up

Stir it up
Stir it up

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Delbert McClinton's "Stir It Up" represent a romantic commitment to reigniting the passion between two people who have not seen each other for a long time. The song is an invitation to a lover to embrace the moment and relive the moments by stoking the fires of physical attraction. The singer is impatient and excited, as he's been waiting for a long time to be with his lover, and knowing that they have limited time together, he's keen to make every moment count. The lyrics engage in wordplay, with the singer offering to "push the wood and light the fire" as a metaphor for being sexually provocative.

The chorus encourages the listener to "stir it up," urging her to rekindle their passion and desire for intimacy. The song favors percussion and rhythm, with the singer claiming he'll "stir it every, every, every minute." The overall effect is one of upbeat tempo, with McClinton's soulful voice setting a sultry, sexy tone. The song is an invitation to stir up romance, embrace intimacy, and appreciate the present moment.

Line by Line Meaning

Stir it up, little darlin'
Encouraging the person to ignite their passions

Stir it up, oh yeah
Enthusiastically encouraging the person to ignite their passions

It's been a long, long time Since I had you on my mind Now you are here; and it's so very clear There's so much we can do Just me and you
After a long period without thinking about the person, now that they are back, they can see that they have many possibilities together.

I'll push the wood, light the fire Oh, I'll satisfy your heart's desire I will stir it every, every, every minute baby
Offering to go to great lengths to please the other person and make them happy.

All you have to do girl, is Oh baby, stir it up, little darlin'
Asking the other person to simply tap into their own passions and desires to create a mutually satisfying experience.

I'll push the wood, light the fire Oh, satisfy your heart's desire Little girl, I'll stir it every, every, every minute
Reiterating the promise to make every effort to fulfil the other person's desires.

All you got to do baby Come on, come on Stir it up, little darlin' Stir it up, oh yeah Stir it up, little darlin'
Repeating the exhortation for the other person to ignite their passions, and expressing a desire to experience that energy together.

Stir it up, oh yeah Come on, stir it up Stir it up Stir it up
Repeatedly calling for action to be taken to ignite passion and promote energy and excitement.

Contributed by Hailey J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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