Edward Riley Boyd (November 25, 1914 – July 13, 1994) was an American blues… Read Full Bio ↴Edward Riley Boyd (November 25, 1914 – July 13, 1994) was an American blues piano player, born on Stovall's Plantation near Clarksdale, Mississippi, United States.

Boyd moved to the Beale Street district of Memphis, Tennessee in 1936 where he played piano and guitar with his group, the Dixie Rhythm Boys. Boyd followed the great migration northward to the factories of Chicago, Illinois in 1941.

He wrote and recorded the hit songs "Five Long Years" (1952), "24 Hours" (1953), and the "Third Degree" (co-written by Willie Dixon, also 1953). Boyd toured Europe with Buddy Guy's band in 1965 as part of the American Folk Blues Festival. He later toured and recorded with Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers.

Tired of the racial discrimination he experienced in the United States, he first moved to Belgium where he recorded with the Dutch band, Cuby and the Blizzards. He settled in Helsinki, Finland in 1970, where he recorded ten blues records, the first being Praise to Helsinki (1970). He married his wife, Leila, in 1977.
Boyd died in 1994 in Helsinki, Finland,

Twenty-Four Hours
Eddie Boyd Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh I mistreated my baby last night, woman from holding you here in my arms
Oh I mistreated my baby last night, woman from holding you here in my arms
Now you know she been gone 24 hours and that's 23 hours too long
You know if I had a million dollars I would give every dime to bring her back home
Oh, how my poor heart bleeds peoples, it's so sad to be alone
Now you know she been gone just about 24 hours and that's 23 hours too long
Oh, my baby's so pretty, this little girl she looks just like a charm
I love this woman, this woman, she looks just like a charm

Now you know she been gone 24 hours and that's 23 hours too long

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Eddie Boyd's song "Twenty-Four Hours" express deep remorse for mistreating a loved one and the desperation to have them back. The opening line reveals that he mistreated his partner the night before, causing her to leave. He laments that holding her in his arms led him to mistreat her, and he wishes that he could turn back time.

The repetition of "24 hours" highlights how much time has passed since she left and how much he misses her. He would give anything to bring her back, even if it meant giving up all his wealth. He is devastated and lonely without her, as expressed in the line "how my poor heart bleeds peoples, it's so sad to be alone." He acknowledges how pretty and charming she is, and how deeply he loves her.

Overall, the lyrics convey the pain and regret of mistreating someone and losing them, and the desperate desire to make things right and have them back.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh I mistreated my baby last night, woman from holding you here in my arms
I feel remorseful for mistreating my partner last night because I want to be close to her.

Now you know she been gone 24 hours and that's 23 hours too long
I miss my partner so much that even 24 hours apart feels like an eternity.

You know if I had a million dollars I would give every dime to bring her back home
I would do anything to have my partner back in my life, even if it meant giving away all my wealth.

Oh, how my poor heart bleeds peoples, it's so sad to be alone
The pain of being without my partner is overwhelming, and it feels like my heart is literally bleeding.

Oh, my baby's so pretty, this little girl she looks just like a charm
I think my partner is beautiful, and her appearance is charming to me.

Now you know she been gone 24 hours and that's 23 hours too long
I cannot handle being apart from my partner for even a single day.

Contributed by Mason B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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