Remembered by many these days as a founding member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin Bishop has also tasted pop success with his 1976 smash hit “Fooled Around and Fell In Love.” Bishop’s long and varied career has included other musical stops along the way as well, from deep down gutbucket blues played in smoky South Side Chicago taverns, to raucous roadhouse R&B, to rollicking good time rock & roll. And at every stage along the way, he’s imbued all of his music with deep passion, a uniquely creative spirit, and more than a little bit of sly humor.
Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Elvin Bishop didn’t have much exposure to live music as a youngster. But his family had a radio, and in between the pop schmaltz and the C&W that ruled the airwaves in the 1950s, that radio could sometimes catch the legendary R&B programming beamed throughout the southern part of the U.S. at night by Nashville radio station WLAC. That station introduced Bishop to the classic records of Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and once his ears had been hooked, there was no turning back for young Elvin. He soon got his first guitar and on his own began scratching out the basic outlines of the blues, R&B and rock & roll that had captured his imagination.
By the time he was preparing to go to college in the late 1950s, Bishop had earned a National Merit Scholarship, allowing him to go to almost any school he chose – and there was only one choice on Elvin’s mind, the prestigious University of Chicago, which just happened to be located on Chicago’s South side, ground zero for much of the urban blues Elvin had been studying only from a distance. He arrived in Chicago in 1959, and before long crossed paths with a kindred spirit in Paul Butterfield. Together, they explored the ghetto blues clubs in the black neighborhoods surrounding the university campus at a time when blues giants like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Otis Rush, Magic Sam and Howlin’ Wolf could be found playing in neighborhood joints on a weeknight. Elvin soaked it all up, gaining impromptu lessons and invaluable stage time in front of discerning audiences, and forging a fluid yet powerful guitar style of his own.
By 1963, Bishop and Butterfield were ready to graduate – not necessarily from the university, but certainly from their apprenticeship under Chicago’s blues elders. Recruiting Howlin’ Wolf’s former rhythm section of Sam Lay on drums and Jerome Arnold on bass, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was born. In 1965, after adding Mike Bloomfield and Mark Naftalin to the lineup, their revolutionary debut LP was released, kicking open the door for virtually all the young white blues bands that followed.
Bishop remained in the fold for three albums with the Butterfield band, including their innovative “East-West” release (on which Bishop and Bloomfield’s intertwining guitars helped set the stage for the Allman Brothers Band among many others who followed), before venturing out on his own. Elvin released four well-received albums on Epic Records in the early ‘70s, before joining Capricorn Records for a couple of LPs and experiencing his biggest pop success, the national hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” from his 1976 LP “Struttin’ My Stuff”.
As popular musical trends evolved, the recording projects tapered off, but road work kept Elvin busy through the ‘80s, and by the time he hooked up with Alligator in 1988, he was returning to his bluesy roots. And that fertile territory has been his focus ever since.
Delta Groove Productions president Randy Chortkoff has been a fan and follower of Elvin’s music through all the many phases of his career, beginning with Butterfield Blues Band in the mid 1960s, so when the opportunity arose to bring Elvin into the Delta Groove fold, Chortkoff jumped at the opportunity. The result was Elvin’s Grammy nominated 2008 CD “The Blues Rolls On”, a project supported by an all-star cast of blues royalty featuring B.B. King, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, George Thorogood , James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Tommy Castro, John Németh, Angela Strehli, plus many more.
Elvin’s brand new release “Red Dog Speaks”, his second on Delta Groove Music, is the exciting next step in his blues journey. Right out of the gate, Bishop leaves no doubt where his heart is, cleverly introducing his long-time cohort - a 1959 Gibson ES-345 that lovingly answers to the name of “Red Dog”, with a gritty slow blues calculated to set the pace for what’s to come. Along the way he smoothly steers the way from strutting blues and R&B, to a good dose of good-time rock & roll, and even an occasional detour through doo-wop, zydeco and gospel. Elvin has made plenty of talented friends over the years, and many of them jumped at the chance to help out including John Nemeth, Buckwheat Zydeco, Roy Gaines, Tommy Castro, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Kid Andersen who all make guest appearances. And all of it adds up to an amalgam that can only be called “Elvin Bishop music.”
Bishop's official website is at http://www.elvinbishopmusic.com/
Beer Drinking Woman
Elvin Bishop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All the names have been changed to
protect the innocent.
The city, oakland california. The place, eli's mile high club
the year 1988
The story goes something like this:
I walked into a beer tavern
when i walked in i had 50 dollars in my pocket
When I walked out I had one dime
Wasn't she a beer drinkin' woman?
Don't ya know, man don't ya know?
She was a beer-drinkin' woman
And I don't want to see her no more
Now, when I spend down to my last dime
She said, 'Darlin' I know you're not through'
I said, 'Yes, baby doll
And the trophy belongs to you'
Wasn't she a beer drinkin' woman?
Don't you know, man don't you know?
She was a beer-drinkin' woman
And I don't wanna see her no more
slow down bartender i aint got no credit card
Now she'd often say, 'Excuse me a minute
I've got to step around here'
And ev'ry time she came back
She had room for another quart of beer
Wasn't that a beer drinkin' woman?
Don't ya know, man, don't ya know?
She was a beer drinkin' woman
And I don't want to see her no mo'.
had to move over a light beer, said it was less filling
Elvin Bishop's song "Beer Drinking Woman" tells the story of a man who enters a beer tavern to meet a woman. He has $50 in his pocket, hoping to have a good time with her, but he ends up spending all of his money buying drinks for her. The woman, who is described as a "beer-drinking woman," keeps asking for more beer, and the man keeps buying it for her. Eventually, he runs out of money and is left with just a dime in his pocket. Despite the woman's drinking habits, the man seems to be attracted to her, as he calls her "baby doll" and says that "the trophy belongs to you."
The lyrics suggest that the woman in question has a serious drinking problem, as she repeatedly asks for more beer and seems to have a high tolerance for alcohol. The man, on the other hand, is portrayed as a victim of her drinking, as he spends all his money on her without getting anything in return. The lyrics are humorous and lighthearted, but they also carry a message about the dangers of excessive drinking and the importance of being responsible with alcohol.
Line by Line Meaning
The story's true ladies and gentlemen.
This story is a true story.
All the names have been changed to protect the innocent.
To protect the identity of people involved in the story, fake names have been used.
The city, oakland california. The place, eli's mile high club
the year 1988
This story took place in the city of Oakland, California in the year 1988, specifically at Eli's Mile High Club.
I walked into a beer tavern
To give a girl a nice time
when i walked in i had 50 dollars in my pocket
When I walked out I had one dime
The artist went to a beer tavern to have a good time with a girl. He had 50 dollars in his pocket when he went in, but by the time he left the tavern, he had just one dime left with him.
Wasn't she a beer-drinkin' woman?
Don't ya know, man don't ya know?
She was a beer-drinkin' woman
And I don't want to see her no more
The girl with whom the artist spent time drinking beer was a true beer lover, and he doesn't want to see her anymore.
Now, when I spend down to my last dime
She said, 'Darlin' I know you're not through'
I said, 'Yes, baby doll
And the trophy belongs to you'
Even when the singer was out of money, his girl encouraged him to keep drinking, and he accepted that she deserves the trophy for being the winner of the beer-drinking challenge.
slow down bartender i aint got no credit card
The singer requested the bartender to slow down since he didn't have a credit card to pay for his drinks.
Now she'd often say, 'Excuse me a minute
I've got to step around here'
And ev'ry time she came back
She had room for another quart of beer
The girl would often leave her seat and go to the washroom only to come back to have another mug of beer.
Wasn't that a beer drinkin' woman?
Don't ya know, man, don't ya know?
She was a beer drinkin' woman
And I don't want to see her no mo'.
The girl was truly a beer drinker, and the artist didn't want to be with her anymore.
had to move over a light beer, said it was less filling
The artist had to switch to light beer after his first beer because the girl convinced him that it was less filling than the stronger ones.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER CHATMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bluesatbirth
Elvin, whom I've known for yrs.--got to sit in with him and The Butterfield Blues Band--many yrs. ago. Go back and listen to the BBB--some great guitar, harp and keys, as well as vocals and horn section work. They were so ahead of it musically--back in the 60's. Good start to listen to--East-West.
Nashoba Sipokni
Good guy.
yo mama
i’m related to this guy :)
Justin Messenger
bluesatbirth
Bloomfield and Bishop head to head is out of sight man
Bill Thompson
The whole album Big Fun is just great.
Danny Pico
Yes, i really liked the big fun album, i had it. Elvin is great. my dog is such a great song also.
Борис Тодоров
I got chills :)
Kris Scanlon
I think Elvin truly must of been surprised by his hit in '76...EB can play but loves having good time as well! He's too much lol
Barry Kershaw
Elvin - Butterfield - what - 20 or more years ago - where has all this fiken GOOD shit gone
Mitch Gawlik
I dig this tune, but the thing I love about it is...no slide guitar. Elvin can kick it, which he does here, but far too
often he's into his "good ol' boy kickin' back" mode. I want to hear him play like he did with Butterfield, Al Kooper
and the Allmans.