Bibb was born on 16th August 1951 in New York into a musical family. His father, Leon Bibb, is a trained singer who sang in musical theatre and made a name for himself as part of the 1960s New York folk scene. His uncle was the world-famous jazz pianist and composer John Lewis, of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Family friends included Pete Seeger, Odetta, and actor/singer/activist Paul Robeson, Bibb'sgodfather.
Bibb was given his first steel-string guitar when he was seven years old. Growing up surrounded by talent, he recalls a childhood conversation with Bob Dylan, who, on the subject of guitar playing advised the eleven-year-old Bibb to "Keep it simple, forget all that fancy stuff".
At sixteen years old, Bibb's father invited him to play guitar in the house band for his television talent show Someone New. Bibb's early musical heroes were from his father's band, and included Bill Lee (father of director Spike), who appeared on Bibb's album Me To You, years later.
In 1969, Bibb played guitar for the Negro Ensemble Company at St Mark's place in New York, and went on to study Psychology and Russian at Colombia University, but at the age of nineteen he left for Paris, where a meeting with guitarist Mickey Baker focused his interest in blues guitar. When he later moved to Sweden, Bibb found a creative environment which took him back to Greenwich Village during the heyday of the folk revival. Settling in Stockholm, Bibb immersed himself in pre-war blues and continued to write and perform.
The album Good Stuff was released in 1997, and led to Bibb signing to the British based Code Blue label. Eric's only release on Code Blue was Me to You, featuring appearances from some of Bibb's personal heroes in Pops and Mavis Staples, and Taj Mahal (who also worked with Bibb on the Grammy-nominated children's record, Shakin' a Tailfeather). The album furthered Bibb's international reputation and was followed by tours of the U.K., U.S.A., Canada, France, Sweden, and Germany.
In the late 1990s Bibb joined forces with his then manager, Alan Robinson, to form Manhaton Records, in Britain. The albums Home to Me (1999), Roadworks (2000), and Painting Signs (2001) followed, as did another Opus 3 release, Just Like Love.
Boll Weevil
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't need no Ford machine
I′ll eat up all your cotton
Can't buy no gasoline
Boll Weevil tol' the farmer
You better treat me right
I′ll eat up all your cotton
Can't see no water
But I′m about to drown
I can't see no fire
But I′m burnin' down
Yonder comes the spider
Runnin′ up an' down the wall
I reckon he's goin′ to get his ashes hauled
Get his ashes hauled
Boll Weevil tol′ the farmer
Don't need no Ford machine
I′ll eat up all your cotton
Can't buy no gasoline
The song "Boll Weevil" is a traditional African-American folk song that has been covered and adapted by many musicians, including Eric Bibb. The lyrics center around the eponymous boll weevil, a destructive insect that feeds on cotton plants. The boll weevil is portrayed as a powerful figure who tells the farmer he doesn't need a Ford machine or gasoline because he will simply eat up all the cotton. The song suggests that the boll weevil may be a metaphor for any force that can defeat even the most advanced technology, and that the farmer must find a way to live in harmony with nature and the natural order of things.
The boll weevil is particularly significant in African-American history, as it played a major role in the Great Migration of the early 20th century. Millions of African-Americans left the rural South, where the boll weevil had devastated the cotton crop, to seek work in Northern cities. The song "Boll Weevil" may have been a way for African-American farmers to express their frustration and grief over the loss of their livelihoods. At the same time, the song also suggests a certain reverence for the boll weevil, as it is portrayed as a powerful, almost mystical force that cannot be overcome by human technology.
Overall, "Boll Weevil" is a haunting and beautiful song that captures both the power and the tragedy of the boll weevil's impact on rural African-Americans. The boll weevil is both a destructive force and a symbol of resilience and adaptability, and the song suggests that there may be lessons to be learned from its example.
Line by Line Meaning
Boll Weevil tol' the farmer
The insect called boll weevil addressed the farmer
Don't need no Ford machine
The boll weevil does not need any mechanical device
I'll eat up all your cotton
The boll weevil will consume all the cotton of the farmer
Can't buy no gasoline
The farmer will not be able to buy gasoline using the money he might earn from selling the cotton
Boll Weevil tol' the farmer
The insect called boll weevil addressed the farmer
You better treat me right
The farmer should take good care of the boll weevil
I'll eat up all your cotton
The boll weevil will consume all the cotton of the farmer
Sleep in your grain'ry tonight
The boll weevil is going to spend the night in the farmer's grainery
Can't see no water
The boll weevil is in a place without any water source
But I'm about to drown
Despite the lack of visible water, the boll weevil is in trouble
I can't see no fire
The boll weevil does not see any fire around
But I'm burnin' down
Despite the lack of visible fire, the boll weevil is suffering or about to suffer some damage
Yonder comes the spider
A spider can be seen in the distance
Runnin' up an' down the wall
The spider is moving in a zigzag motion on the wall
I reckon he's goin' to get his ashes hauled
The singer expects the spider to meet a bad fate soon
Get his ashes hauled
The spider is going to die
Boll Weevil tol' the farmer
The insect called boll weevil addressed the farmer
Don't need no Ford machine
The boll weevil does not require any vehicle or machine
I’ll eat up all your cotton
The boll weevil will consume all the cotton of the farmer
Can't buy no gasoline
The farmer will not be able to buy gasoline using the money he might earn from selling the cotton
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.