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.
Buckets of Rain
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buckets of Rain
Buckets of tears
Got all them buckets comin' out of my ears.
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand,
I got all the love, honey baby,
You can stand.
I been meek
And hard like an oak
I seen pretty people disappear like smoke.
Friends will arrive, friends will disappear,
If you want me, honey baby,
I'll be here.
Like your smile
And your fingertips
Like the way that you move your lips.
I like the cool way you look at me,
Everything about you is bringing me
Misery.
Little red wagon
Little red bike
I ain't no monkey but I know what I like.
I like the way you love me strong and slow,
I'm takin' you with me, honey baby,
When I go.
Life is sad
Life is a bust
All ya can do is do what you must.
You do what you must do and ya do it well,
I'll do it for you, honey baby,
Can't you tell?
In Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain," the singer is overwhelmed with grief and sadness, as evidenced by the repeated references to buckets of tears and rain. The hyperbole in the lyrics - with the buckets overflowing and coming out of the singer's ears - emphasizes the depth of emotion being felt. Despite the sadness, the singer also expresses an abundance of love, holding moonbeams and claiming to have all the love his sweetheart could need. The contrast between the buckets of sadness and the abundance of love is striking, and suggests that the singer is perhaps grappling with conflicting emotions.
The singer also reflects on the transience of things in life - people, for example - by noting that he's seen pretty people disappear like smoke. This observation could be taken as a bleak one, indicating that pretty people don't stick around for long, or it could be a commentary on the fleeting nature of life in general - that nothing lasts forever. The refrain - "If you want me [...] I'll be here" - provides hope that despite the changes and losses in life, the singer's love will be a constant.
The second half of the song focuses more on the singer's love for his sweetheart, praising everything from her smile to her love-making skills. The little red wagon and little red bike mentioned in the lyrics could suggest that the couple has been together since childhood and have grown up together. Despite the sadness in the rest of the song, the final lines offer a note of reassurance - that whatever life throws at the couple, they'll face it together and do what they must do.
Line by Line Meaning
Buckets of Rain
He has a lot of concerns and worries that are weighing him down.
Buckets of tears
He is experiencing a lot of sadness and pain in his life.
Got all them buckets comin' out of my ears.
His troubles and difficulties are overwhelming and overflowing.
Buckets of moonbeams in my hand,
He has an abundance of hope and positivity in his life.
I got all the love, honey baby, You can stand.
He has a lot of love to give and is willing to give it all to one person.
I been meek
He has been humble and gentle in his actions and attitude.
And hard like an oak
Despite being gentle, he has also been strong and resistant to outside forces.
I seen pretty people disappear like smoke.
He has witnessed the ephemeral nature of life and how even beautiful things can quickly vanish.
Friends will arrive, friends will disappear,
Friendships are ever-changing and can sometimes be fleeting.
If you want me, honey baby, I'll be here.
He is promising his loyalty and availability to a loved one.
Like your smile
He finds joy in something as simple as a smile.
And your fingertips
He admires the small details of a loved one's physicality.
Like the way that you move your lips.
He is attentive to the movements and gestures of a loved one.
I like the cool way you look at me,
He is appreciative of the gaze and attention of a loved one.
Everything about you is bringing me Misery.
Despite his love and admiration, he is feeling a sense of sadness and despair because of a loved one.
Little red wagon
He has a childlike sense of enjoyment for simple pleasures.
Little red bike
He has specific preferences and knows what he likes.
I ain't no monkey but I know what I like.
He is self-aware and confident in his preferences.
I like the way you love me strong and slow,
He is attracted to a particular style and pace of love.
I'm takin' you with me, honey baby, When I go.
He is committed to a loved one and wants them to be with him on his life journey.
Life is sad
He acknowledges the existence of sorrow and pain in life.
Life is a bust
Life can be disappointing and unfulfilling at times.
All ya can do is do what you must.
In spite of difficulties, one must do what they need to do to survive and move forward.
You do what you must do and ya do it well,
He recognizes the strength and skill needed to overcome obstacles.
I'll do it for you, honey baby, Can't you tell?
He is willing to help a loved one in any way he can and hopes they can see that.
Writer(s): Bob Dylan
Contributed by Asher E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.