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.
Come Back Baby
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
for the way I love you you'll never know.
So come back baby, let's talk it over, one more time.
For the way I love you, you know I do,
For the way you love me, baby,
You never know.
Come back, baby, let't talk it over,
Mean old freight train, Cruel Engineer.
Took my baby, left me standing here.
If I could holler, like a mountain jack
I'd climb that mountain, call my baby back.
You know I love you, tell the world I do,
For the way I love you, baby,
You'll never know.
So come back, baby, let's talk it over,
One more time.
Eric Bibb's song "Come Back Baby" is a soulful plea from a lover to his lost love to return to their relationship. The singer's heartfelt plea is to come back to his love and not to leave him alone again. The first verse expresses the singer's love for his partner, whose affection is a mystery to him. He admits that he is unable to understand the depth of her feelings, but his love is genuine and true. He begs her to come back to him and discuss their differences and try to work on their relationship once again.
In the second verse, the singer laments the loss of his lover, whom he compares to the cruel engineer of a mean old freight train. The metaphor suggests how his lover's departure has left him stranded and alone, with nothing to hold on to. He wishes he could holler like a mountain jack to call her back, but all he can do is pine for her.
The final verse restates the singer's love for his partner, declaring that he loves her more than anything else in the world. He pleads with her to come back to him one more time and work through their issues. The song is a heartfelt plea for a lost love to return and try to make things work once again.
Line by Line Meaning
Please come back baby, please don't go
I am begging you to return to me, please don't leave.
For the way I love you you'll never know.
I love you so deeply that you can't comprehend the extent of my feelings.
So come back baby, let's talk it over, one more time.
Let's discuss what went wrong and see if we can make things right, one last time.
For the way I love you, you know I do,
I want you to know that I love you deeply.
For the way you love me, baby, You never know.
I can only hope that you feel a fraction of the love I have for you.
Come back, baby, let's talk it over, One more time.
I am hoping we can communicate and find a way to reconcile our issues.
Mean old freight train, Cruel Engineer.
A train came and took my love away from me.
Took my baby, left me standing here.
My love was taken away from me, and now I am alone.
If I could holler, like a mountain jack
If I could yell loudly like a lumberjack in the mountains,
I'd climb that mountain, call my baby back.
I would scale the highest peak to call my love back to me.
You know I love you, tell the world I do,
I am not afraid to proclaim my love for you to anyone who will listen.
For the way I love you, baby, You'll never know.
My love for you is so profound that you may never fully grasp it.
So come back, baby, let's talk it over, One more time.
I am willing to make one last effort to repair our relationship, will you give me the chance to do so?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERIC CHARLES BIBB, DP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
broxmouth
This is a tour de force as a performance: technically, expressively, emotionally.
Verging on transcendent -Dave van Ronk's version is superb; Snooks Eaglin's was definitive for decades; Bert Jansch's is the best British take on it - but this is just sublime.
Richard Norris MD
I've been playing this song since I learned it from VanRonk in 1964. I've heard many versions…this one by Eric Bibb is superb,outstanding! Great guitar work with lots of improv and variations and soulful singing. Amen,brother
itsonlyrocknroll22
Simply awesome, love the feel of the playing and the soul that he sings from, one of my fave vids
ABCBuzzCreative
This song has appeared over the years in recordings with various lyrics. The song has been credited to pianist Walter David, who recorded Come Back Baby in 1941 with different verses than Eric Bibb sings here, which—along with the guitar arrangement— are almost identical to those put on record in 1961 by the late great finger picker Dave Van Ronk, who credited his guitar arrangement to his one-time sideman Dave Woods. (Van Ronk listed the songwriting credits to Walter David and J. Dupree - L. Martin.) Van Ronk's lyrics were also different from those sung by Ray Charles in his 1954 version (as the B-side to I Got a Woman) over a piano arrangement that was markedly different from Davis' 1941 recording. Glad to hear Van Ronk's version so capably executed by Eric Bibb in this video.
SETZERSGRETSCH
Awesome ! Thats what playing the blues is all about, The style, the feel and the tone
Courtiger9
the way he simultaneously instills dissonance and resolve leaves me with my hackles up
Sirgabsou Yandika
Forget about all the theories. This is the blues
Veojam
You're right. That's how Eric always sings. He puts all his passion and heart into what he sings.
Kerf Smith
Beautiful! Way to own it!
giampietro cerolini
Oh my God!......that is what i mean Blues!!!!!!!.......Can't stop listening this song. Great Eric Bibb thank you to exist