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.
Dig A Little Deeper In The Well
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
Dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
My daddy used to tell me don′t be fooled by the thing you see
If you want to get to the heart of things you gotta look way down deep
Second place don't get it son a winner got to come in first
There′s nothing worse than to take
In a drink that leaves you in the dirt
Dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
Dig dig dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
A good man needs a good woman she's the rock that'll make you strong
She′ll be there to lean on when the whole worlds going wrong
There ain′t nothing like good loving that's to how it′s meant to be
So find you a woman be good to you like a momma's been to me
Dig dig dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
Dig dig dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
There′s a mighty flowing river where the water cool and sweet
Don't be fooled by a muddy stream be careful where you drink
Life is what you make it sometimes a living hell
If you want to find that promised land
You got a dig a little deeper in the well
Dig dig dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
Dig dig dig a little deeper in the well boys
Dig a little deeper in the well
If you want a good cool drink of water
You gotta dig a little deeper in the well
The lyrics to Eric Bibb's "Dig A Little Deeper In The Well" invite listeners to delve beneath the surface and search for what truly matters in life. The repeated chorus is a metaphor for the effort required to find true satisfaction and fulfillment. The well represents the depths of our own resources and the vital importance of digging deeper to access them. The first verse refers to the need for perseverance and determination to achieve success in life, while the second highlights the importance of love and relationships. The final verse encourages listeners not to settle for surface-level experiences but to search for deeper meaning and purpose.
Overall, the theme of the song is about going beyond what is readily available on the surface and making the effort to truly explore and discover what life has to offer. It represents the idea that often the biggest rewards require the greatest amount of effort, and that by looking deeper we can find the things that truly matter in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Dig a little deeper in the well boys
If you want to achieve something substantial, you must put in extra effort by digging deeper.
Dig a little deeper in the well
One must search and strive for more than what is readily available.
If you want a good cool drink of water
If you want something of value and worth, it takes determination and hard work.
My daddy used to tell me don′t be fooled by the things you see
Appearances are often deceptive, and one must look beneath the surface to understand the real situation.
If you want to get to the heart of things you gotta look way down deep
To understand any situation genuinely, one must delve deep and analyze it critically.
Second place don't get it son a winner got to come in first
In any competition, one must aim for the top spot as coming in second is not enough.
There′s nothing worse than to take in a drink that leaves you in the dirt
It is worse to settle for less and end up worse off than before.
A good man needs a good woman she's the rock that'll make you strong
Men must have supportive and caring women in their lives as they offer stability and make them strong.
She′ll be there to lean on when the whole world's going wrong
When everything seems to be falling apart, a good woman will be there to give support and help you navigate through tough situations.
There ain’t nothing like good loving that's how it's meant to be
Love is a fundamental aspect of human existence, and people must pursue and cherish it wholeheartedly.
So find you a woman be good to you like a momma's been to me
To find a loving and nurturing partner, one must treat them with kindness, just like how a mother takes care of her child.
There's a mighty flowing river where the water is cool and sweet
There are abundant and excellent opportunities available if one searches for them in the right places.
Don't be fooled by a muddy stream be careful where you drink
One must be cautious and discerning while choosing among the available options as not all may be trustworthy or beneficial.
Life is what you make it sometimes a living hell
Life's quality depends on one's attitude and choices, and sometimes situations can be challenging.
If you want to find that promised land you got a dig a little deeper in the well
To live a fulfilling and meaningful life or achieve your dreams, you must put in extra effort and work harder than the average person.
Writer(s): Roger Bowling, Jodie Emerson
Contributed by Brooklyn L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.