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.
Got To Do Better
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uneme a tu rio, dame vida
No se que palabras decir,
que provoquen que me quieras
mas de lo que me amas.
Ven Señor, como dijistes
Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.
Ven Señor, como dijistes
Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.
Vence en mis tinieblas con tu luz
Se mi fuerza hoy, Oh Jesus
Encuentra mi escondite, alcanzame si huyo
Oh Señor
Inundame con tu amor...
//Ven Señor, como dijistes
Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.
Ven Señor, como dijistes
Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.//
Me amas como padre, como un hermano,
como un leon feroz, como nadie.
Con fuerzame buscas, para abrazarme,
Me envuelves en tu amor.
Ohhh!
//Ven Señor, ven como dijistes
Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.
Ven Señor, ven como dijistes
Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.//
Me amas como padre, como un hermano,
como un leon feroz, como nadie.
Con fuerzame buscas, para abrazarme,
Me envuelves en tu amor.
Envuelveme, ohh ven
The lyrics to Eric Bibb's song Got To Do Better express a desire to be closer to God and to live a life worthy of his love and grace. The singer finds himself lost for words to express the depth of his love for God and the extent to which he desires to be in his presence. He asks God to pour his glory upon him and to be his light in moments of darkness. He acknowledges his shortcomings but believes that with God's strength, he can overcome them. He asks God to surround him with love and to envelope him in his embrace.
The use of Spanish in the first verse may reflect the singer's desire to express his devotion to God in a way that transcends language barriers. The subsequent verses express the singer's recognition of the different facets of God's love - as a father, a brother, and even as a fierce lion. The repetition of the line "Ven Señor, como dijistes, Derrama tu Gloria" underscores the singer's unyielding desire for God's presence and blessings.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of humility, awe, and reverence towards God, as well as a recognition of human fallibility and the need for divine grace.
Line by Line Meaning
Mueve el estanque en mi ser
I feel something stirring in my spirit
Uneme a tu rio, dame vida
Connect me to your life-giving river
No se que palabras decir, que provoquen que me quieras mas de lo que me amas.
I don't know what I could say that would make you love me more than you already do.
Ven Señor, como dijistes Derrama tu Gloria, derrama tu Gloria.
Lord, come as you promised and pour out your glory.
Vence en mis tinieblas con tu luz
Overcome the darkness inside me with your light
Se mi fuerza hoy, Oh Jesus Encuentra mi escondite, alcanzame si huyo Oh Señor Inundame con tu amor...
Be my strength today, find me where I hide, pursue me if I flee, Lord, fill me with your love...
Me amas como padre, como un hermano, como un leon feroz, como nadie. Con fuerzame buscas, para abrazarme, Me envuelves en tu amor.
You love me like a Father, like a brother, fiercely like a lion, like no one else. You seek me with strength, to embrace me and wrap me in your love.
Envuelveme, ohh ven
Wrap me up, oh come
Writer(s): Eric Charles Bibb, Chuck Anthony
Contributed by Eli P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.