Eric Bibb (b. 1951) is an American blues singer and guitarist, based in Lon… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Bibb (b. 1951) is an American blues singer and guitarist, based in London, England, who has made his career largely in Europe.

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.

Honest I Do
Eric Bibb Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don′t you know that I love you
Honest I do
I'll never place
No one above you

Please tell me you love me
Stop drivin′ me mad
You're the sweetest little woman

That I ever had

I told you I love you
Stop drivin' me mad
When I woke up this mornin′
I never felt so bad

So, please tell me you love me
Stop driving me mad
When I woke up this morning

You′re the sweetest little woman
That I ever had

Overall Meaning

The song "Honest I Do" by Eric Bibb is a heartwarming love ballad that speaks of a man's unconditional love for his special woman. In the first verse, the man declares his love for his lady and assures her that she is his priority, and that nobody will come before her. He is willing to do whatever it takes to make her happy and to secure her love.

However, the second verse has a bit of a contrasting vibe to it as the man begs for his lady's reciprocation of love. He pleads with her to stop playing hard to get, assuring her that she is the dearest love he ever had. The man is in despair, and as he wakes up from his slumber that morning, he feels terrible because the love of his life is still unsure if she feels the same way. The chorus becomes a repetition of his plea with his lady, asking her to show him some love and stop acting indifferent towards his affections.

In summary, this song is a perfect encapsulation of the sometimes-agonizing process of expressing one's love emotions to another. It showcases the highs and lows of true love in a relatable manner, poised to melt listeners' hearts.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't you know that I love you
I love you, and it should be obvious to you.

Honest I do
I am sincerely telling you the truth about my love for you.

I'll never place
I will never put someone else

No one above you
no one else is more important to me than you are.

Please tell me you love me
I need to hear you say that you love me too.

Stop drivin' me mad
Stop making me feel crazy or anxious.

You're the sweetest little woman
You are a kind-hearted and lovely person,

That I ever had
and I feel lucky to have you in my life.

I told you I love you
I have already expressed my love for you.

When I woke up this mornin'
This morning, when I became conscious,

I never felt so bad
I have never felt this unhappy before.