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.
River of Song
Eric Bibb Lyrics
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Stronger in a way I can′t explain
A sound like freedom when it rings
A sound like thunder – an' hard rain
A sound like clear, ripplin′ water
Flowin' down the mountain so long
Someday, we'll meet again
Somewhere on the river of song
Oh, I was grateful for all I thought was lost an′ gone
Your voice made us rejoice
Made us feel like goin′ on
A sound like clear, ripplin' water ...
Deep river, windin′ river, healin' river
Odetta, last time I heard you sing
You lifted me higher – higher than ever before
Your voice, so strong, so free – lifted me
Purified my soul
A sound like clear, ripplin′ water ...
Someday, we'll meet again
Somewhere on the river of song
Deep river, windin′ river, healin' river
Deep river, windin' river, healin′ river
The song "River of Song" by Eric Bibb is an ode to the power of music and the impact it can have on our lives. The lyrics describe the first time the singer heard someone sing and how that experience made them feel stronger, as if they had been infused with a sense of freedom and vitality that they couldn't quite put into words. The singer compares this feeling to the sound of thunder and hard rain, clear and rippling water, and the flowing of a river down a mountain. This imagery suggests that music is a natural force, elemental and essential, that has the power to move us and transform us in ways that are profound and mysterious.
The second verse of the song continues this theme, describing another encounter with music that had a transformative effect on the singer's life. This time, the singer was feeling lost and without hope, but the sound of a voice singing lifted them up and filled them with joy and a sense of purpose. The language of the lyrics becomes even more poetic here, with the river imagery expanding to include words like "healing" and "winding," suggesting that music has the power not only to uplift us, but also to heal and guide us through the twists and turns of life. The final verse is a tribute to a specific singer named Odetta. The singer describes how her voice lifted them higher than ever before and purified their soul, suggesting that music can have a spiritual and transcendent quality that connects us to something greater than ourselves. Overall, "River of Song" is a beautiful and deeply moving tribute to the power of music to touch our hearts and enrich our lives in ways that are beyond measure.
Line by Line Meaning
First time I heard you sing it made me stronger
The first time I heard you sing, it gave me inner strength that I cannot explain.
Stronger in a way I can't explain
The strength that I felt was indescribable yet powerful.
A sound like freedom when it rings
The sound of your voice brings a sense of liberation.
A sound like thunder – an' hard rain
Your voice has a powerful and intense quality to it, like a thunderclap or a heavy rainstorm.
A sound like clear, ripplin' water
The sound of your voice is refreshing and pure, like water flowing in a stream.
Flowin' down the mountain so long
Your voice is like water rushing down a mountain, unrelenting and unstoppable.
Someday, we'll meet again
We will see each other again in the future.
Somewhere on the river of song
We will cross paths on our musical journey.
Next time I head your voice
The next time I heard your voice.
Oh, I was grateful for all I thought was lost an' gone
I felt thankful because I thought I had lost something important, but your voice helped me find it again.
Your voice made us rejoice
Your voice brought joy to us all.
Made us feel like goin' on
Your voice gave us the strength to keep going.
Deep river, windin' river, healin′ river
The river is a metaphor for our spiritual journey, it is deep, winding, and has the power to heal.
Odetta, last time I heard you sing
Odetta, the last time I heard you sing.
You lifted me higher – higher than ever before
Your voice lifted my spirits higher than they've ever been before.
Your voice, so strong, so free – lifted me
Your voice has a strong and free quality that lifted me up.
Purified my soul
Your voice purified my soul, making me feel cleansed.
Writer(s): Eric Bibb
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Morgan Thomas
My entry into the world of Leon and Eric. Thanks for your great effort! Immanuel1
lantheaume sylvie
thank you!