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.
Saucer 'n' Cup
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I don't try to change her she don't try to change me,
Ever since we met, every-things looking up.
We go together, like a saucer and cup
She's like the sunshine after weeks of rain,
her loving disposition is sweet as sugar cane.
Ever since we met, everything is new,
We go together, like the grass and the morning dew.
She's all I ever wanted in a woman and a pal,
it's nothing less that destiny, she was born to be my girl
Ever since we met, everything is grand.
You know you're lucky and a satisfied man
She likes her coffee and I got to have my tea,
now I don't try to change her and she don't try to change me.
Ever since we met, every-things looking up
We go together, like a saucer and cup
We go together like a saucer and cup
The lyrics of Eric Bibb's song "Saucer 'n' Cup" can be interpreted as a joyful love song that celebrates the beauty of two people who are in love and who accept each other's differences. The first two lines immediately establish that the two lovers have different preferences: the woman likes coffee, and the man likes tea. However, they have learned to respect each other's choices and not try to change them, indicating a mature, healthy relationship. The two lovers are now deeply in love and together, everything is looking up. The saucer and cup symbolize their relationship, where the saucer is the support for the cup, just as the two partners support each other.
The lyrics go on to describe the woman's loving disposition, like sunshine after weeks of rain and sweet as sugar cane. The man feels she's everything he ever wanted in a woman and a pal, and destiny has brought them together. They are both satisfied with the relationship and consider themselves lucky. As the song progresses, the chorus repeats, "We go together like a saucer and cup" further emphasizing the compatibility of the two partners.
Interestingly, the song also employs metaphors that evoke nature: grass and morning dew. This could indicate that the relationship is natural, blooming and refreshing. Overall, Bibb's "Saucer 'n' Cup" is a positive and uplifting song that highlights the strength and beauty of two people in love who respect each other's choices.
Line by Line Meaning
She likes her coffee and I got to have me tea.
I prefer tea and she prefers coffee, but we respect each other's choices.
Now I don't try to change her she don't try to change me,
We accept each other for who we are and don't try to make each other someone else.
Ever since we met, every-things looking up.
Our lives have improved significantly since we got together.
We go together, like a saucer and cup
We complement each other and fit together perfectly, like a saucer and cup.
She's like the sunshine after weeks of rain,
Being around her is like a breath of fresh air and brings happiness to my life.
her loving disposition is sweet as sugar cane.
She has a kind and caring personality, which makes her a pleasure to be around.
Ever since we met, everything is new,
Our relationship has brought excitement and a sense of adventure into our lives.
We go together, like the grass and the morning dew.
Our connection is natural and essential, like the way grass needs the morning dew to survive.
She's all I ever wanted in a woman and a pal,
I value her as both a romantic partner and a friend.
it's nothing less that destiny, she was born to be my girl
Our relationship was meant to be and we were meant to be together.
Ever since we met, everything is grand.
Our lives have been amazing since we met and started our relationship.
You know you're lucky and a satisfied man
Being with her makes me feel lucky and fulfilled.
We go together like a saucer and cup
Our relationship is perfect and complements each other, like a saucer and cup.
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.