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.

Single By Shingle
Eric Bibb Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Folks stumble and fall
Ain't nothing new at all
We just keep coming up with new ways
Of going down

Whether you're poor or rich
At the bottom of the ditch
You can finally see the light

And turn your life around

Shingle by shingle
I'm patchin' up the roof
Row by row
I'm bringin' in the crop

Love makes a change
I'm livin' the proof
New water's in the well
And I'm grateful for
Every drop

I've had my share of debts
And some regrets
I'm leavin' all that behind
And movin' on

I thank God today
I can truly say
My soul's dark night
Has turned to dawn

Shingle by shingle
I'm patchin' up the roof
Row by row
I'm bringin' in the crop

Love makes a change
I'm livin' the proof
New water's in the well
And I'm grateful for
Every drop

Shingle by shingle
I'm patchin' up, patchin' up the roof
Row by row
I'm bringin' in the crop

Love makes a change
I'm livin' the proof
New water's in the well
And I'm grateful for
Every drop

Shingle by shingle
I'm patchin' up the roof
Row by row
I'm bringin' in the crop

Love makes a change
I'm livin' the proof
New waters in the well
And I'm grateful for

New water's in the well
And I'm grateful
New water's in the well
And I'm grateful

For every drop

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Eric Bibb's song Single By Shingle express a message of perseverance, hope, and gratitude. The song begins by acknowledging the inevitability of hardship and failure. The line "Ain't nothing new at all" highlights the universality of these struggles. However, the lyrics suggest that no matter how far down one falls, it is possible to turn one's life around. This message is conveyed through the image of patching up a roof or bringing in a crop, where progress is made shingle by shingle or row by row. This slow and steady progress may not be glamorous or immediate, but it can lead to a better future.

The theme of hope is further emphasized in the final lines, where the newly found "water in the well" is a metaphor for the abundance and blessings that can be found in life. The use of "every drop" shows how each small victory or step forward should be appreciated and recognized as valuable. The song's lyrics ultimately celebrate the importance of hard work, determination, and optimism.

Line by Line Meaning

Folks stumble and fall
People make mistakes and have setbacks

Ain't nothing new at all
These struggles are not unique to anyone

We just keep coming up with new ways
We continually find different approaches to fail

Of going down
Of experiencing hardship

Whether you're poor or rich
Financial status does not exempt anyone from struggles

At the bottom of the ditch
When one hits rock bottom

You can finally see the light
One can see hope and potential for change

And turn your life around
And make positive changes in your life

Shingle by shingle
Making progress slowly but surely

I'm patchin' up the roof
Repairing and improving one's life

Row by row
Making progress step by step