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.
So Glad
Eric Bibb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was blinded by the devil,
Born already ruined,
Stone-cold dead
As I stepped out of the womb.
By His grace I have been touched,
By His word I have been healed,
By His hand I've been delivered,
.
I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved,
Saved,
And I'm So Glad.
Yes, I'm So Glad,
I'm So Glad,
So Glad,
I want to thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord,
Thank You, Lord.
.
By His truth I can be upright,
By His strength I do endure,
By His power I've been lifted,
In His love I am secure.
He bought me with a price,
Freed me from the pit,
Full of emptiness and wrath
And the fire that burns in it.
.
I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved,
Saved,
And I'm So Glad.
Yes, I'm So Glad,
I'm So Glad,
So Glad,
I want to thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord,
Thank You, Lord.
.
Nobody to rescue me,
Nobody would dare,
I was going down for the last time,
But by His mercy I've been spared.
Not by works,
But by faith in Him who called,
For so long I've been hindered,
For so long I've been stalled.
.
I've been saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved
By the blood of the lamb,
Saved,
Saved,
And I'm So Glad.
Yes, I'm So Glad, I'm So Glad,
So Glad, I want to thank You, Lord,
I just want to thank You, Lord,
Thank You, Lord.
.
by Bob Dylan and Tim Drummond
Copyright © 1980 Special Rider Music
First release: Saved, 1980
The lyrics of Eric Bibb's song "So Glad" are filled with religious meanings and hope. The song talks about being saved by the blood of the lamb, which refers to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, according to Christian beliefs. The first verse highlights our human tendency towards sin and how we are born with it. It also emphasizes that only through the grace of God can we be saved, and only through His word, hand, and spirit can we be redeemed.
In the second verse, the lyrics talk about how through faith in Christ, we can be upright and endure. It is His power and love that lifts us up and makes us secure. The price that Christ paid by his death on the cross is what freed us from the pit of sin and eternal damnation. The lyrics emphasize that it is not by works but by faith in Him that we are saved.
The final verse talks about how no one can rescue us from our sins, and we were going down for the last time. But through God's mercy, we have been spared. It is only through the faith in Him that we are saved, and our sins are forgiven. The chorus highlights the joy and gratitude that come with the realization of being saved and being able to thank the Lord for His grace and mercy.
Overall, the song "So Glad" is an uplifting and hopeful gospel song that emphasizes the power of faith in Christ and the redemption that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Saved
I have been saved by the grace of God.
I was blinded by the devil,
Before I was saved, I was misled by evil forces and could not see the truth.
Born already ruined,
I was born into sin and had a predisposition towards wrongdoing.
Stone-cold dead
Without salvation, I was spiritually dead.
As I stepped out of the womb.
This spiritual deficiency was present from the moment of my birth.
By His grace I have been touched,
Through God's unearned favor, I have been given a chance for redemption.
By His word I have been healed,
Through the teachings of the Bible, I have found the pathway to spiritual healing.
By His hand I've been delivered,
Through God's power, I have been rescued from the grip of evil.
By His spirit I've been sealed.
Through the sealing of the Holy Spirit, I have been protected and safeguarded.
I've been saved By the blood of the lamb,
My salvation is due to the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross.
Yes, I'm So Glad,
I am filled with joy and gratitude for my salvation.
So Glad, I want to thank You, Lord,
I am overwhelmed with gratitude and want to express my thanks to God.
By His truth I can be upright,
The truth of God's word enables me to live a righteous life.
By His strength I do endure,
Through the power of God, I am able to overcome adversity.
By His power I've been lifted,
Through the strength of God, I have been raised up.
In His love I am secure.
The love of God provides me with a sense of safety and stability.
He bought me with a price,
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the cost of my redemption.
Freed me from the pit,
Through my salvation, I have been rescued from a place of emptiness and despair.
Full of emptiness and wrath And the fire that burns in it.
The pit represents a place of spiritual emptiness and wrathful judgment.
Nobody to rescue me,
Without God, I had no one to save me from my spiritual predicament.
Nobody would dare,
Only God was capable of rescuing me from the depths of my sinfulness.
I was going down for the last time,
Without salvation, I was destined for eternal destruction.
But by His mercy I've been spared.
Through God's mercy, I have been given a chance to receive salvation.
Not by works,
My salvation is not earned through my own good deeds or actions.
But by faith in Him who called,
Salvation is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ.
For so long I've been hindered,
Before my salvation, I was kept from fulfilling my spiritual potential.
For so long I've been stalled.
Without God, I was unable to make spiritual progress.
Thank You, Lord.
I express my gratitude to God for my salvation.
Writer(s): Eric Charles Bibb Copyright: Bug Music Ltd. (Gb)
Contributed by Scarlett N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.