In the mid-1960s Clapton left the Yardbirds to play with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed the power trio Cream with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop". After Cream broke up, he formed blues rock band Blind Faith with Baker, Steve Winwood, and Ric Grech. Clapton's solo career began in the 1970s, where his work bore the influence of the mellow style of J. J. Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley. His version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded with Derek and the Dominos; and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded with Cream. Following the death of his son Conor in 1991, Clapton's grief was expressed in the song "Tears in Heaven", which was featured on his Unplugged album.
Clapton has been the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards, and the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004 he was awarded a CBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. He has received four Ivor Novello Awards from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In his solo career, Clapton has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.
Can't Let You Do It
Eric Clapton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steppin' all over me
With your high tone and your blue line
Respectability
You go down on the corner
Havin' yourself a ball
Changed your way of livin'
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But I can't let you do it to me
If the sun don't shine no more
And the blue sky don't appear
The rainfall don't fall no more
I really don't think you'd care
You got so wrapped up, baby
In everything you do
Been putting on the dog, you know
And I mean you
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But I can't let you do it to me
If you don't shut down miss banquet
If you don't shut down real soon
Gonna find yourself out on the street
Looking for another room
You've seen me on the corner
Having myself a ball
Gonna change my way of living
And you won't know me at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But I can't let you do it to me
The lyrics in Can't Let You Do It by Eric Clapton focus on a manipulative, high class woman who has changed her way of living and is now disrespecting the singer. The woman is described as high tone and having respectability, suggesting she is of a higher social class than the singer. However, she is also described as stepping all over the singer, which indicates that she is taking advantage of him in some way. The woman goes down on the corner and has a good time, which further emphasizes her carefree, selfish personality.
The singer acknowledges that he can't stop the woman from doing what she wants and knows that she will continue to step over him. However, he is unwilling to let her continue to do so, stating that he "can't let you do it to me." The singer seems to be fed up with the woman's disrespectful behavior and implies that she will not care if things go wrong for him, showing her lack of empathy towards others.
The last verse shows the singer's determination to change his own behavior and not be taken advantage of anymore. He warns the woman that she needs to change her own way of living, or she will find herself out on the street. The last line, "And you won't know me at all," suggests that the singer is willing to make significant changes to his own life and may become unrecognizable to the woman in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you got some high class baby
You think you're better than me, with all your fancy clothes and high societal status.
Steppin' all over me
You're treating me like dirt, and walking all over me.
With your high tone and your blue line
You speak with a snobbish, superior attitude and follow the strict rules of society.
Respectability
You think your actions are socially acceptable and respectable, even if they hurt others.
You go down on the corner
You hang out in the seedy area of town.
Havin' yourself a ball
You're enjoying yourself, but at the expense of others.
Changed your way of livin'
You've started living recklessly and carelessly, without regard for consequences.
And I don't know you at all
You've become someone I don't recognize or understand.
I can't let you do it
I can't allow you to continue hurting me in this way.
I can't let you do it to me
I won't allow you to continue to treat me poorly.
I know you're gonna do it
I'm aware that you'll continue to behave badly.
If the sun don't shine no more
Even in the worst circumstances, you wouldn't care.
And the blue sky don't appear
You're so caught up in your own world, you don't notice anything outside of it.
The rainfall don't fall no more
Even if everything around you is falling apart, you'll still be selfish.
You got so wrapped up, baby
You've become completely consumed by your own selfishness and arrogance.
In everything you do
Your every action is driven by your own self-interest and disregard for others.
Been putting on the dog, you know
You're trying to impress others with your wealth and status, but it's all a show.
And I mean you
I'm talking about you specifically.
If you don't shut down miss banquet
If you don't stop your reckless behavior and wild partying,
If you don't shut down real soon
If you don't change your ways very soon,
Gonna find yourself out on the street
You'll end up homeless and alone.
Looking for another room
You'll have nowhere to go and no one to rely on.
You've seen me on the corner
You've watched me struggle in the same situation.
Having myself a ball
But I'm not going to let your behavior bring me down anymore.
Gonna change my way of living
I'm going to make changes in my own life to improve my situation.
And you won't know me at all
And you won't recognize me anymore because I won't be the person you're used to walking all over.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JJ Cale
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Canna Shiva
Well you got some high class baby
Steppin' all over me
With your high tone
And your blue line
Respectability
You go down on the corner
Havin' yourself a ball
Changed your way of livin'
And I don't know you at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But
I can't let you do it to me
If the sun don't shine no more
And the blue sky don't appear
If the rainfall don't fall no more
I really don't think you'd care
You got so wrapped up baby
In everything you do
Been putting on the dog
You know
And I mean you
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But
I can't let you do it to me
If you don't shut down
Miss banquet
If you don't shut down
Real soon
Gonna find yourself
Out on the street
Looking for another room
You're seen me on the corner
Having myself a ball
Gonna change my way of living
And you won't know me at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But
I can't let you do it to me ### EricClapton ### BlazeUP
Tin Ko Ko Shwe
lyrics
“I can’t let you do it”
Well you got some high class baby
Steppin' all over me
With your high tone
And your blue line
Respectability
You go down on the corner
Havin' yourself a ball
Changed your way of livin'
And I don't know you at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But I can't let you do it to me
If the sun don't shine no more
And the blue sky don't appear
If the rainfall don't fall no more
I really don't think you'd care
You got so wrapped up baby
In everything you do
Been putting on the dog
You know
And I mean you
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But I can't let you do it to me
If you don't shut down
Miss banquet
If you…don’t shut down....real soon
You find yourself out on the street
Looking for another room
You seen me on the corner
Having myself a ball
Changed my way of living
And you don’t know me at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But I can't let you do it to me.
Juuus
I remember buying this cd the day it came out, this song was always my favorite from the album
Canna Shiva
Well you got some high class baby
Steppin' all over me
With your high tone
And your blue line
Respectability
You go down on the corner
Havin' yourself a ball
Changed your way of livin'
And I don't know you at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But
I can't let you do it to me
If the sun don't shine no more
And the blue sky don't appear
If the rainfall don't fall no more
I really don't think you'd care
You got so wrapped up baby
In everything you do
Been putting on the dog
You know
And I mean you
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But
I can't let you do it to me
If you don't shut down
Miss banquet
If you don't shut down
Real soon
Gonna find yourself
Out on the street
Looking for another room
You're seen me on the corner
Having myself a ball
Gonna change my way of living
And you won't know me at all
I can't let you do it
I can't let you do it to me
I know you're gonna do it
But
I can't let you do it to me ### EricClapton ### BlazeUP
Rodney Tanner
Clapton just gets better and better!
Kika Krepski
The very soul of J.J. Cale. I love this.
Marcelo Zevallos
Glyn Johns lo hace sonar clásico, con un estilo J:J: Cale, quiero escuchar el resto del disco también.
Pedro Costa
Eric clapton é sinônimo de qualidade!
Patrícia Martins Ferreira
Alguém aqui 👆👆 ali, parece ter crescido recebendo muitos bons estímulos com a pintura e artes visuais. Muito bom.👏🤗
Cloud Rain
A Groovy tribute to J. J. Cale: Masterpiece.
Rick Gass
The man still has my attention in 2019. Love it!
Herman van Ingen
Great sound, reminds me of the time of Slowhand and Backless. Eric, one of the last real legends of his generation. Gladd he is still alive and kicking.