Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), is an English rock and blues gui… Read Full Bio ↴Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945), is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and of Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's "Top 50 Guitarists of All Time". He was also named number five in Time magazine's list of "The 10 Best Electric Guitar Players" in 2009.

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.

Mean Old Frisco Blues
Eric Clapton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well that mean old dirty Frisco
And that low down Santa Fe.
Mean old Frisco
And that low down Santa Fe.
You know they take my girl away,
Lord, and blow back out on me.

Well my mama, she done told me,

And my papa told me too.
Mama told me
And my papa told me too.
A woman that gets in your face,
Lord she ain't no friend for you.

Well I'm going away now baby
And I won't be back until fall.
Going away, baby.
Lord, I won't be back till fall.
If I don't come back by then,
Lord, I won't be back at all.

Well I'm going away baby
And your crying won't make me stay.
Going away baby
And your crying won't make me stay.
Well the more you cry, little girl,
If anything you'll drive me away.

Well that mean old dirty Frisco
And that low down Santa Fe.
Mean old Frisco
And that low down Santa Fe.

Gonna take my gal away,
Lord, and blow back out on me.

Overall Meaning

The song Mean Old Frisco, written and performed by Eric Clapton, has roots in the blues tradition. The lyrics lament the loss of a woman taken away by the trains that run through San Francisco and Santa Fe, while warning of the danger of women who get too involved in a man's life. The song paints a picture of a rough, dangerous world where love is fleeting and life is unpredictable.

The opening lines describe the cities of San Francisco and Santa Fe as mean and low down, indicating the difficulty of life in these areas. The singer has lost his girl to the trains that run through these cities, leaving him feeling abandoned and alone. He resolves to leave and not return until the fall, but warns that if he does not come back by then, he will not return at all. This adds a sense of finality and danger to the story, suggesting that the singer is either leaving to protect himself or to explore new, possibly more hazardous territory.

The lyrics also delve into the theme of trust and warning against those who don't have a man's best interests at heart. The line, "A woman that gets in your face, Lord, she ain't no friend for you," suggests that the singer has learned to be wary of women who try to control or manipulate him. This is a common refrain in the blues tradition, which often portrays women as fickle and dangerous.

Overall, the song Mean Old Frisco speaks to the harsh realities of life in the blues tradition, with a particular focus on lost love and the danger of women who get too involved in a man's life.

Line by Line Meaning

Well that mean old dirty Frisco
I'm talking about the infamous and unclean Frisco city.

And that low down Santa Fe.
Can't forget about the equally notorious Santa Fe.

Mean old Frisco
I really can't stress enough how terrible Frisco is.

And that low down Santa Fe.
You better watch out for Santa Fe too, it's just as bad.

You know they take my girl away,
I lost my girl to these two wretched places.

Lord, and blow back out on me.
And now they've come back to haunt me.

Well my mama, she done told me,
My mother warned me about women like this.

And my papa told me too.
My dad warned me as well.

Mama told me
Listen to your mother, she knows what she's talking about.

And my papa told me too.
And don't forget what your father said either.

A woman that gets in your face,
Women who challenge you should be avoided.

Lord she ain't no friend for you.
These women will only hurt you, not be your friend.

Well I'm going away now baby
I'm leaving now, my love.

And I won't be back until fall.
I won't return until the fall season.

Going away, baby.
I'm really leaving, my dear.

Lord, I won't be back till fall.
It'll be a while until I return.

If I don't come back by then,
If I'm not back by the time I said I would,

Lord, I won't be back at all.
I won't be back at all.

Well I'm going away baby
I really have to go, honey.

And your crying won't make me stay.
Your tears won't change my mind.

Going away baby
I'm really leaving now.

And your crying won't make me stay.
Your tears won't make me change my decision.

Well the more you cry, little girl,
In fact, the more you cry,

If anything you'll drive me away.
The more you push me away.

Well that mean old dirty Frisco
Once again, Frisco is the worst.

And that low down Santa Fe.
And Santa Fe is equally terrible.

Mean old Frisco
It's worth repeating how terrible Frisco is.

And that low down Santa Fe.
And Santa Fe is just as bad.

Gonna take my gal away,
These cities took my love away from me.

Lord, and blow back out on me.
And now I have to face the consequences of that loss.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR CRUDUP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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