GARY CLARK JR.began playing guitar in 1996 at the ripe young age of 12. Born and raised in Austin, TX, Gary continued to play small gigs throughout his early teens, until he popped on the radar of legendary promoter Clifford Antone, owner of the Austin blues club Antone's. Through Clifford's connections, Gary soon began sitting in and learning from an array of musical icons, including the incomparable Jimmie Vaughan.
Jimmie and others in the Austin music community mentored Gary along his path, facilitating his steady rise, and continued ascent in the Texas music scene. Gary's musical peers, as well as the Austin music community at-large, have showered him with critical acclaim for his galvanized live performances, and fervid expression. At one unexpected point of political recognition, mayor of Austin Kirk Watson proclaimed May 3, 2001 Gary Clark Jr Day. Gary was 18 years old at the time.
Gary went on to win the Austin Music Award for Best Blues and Electric Guitarist on three separate occasions, in addition to receiving awards from various Blues magazines and associations around the country. After playing the nationally televised show Austin City Limits and touring with the likes of artists such as Jimmie Vaughan, Pinetop Perkins, and Doyle Bramhall II, he continued his recording pursuits by releasing three self-produced albums, and creating the original score for the major motion picture Full Count. His creative versatility allowed him to transcend his own musical talents, while also starring as a principal character in John Sayle’s film Honeydripper, alongside actors Danny Glover and Stacy Keach.
Originally known as a blues musician and even compared to such greats as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins and Albert King, Gary is stepping out...way out. His upcoming CD will really test his blues fans. Will they appreciate Gary's guitar chops and his soulful voice as he explores other genres? Gary hopes so and he hopes they will continue with him on his journey. And with this new sound, we're thinking Gary will pick up some new fans along the way.
HIs first major label LP "Blak and Blu" was released on October 22, 2012
02 Don't Owe You a Thang
Gary Clark Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't got no car
Ain't got no excuses baby
I am hanging out at the bar
I don't owe you a thang baby
I don't owe you a thang
I don't owe you a thang now baby
But we ain't gettin' married
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
That's alright
Ain't got no credit
No fancy clothe
Ain't got no excuses baby
Oh goodness no
I don't owe you a thang baby
I don't owe you a thang
I don't owe you a thang now baby
I don't owe you a thang
But we ain't gettin' married
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
That's alright
That's all you gettin' now baby
That's all you get
That's all you gettin' now baby
That's all you get
That's all you get now mama
That's all you get
Just me and this guitar baby
That's all you get
Well ain't got no apologies
Won't be no fairy tale
I ain't got no excuses baby
I am going ridin' up hill
I don't owe you a thang baby
I don't owe you a thang
I don't owe you a thang now baby
I don't owe you a thang
But we ain't gettin' married
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
I ain't got no money
Ain't got no car
Ain't got no excuses baby
I am hanging out at the bar
I don't owe you a thang baby
I don't owe you a thang
I don't owe you a thang now baby
I don't owe you a thang
But we ain't gettin' married, nah
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
That's alright
Well, we ain't gettin' married, nah
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
Well, we ain't gettin' married, nah
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
The song "Don't Owe You a Thang" by Gary Clark Jr. is a blues rock anthem that speaks to the singer's lack of material possessions and his refusal to conform to societal norms. From the opening lines, the song sets the tone for a rebellious defiance, as the singer proclaims that he has "no money, no car, [and] no excuses" and is content hanging out at the bar. The repetition of the phrase "I don't owe you a thang" throughout the song reinforces this sentiment, emphasizing the singer's sense of independence and freedom from obligation.
The song's lyrics also speak to the idea of a relationship without material expectations. The singer admits that he's not going to buy his partner a diamond ring or settle down into a traditional marriage, but he still asserts that he doesn't owe anything to anyone other than himself. This idea of a non-traditional relationship is underscored by the repeated line "That's all you gettin' now baby / Just me and this guitar baby," which suggests that the singer is happy with his simple life and artistic pursuits.
Overall, "Don't Owe You a Thang" is a song that celebrates independence, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness on one's own terms. It's a reminder that material possessions and societal expectations don't necessarily equate to happiness, and that sometimes the most fulfilling life is one lived on your own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I ain't got no money
I don't have any money to spare
Ain't got no car
I don't have a car to drive
Ain't got no excuses baby
I can't make any excuses for not being able to provide for you
I am hanging out at the bar
I am spending my time at the bar because I don't have anything else to do
I don't owe you a thang baby
I don't owe you anything because I can't provide for you
I don't owe you a thang
I can't give you anything, so I don't have any obligations towards you
I don't owe you a thang now baby
No matter what happens in the future, I still won't have anything to provide for you
But we ain't gettin' married
We're not getting married because I don't have the means to provide for a wedding
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
I can't afford to buy you an expensive diamond ring
That's alright
It's okay because we can still be together without any material possessions
Ain't got no credit
I don't have any credit, so I can't borrow any money either
No fancy clothe
I can't afford to buy any fancy clothes
Oh goodness no
I'm really struggling financially
That's all you gettin' now baby
This is all I can give you at the moment
That's all you get
I can't give you anything more
That's all you gettin' now baby
I don't have anything else to offer you
That's all you get
I can't give you anything more than what I am able to
That's all you get now mama
I can't promise you anything more than what I am able to
Just me and this guitar baby
All I have is myself and my guitar
Well ain't got no apologies
I'm not sorry for not being able to provide for you
Won't be no fairy tale
We can't live in a fairy tale because we have to face reality
I am going ridin' up hill
I have a lot of obstacles to overcome financially
But we ain't gettin' married nah
We can't afford to get married
That's alright
It's okay because we don't need material possessions to be happy
Well, we ain't gettin' married nah
We're not going to get married anytime soon
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
I can't afford to buy you an expensive diamond ring
Well, we ain't gettin' married nah
Our financial situation doesn't allow us to get married
I ain't buying you no diamond ring
I don't have the financial means to buy you an expensive diamond ring
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tomkatch1
Just recognized GCJ on ion rerun of NCIS New Orleans. Nice!