Blues In Time
Gerry Mulligan Lyrics


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My mama done tol' me,
When I was in knee pants,
My mama done tol' me, Son!
A woman'll sweet talk
And give ya the big eye;
But when the sweet talkin's done,
A woman's a two face
A worrisome thing
Who'll leave ya t'sing
The blues in the night

Now the rain's a-fallin',
Hear the train a-callin'
Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
Hear that lonesome whistle
Blowin' 'cross the trestle,
Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
A whoo-ee-duh-whoo-ee, ol' clickety clack's
A-echoin' back the blues in the night

The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
And the moon'll hide its light
When you get the blues in the night

Take my word, the mockin' bird'll
Sing the saddest kind o' song
He knows things are wrong and he's right

From Natchez to Mobile,
From Memphis to St. Jo,
Wherever the four winds blow,
I been in some big towns,
An' heard me some big talk,
But there is one thing I know
A woman's a two face,
A worrisome thing
Who'll leave ya t'sing the blues in the night.





My mama was right,
There's blues in the night.

Overall Meaning

Gerry Mulligan's song Blues In Time portrays the message about how a woman's sweet talk can capture a man's heart, but that is only temporary as they will eventually leave them with the blues in the night. The lyrics portray the story of a person who was warned by their mother about the two faces of women. The woman starts with sweet talk and alluring eyes, but when the game is over, the person is left alone with the blues in the night. The song depicts the persona's experience of being in big towns, hearing big talk, and realizing that the nature of women remains the same everywhere - they can love a man today and leave him crying in the night tomorrow. The lyrics are augmented by the melancholic sound of the saxophone, which creates an ambiance of desolation, reflecting the sadness of lost love.


The second verse begins with an atmosphere of solitude - the rain is falling, and a train is calling. Music always reflects the emotions of the singer, and the train's whistle echoes the aura of despair in the persona's mind. The moon hides its light, and the mockingbird sings the saddest song that indicates the end of the hope of rekindling a relationship. The lyrics offer a panoramic view of the situations, spreading from Natchez to St. Jo, wherever the winds blow, suggesting a universal truth of heartbreaks. At its core, this song explores the pain that people suffer when they place their trust in someone who betrays them.


Line by Line Meaning

My mama done tol' me,
The singer recalls his mother's words


When I was in knee pants,
He remembers hearing it when he was young


My mama done tol' me, Son!
His mother personally advised him


A woman'll sweet talk
Women can be charming


And give ya the big eye;
They can also use their eyes to convey attraction


But when the sweet talkin's done,
These displays of affection may not be genuine


A woman's a two face
Women can be duplicitous


A worrisome thing
This can be cause for concern


Who'll leave ya t'sing
Their actions might cause emotional distress


The blues in the night
This emotional distress will cause a sense of melancholy


Now the rain's a-fallin',
The singer is setting a new scene


Hear the train a-callin'
We can now hear the sound of a train


Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
The singer recalls his mother's warning


Hear that lonesome whistle
The train whistle emphasizes the mood


Blowin' 'cross the trestle,
The train is crossing a bridge with a rail-like structure


Whoo-ee (my mama done tol' me)
The mother's warning resonates with the mood


A whoo-ee-duh-whoo-ee, ol' clickety clack's
The train whistle and rails continue to create an eerie atmosphere


A-echoin' back the blues in the night
This creates a sound which further emphasizes the melancholy mood


The evenin' breeze'll start the trees to cryin'
The wind further accentuates the mood


And the moon'll hide its light
The moon, previously providing light in the darkness, now adds to the somber tone


When you get the blues in the night
This melancholy mood can be induced by a variety of factors


Take my word, the mockin' bird'll
The artist now imparts new knowledge


Sing the saddest kind o' song
Even the bird's song adds to the sorrowful atmosphere


He knows things are wrong and he's right
The bird is aware of the problems in the world and is accurate in it's perception


From Natchez to Mobile,
The singer now speaks of a journey


From Memphis to St. Jo,
This journey covers different places


Wherever the four winds blow,
This journey can be anywhere


I been in some big towns,
The artist has traveled to large, populated areas


An' heard me some big talk,
The artist has heard people boast about their lives


But there is one thing I know
Despite what he's heard, he is sure of one thig.


A woman's a two face,
Women can put forward two distinct and sometimes conflicting personalities


A worrisome thing
This double-faced nature can cause problems for men


Who'll leave ya t'sing the blues in the night.
They have the power to induce melancholy, further emphasizing the song's central theme.


My mama was right,
The artist recognizes the accuracy of his mother's advice


There's blues in the night.
The song concludes on the same note that it began




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, JOHNNY MERCER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

imamba1

Sax playing and a great back up team doesn't get a heck of a lot better. The breaks are sooooo good.

George Stewart

Two of the best! The breaks by Mulligan kill me!

Ahmed Bouzid

Just lovely. Makes you be happy to be alive. And that's not a small thing.

Jo Bassani

Soo beautiful

clearviewmind

Hi mate - You had a track One & Only by LTJ Bukem and I had it in my favourites, but noticed it's been removed. I can't find it anywhere else - do you know if it was on an album?? Thanks, Bud.

jackthehatuk

Did i message you with a response to this?

Jack Sprat

Rhythm section sounds like Ray Brown Bass and Ed Thigpen Drums. Yes? No?

Jack Sprat

No! Dave Bailey Drums, Joe Benjamin Bass. Excellent!

James C. Lockwood

@Jack Sprat They were a regular part of Mulligan's pianoless street band.

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