Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi, in 1925, learning the harmonica and guitar from Eddie Taylor, a close friend. After spending several years busking and performing in the area, Reed moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1943 before being drafted into the US Navy during World War II. In 1945, Reed was discharged and moved back to Mississippi for a brief period, marrying his girlfriend, Mary "Mama" Reed, before moving to Gary, Indiana to work at an Armour & Co. meat packing plant. Mama Reed appears as an uncredited background singer on many of his songs, notably the major hits "Baby What You Want Me to Do", "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City".
By the 1950s, Reed had established himself as a popular musician and joined the "Gary Kings" with John Brim, as well as playing on the street with Willie Joe Duncan. Reed failed to gain a recording contract with Chess Records, but signed with Vee-Jay Records through Brim's drummer, Albert King. At Vee-Jay, Reed began playing again with Eddie Taylor and soon released "You Don't Have to Go", his first hit record. This was followed by a long string of hits.
Reed maintained his reputation despite his rampant alcoholism; sometimes his wife had to help him remember the lyrics to his songs while recording. In 1957, Reed developed epilepsy, though the condition was not correctly diagnosed for a long time, as Reed and doctors assumed it was delirium tremens.
In spite of his numerous hits, Reed's personal problems prevented him from achieving the same level of fame as other popular blues artists of the time, though he had more hit songs than many others. When Vee-Jay Records closed down, Reed's manager signed a contract with the fledgling ABC-Bluesway label, but Reed was never able to score another hit.
In 1968 he toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival.
Jimmy Reed died in Oakland, California in 1976, of respiratory failure, eight days short of his 51st birthday. He is interred in the Lincoln Cemetery in Worth, Illinois.
In 1991 Reed was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Rolling Stones have cited Reed as a major influence on their sound, and their early set lists included many of Reed's songs, including tracks like "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", "The Sun is Shining" (also played at the Stones' 1969 Altamont concert), "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Shame, Shame, Shame" ; the B-side of their February 1964 hit single "Not Fade Away" was a pastiche of "Shame, Shame, Shame" entitled "Little by Little". Their first album, The Rolling Stones, (subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers in America), released in April 1964, featured both "Little by Little" and their cover of Reed's "Honest I Do".
The Yardbirds recorded an instrumental dedicated to him entitled "Like Jimmy Reed Again", which was released on the "definitive edition" of their album Having a Rave Up.
Van Morrison's group Them covered "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Baby, What You Want Me To Do", both of which can be found on The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison.
"Big Boss Man" was sung regularly by Ron "Pigpen" McKernan with the Grateful Dead during the 1960s and early 1970s and appears on their live album Skull and Roses. It was revived a few times by Jerry Garcia with the Dead during the 1980s. Bob Weir of the Dead also played it a few times with Kingfish in the mid 70s, and more recently with Ratdog. Phil Lesh also plays it with Phil & Friends. The Grateful Dead have also performed Baby What You Want Me to Do with Brent Mydland on vocals.
Elvis Presley recorded several of Reed's songs, scoring a 1967 hit with "Big Boss Man" and recording several performances of "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" for his 1968 Comeback TV Special. (However, Presley's 1964 hit, "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" is a different song than that recorded by Reed.) The song "Baby, What You Want Me to Do" was also covered by Wishbone Ash on their 1972 live album, Live Dates. "Baby What You Want Me to Do" was also frequently performed by Etta James and Hot Tuna. Johnny and Edgar Winter performed the song live in 1975 and included it on Johnny and Edgar Winter Together.
Reed's recordings of "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City" were both voted onto the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Noted Austin, Texas musicians, Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan released an album entitled On the Jimmy Reed Highway as a tribute to Reed.
Bill Cosby covered 4 of Reed's songs – "Bright Lights, Big City", "Big Boss Man", "Hush Hush" and "Aw Shucks, Hush Your Mouth" – on his 1967 album Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings.
Steve Miller Band covered 5 of Reed's songs – "You're So Fine" on his 1968 album Sailor; "I Wanna Be Loved (But By Only You)", "Big Boss Man", "Caress Me Baby" and "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" on his 1986 album Living in the 20th Century.
Neil Young historically plays Reed's music to his audience before his shows.
British punk pioneer Billy Childish and his band Thee Headcoats released an EP of Reed covers entitled The Jimmy Reed Experience on Get Hip Records in 1997.
Can't Stand To See You Go
Jimmy Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pick me up in the mo' nin'
Honey, just to let me know, oh
Baby, girl in the evenin'
Way upon the fifteen floor
Girl, you know I love you an' I
Can't stand to see ya go
Remember on the first day I met you
Remember ev'rything you said
Oh, baby, told me you love me
That went ta my head
Oh you know I love you and I
Can't stand to see you go
I backed up, to the window
I looked down on the ground
Oh baby, don't say you're leavin'
If you do I'm gonna jump down
Oh I know I love you
An' I can't stand to see you go
Hurry baby, if ya leavin'
Call me on the phone, woo
Oh baby, ooh I'm waitin'
I'm livin' here all alone
Girl you know I love you and I
Can't stand to see you go
In the song "Can't Stand To See You Go" by Jimmy Reed, the singer is pleading with his lover not to leave him. He requests her to let him know in the morning when she leaves as he is unable to bear the thought of her departure. The singer fondly remembers the first day he met her and how she told him that she loved him, which had gone straight to his head. He even goes to the extent of saying that if she leaves him, he will jump down from the window. He offers to wait for her if she has to leave, requesting her to call him when she reaches her destination. The song is a plea for his lover to stay with him.
The song has a simple structure and consists of a repeating verse melody, backed by a harmonica and guitar. The repetition reinforces the singer's plea to his lover not to leave him. The song's light-hearted tone and upbeat melody belie its theme of heartbreak and loneliness. The lyrics express a combination of love and desperation, a common emotion felt by those who fear losing the ones they love.
Line by Line Meaning
Pick me up in the mo' nin'
Asks the lover to pick him up early in the morning.
Honey, just to let me know, oh
Wants assurance from his lover that she still cares for him.
Baby, girl in the evenin'
Refers to his lover who spends time with him in the evening.
Way upon the fifteen floor
Indicates the location where the lover is staying.
Girl, you know I love you an' I
Expresses his love for his lover.
Can't stand to see ya go
Doesn't want his lover to leave him and go away.
Remember on the first day I met you
Recalls the day he met his lover for the first time.
Remember ev'rything you said
Recalls the sweet things his lover said to him.
Oh, baby, told me you love me
Remembers when his lover confessed her love to him.
That went ta my head
He took her words to heart and was deeply affected by them.
Oh you know I love you and I
Expresses his continued love for his lover.
Can't stand to see you go
Reiterates that he can't bear the thought of being separated from his lover.
I backed up, to the window
Moves away from his lover, towards the window.
I looked down on the ground
Looks down from the window to the ground below.
Oh baby, don't say you're leavin'
Pleads with his lover not to leave him.
If you do I'm gonna jump down
Suggests that he would rather harm himself than lose his lover.
Oh I know I love you
Confesses his love for his lover.
An' I can't stand to see you go
Expresses once again his unwillingness to let his lover leave him.
Hurry baby, if ya leavin'
Urges his lover to hurry up and leave if she must.
Call me on the phone, woo
Wants his lover to keep in touch with him by calling him.
Oh baby, ooh I'm waitin'
Longs for his lover's return and is waiting for her.
I'm livin' here all alone
Reveals that he is now alone and missing his lover's company.
Girl you know I love you and I
Reiterates his love for his lover.
Can't stand to see you go
Ends the song by repeating that he can't bear to be separated from his lover.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JIMMY REED
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrBillbies
Man, I'd play this song driving out to where I'd go to run... Kinney Pass, Lookout Mountain, Dug Peak, Strawberry Mtn., Murray Gap, Leslie Gultch, etc, blah blah blah, many named places but mostly to heap-many unknown places , and anywhere else, many many places...Jimmy and the rest of the sounds were with me as I'd drive out with many great sounds. Jimmy Reed was the King, but I wouldn't diss any of the other inspiring sounds. Once they were done, it was up to me alone to do it, as per usual.
@stevehoffman4792
One of my all-time favorite Jimmy Reed songs.....
@carlbraga3332
There wasn't nothing Jimmy Reed saying or wrote that wasn't great what happened
@TheOpinionatedGuitarist
Man I wish I'd of been born in 1910, that woulda' been my era. All the music I love, music that was GOOD!
@dragonlady1839
Thank you so much for this song!!! It's an all time fave.
@bobaldo2339
This was the very first Jimmy Reed record I ever heard. It was his new single (backed with Rockin' With Reed) and I heard it over WLAC in Nashville. I was hooked on Jimmy Reed's sound from that moment on.
@angel59491
thank you for uploading man !!!
@MrBillbies
Ditto!
@RAMLIA1
♥ ♥ ♥
@whiteythecop
@toddallenhooper If u were born in 1910, u'd be doin the Charlston in ur 20's and wudn't hear Jimmy Reed till u turned 40 !