Evil Mama
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics

Oh mama, sneakin' up on me in the black of night
Addressing his deceitful mother, who always makes him feel wary and unwelcome, creeping around in the middle of the night.

Oh mama, turn my back just when you twist the knife
Joe's mother always stabs him in the back whenever he lets his guard down, and never hesitates to make him suffer.

Oh mama, I see trouble brewing in your eyes, eyes
Joe senses an ominous and unsettling vibe emanating from his mother, foreshadowing that something dangerous is afoot.

Oh mama, I won't ever let you in my life
Joe is determined to keep his distance from his mother, knowing that she is unlikely to change and that any involvement with her would just lead to more pain.

Oh you hit me, with your lies and your greed
His mother has a history of lying to him and being selfish, resulting in deeply ingrained emotional scars.

No that ain't nothin', nothing that I need
Joe has learned that he doesn't need his mother's negative influence in his life, and he has grown beyond her manipulations and demands.

Why would you think, that I would ever wanna
Joe is questioning his mother's judgement in believing that he would accept her abuse and mistreatment without protest.

Waste my time on you, evil mama
Joe sees his mother as an evil presence in his life, and feels that any time spent trying to reconcile with her would be futile and unproductive.

Oh honey, can only play that jail game once or twice
Joe is warning someone who reminds him of his mother that they can only get away with their manipulative tricks a few times before people catch on and won't tolerate it anymore.

Oh honey, stealing what ain't yours just ain't right
His mother (or whoever he's addressing) has a history of taking what doesn't belong to her, signifying a fundamental lack of regard for other people's property or wellbeing.

Pound on that back door but I won't let you in
Joe is asserting his power to keep his mother (or someone similar) out of his life, no matter how loudly she may demand admittance.

God and the devil, I know exactly where you've been
Joe has gained some insight into his mother's character over the years, and he knows about her unsavory past and her propensity for causing harm to others.

Why would you think, that I would ever wanna
Joe is again questioning his mother's (or someone similar's) reasoning in assuming that he would be willing to let her back into his life after all that she's done to him.

Waste my time on you, evil mama
Joe reasserts his conviction that his mother's (or someone similar's) presence in his life would only be a waste of his valuable time and energy, and that he is better off without her.

Why would I let you put your chains on me
Joe is insisting that he will not allow his mother (or someone similar) to exert control over him or limit his freedom in any way.

Keep me in a cage, under lock and key
Joe fears that his mother (or someone similar) will always try to keep him trapped and powerless, as if he were an animal kept in a cage.

Waste my time on you,
Joe reiterates again that he cannot afford to spend his life entangled in his mother's web of lies, guilt trips, and manipulation tactics.

Waste my time on you, evil mama
Joe concludes by reemphasizing that he sees his mother as a destructive, harmful presence in his life, and feels that any time spent thinking about her or trying to interact with her would be a waste.