Bonamassa was born in Utica, New York. He started playing guitar at age four, encouraged by his father, who was an avid music fan and exposed him to British blues rock records by Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, greatly inspiring him. At 11 years old Joe was mentored and trained by American guitar legend, Danny Gatton. When he was 12 years old, he had his own band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, which gigged around western New York and Pennsylvania, including cities such as Scranton and Buffalo, but only on weekends since Joe had school on weekdays. Bonamassa played a crimson 1972 Fender Stratocaster he called "Rosie", which his father had bought in Utica, New York.
When he was 12 years old, Bonamassa opened for B.B. King. In the last 13 years Bonamassa has put out 15 solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which 11 have reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. Bonamassa has played alongside such artists as Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Blondie Chaplin, Foreigner, Buddy Guy, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, Solomon Hicks,and Derek Trucks among others.[4] His career highlights include performances at the Royal Albert Hall and has had three Grammy Award nominations in 2013, for his collaboration album with Beth Hart "Seesaw", in 2016 for the album "Live at the Greek Theatre" and 2022 for the album "Royal Tea". In addition to his music career, Joe Bonamassa runs a nonprofit organisation called the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, whose mission is to further music education by funding scholarships and providing music education resources to schools in need. in 2020, he added an extension to the foundation. Called Fuelling Musicians, it provides $1500 cheques to struggling musicians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
in 2021, he broke his own record for having more #1 Billboard blues albums than anyone in history. The album "Time Clocks" clocked up his 25th #1 album.
He is also known for his enormous collection of vintage guitars and related gear.
I Don't Believe
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't believe, I don't believe you'd let me down
Yes, when I need you baby, honey, you're always around
I don't believe, I don't believe you got somebody else
I don't believe, I don't believe you got somebody else
Well, if you didn't want me, baby, honey, you would left me on the shelf
When I was hungry, you gave me food,
You treated me like a king, you never was rude
Whatever was happenin', baby, I was always around
I don't believe you'd let me down,
Yes, when I needed you baby, honey, you're always around
When I was hungry, you gave me food,
You treated me like a king, you never was rude
You bought me clothes, the best in town
Whatever was happenin', baby, I was always around
I don't believe, I don't believe you'd let me down
Yeah when I need you baby, honey you're always around
I don't believe, I don't believe you got somebody else
Yeah, but I need you baby honey, how you'd let me on the shelf
The lyrics of "I Don't Believe" by Joe Bonamassa are about trust and confidence in a relationship, or the lack thereof. The singer repeats the phrase "I don't believe" twice in each verse, suggesting that they have doubts about their partner's fidelity. However, they also acknowledge the good things their partner has done for them, such as providing food, treating them well, and buying them clothes. Despite these positive attributes, the singer still has a nagging feeling that their partner may be unfaithful.
The chorus reinforces the idea that the singer doesn't believe their partner would let them down, but there is still a hint of uncertainty in the phrase "when I need you baby, honey, you're always around." The second verse gets more specific in its doubts, suggesting that the partner may have someone else on the side. The verse ends with a plea for the partner not to leave the singer "on the shelf," implying that the singer is afraid of being cast aside for someone else.
Overall, the song captures the unease and vulnerability that can come with being in a relationship, particularly when trust has been shaken. However, it also acknowledges that even with doubts, there can still be love and appreciation for the good things that the other person brings to the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't believe, I don't believe you'd let me down
I am doubtful that you would disappoint me
Yes, when I need you baby, honey, you're always around
You have always been there for me when I needed you
I don't believe, I don't believe you got somebody else
I am skeptical that you are seeing someone else
Well, if you didn't want me, baby, honey, you would left me on the shelf
If you didn't care for me, you would not have kept me around
When I was hungry, you gave me food,
You provided me with sustenance when I needed it
You treated me like a king, you never was rude
You always treated me with kindness and respect
You bought me clothes, the best in town
You purchased high-quality clothing for me
Whatever was happenin', baby, I was always around
I was there for you through thick and thin
Yeah when I need you baby, honey you're always around
You have consistently been there for me when I required your assistance
Yeah, but I need you baby honey, how you'd let me on the shelf
I am reliant on you, and I am baffled that you would disregard me
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.