Goin' Mad Blues
John Lee Hooker Lyrics


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Peoples, I had a woman
She was nice and kind to me in every way
Peoples, I had a woman
She was nice and kind to me in every way
Lord, she died, she left me
I sing the blues on every Decoration Day

Lord, I was standin' 'round my baby's bedside
When my Lord taken my baby away
Lord, I was standin' 'round my baby's beside
When my Lord taken my baby away
Well, well, when you so doggone bad
Lord, I hung my head and cried, yes, so sorry

She said, "Daddy please don't worry"
'Cause everybody's got to go"
Daddy please don't worry
'Cause everybody's got to go

Well, well, well, well, Lord, the best woman
God knows I ever had, all this hurtin'
I just hung my head and cried

Yes, it was a sad day with me
So sad that day, so sad, that day
When my Lord taken my baby away





Well, well, well, I'll meet my baby
On some old lonesome day

Overall Meaning

In "Goin' Mad Blues," John Lee Hooker speaks about his grief over the loss of his loved one. He remembers her kindness and professes how much he misses her. With each passing day, he can't seem to shake off the sadness, and every Decoration Day, he sings the blues in memory of her. Hooker's words show the depth of his pain, and his longing to be with her again.


He recalls the moment when he stood near her bedside, and he watched his dear one pass away. The loss was too much to bear, and he cried, knowing that he wouldn't see her again. She comforted him, asking him not to worry, and reminding him that everyone must depart this world at some point. However, Hooker's sorrow was almost too much to bear, and he felt as though he had lost the best woman he ever had. And now, he can't help but remember her every time Decoration Day rolls around.


"Goin' Mad Blues" is a poignant song that speaks to the emotions of anyone who has lost a loved one. Hooker's bluesy melody and lyrics capture the essence of grief and the difficulty of moving beyond it. Despite the pain, there is hope that he will be reunited with his beloved one day.


Line by Line Meaning

Peoples, I had a woman
I had a woman in my life


She was nice and kind to me in every way
She was always good and loving to me


Lord, she died, she left me
She passed away and left me alone


I sing the blues on every Decoration Day
I sing the blues every Memorial Day to honor her memory


Lord, I was standin' 'round my baby's bedside
I was by her bedside before she passed away


When my Lord taken my baby away
When God took her away from me


Well, well, when you so doggone bad
I felt so terrible


Lord, I hung my head and cried, yes, so sorry
I hung my head and cried because I was so sorry


She said, "Daddy please don't worry"
She told me not to worry


'Cause everybody's got to go"
Because everyone has to leave this world at some point


Well, well, well, well, Lord, the best woman
The woman I had was the best one


God knows I ever had, all this hurtin'
I'm hurting so much because she was the best woman I ever had, and God knows it


Yes, it was a sad day with me
The day she passed away was a very sad day for me


So sad that day, so sad, that day
It was such a sad day that I'm still sad about it


When my Lord taken my baby away
When God took her away from me


Well, well, well, I'll meet my baby
One day I'll meet her again


On some old lonesome day
On a day in the future when I'm feeling lonely




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: A. M. BRUNNER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Michail Boyadzhiev

beautiful music

Tobias Bleßmann

What Tuning and Riff this might be ?

Vickie Wupdafox

Early rock 'n' roll or country music certainly? Only it was labelled blues ever before it was rebranded these!!

Ramen Vac

Blues is more than a genre, some label, or some brand. It's a feeling. Sort of like how punk rock is an attitude and a lifestyle, not a haircut or some studded belt. Rock & Roll's like country and blues made a baby.

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