John Mayall (born November 29, 1933) is a pioneering English blues singer, … Read Full Bio ↴John Mayall (born November 29, 1933) is a pioneering English blues singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and harmonica player.

John Mayall is often referred to as the "Father of the British blues." His well-known band is still called John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. They started out in the late 1950s in England, using Chicago style blues as a starting basis for their sound, which has evolved from album to album. And while at one point John Mayall was playing a fairly jazzy sound, he has always come back to the blues.

One of the interesting features of the Bluesbreakers is that members have changed on a very regular basis, and many have gone on to well deserved fame and fortune with other bands and as solo acts. Past members include: Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce, (also of Cream), Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, and Mick Taylor, (who went on to a five -year stint with the Stones.) The studio album recorded with Clapton, entitled John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, was recorded in 1966, and is widely considered to be one of the great classic blues albums on either side of the stormy Atlantic. Cream came round right after.

John Mayall stands out for several reasons - his standing up for the blues, while experimenting with different approaches, his ability to attract the best of musicians; and perhaps most notably his willingness to work with musicians who far outshine him in sheer ability. And he himself sounds very good!

From:Wikipedia

Dead City
John Mayall Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Going back to the desert
Arizona sun beat down
Getting sick of my troubles
Tired of this scuffling round
Cos living in Dead City
There ain't no peace around

Saw a man on the corner

Holding out his hand
No home nor money
This ain't how he'd planned
Rotting here in this Dead City
Doin' best he can

Going back to the canyons
Fish in a mountain stream
Get a start with a new life
Cut loose from all I'd been

Get away from Dead City
Where the police sirens scream

Overall Meaning

The song "Dead City" by John Mayall the Bluesbreakers is a somber reflection on life in a tough and unforgiving environment. The lyrics speak to the despair that comes from living in a place where there is no hope, and where the daily struggle for survival wears a person down. The opening lines set the mood for the entire song, as the singer talks about how tired he is of living in the desert and how he is getting sick of his troubles. He says that he is "Tired of this scuffling round", which is a reference to the constant fight just to stay alive.

The next verse tells the story of a man the singer sees on the street corner, who is begging for money. The man has no home, and no money, and is simply trying to do the best he can to survive. He is "rotting here in this Dead City", and the singer sees him as a symbol of everything that is wrong with the place they both live in.

The final verse speaks to the singer's desire to escape from Dead City and start a new life in the canyons. He dreams of fishing in a mountain stream and cutting loose from all he had been. He wants to get away from the police sirens and the constant noise of Dead City and find some peace in a new place.

Overall, "Dead City" is a powerful song that captures the desperation and hopelessness of life in a difficult and unforgiving environment.

Line by Line Meaning

Going back to the desert
Returning to the lackluster, uninhibited wasteland

Arizona sun beat down
The arid climate taking a physical toll

Getting sick of my troubles
Growing fed-up with the unresolved problems

Tired of this scuffling round
Bored with the aimless, uneventful lifestyle

Cos living in Dead City
Because existing in the lifeless area

There ain't no peace around
There is no tranquility to be found anywhere

Saw a man on the corner
Observed a vagrant on the junction

Holding out his hand
Presenting his open palm, requesting aid

No home nor money
Lacking both lodging and funds

This ain't how he'd planned
This is not how the man had envisioned his life