John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers were a pioneering English blues band, led b… Read Full Bio ↴John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers were a pioneering English blues band, led by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist John Mayall, OBE. Mayall used the band name between 1963 and '67 then dropped it for some fifteen years, but in 1982 a 'Return of the Bluesbreakers' was announced and the name began to be re-used. The name became generic without a clear distinction which recordings could be credited just to the leader or to leader and his band. The Bluesbreakers have included luminaries such as:

* Eric Clapton (April–August 1965, November 1965–July 1966) and Jack Bruce, who both left to form Cream,

* Peter Green, who had replaced Clapton, played until August 1967, when he departed with Mick Fleetwood and then also enticed Bluesbreaker John McVie a few weeks later to form Fleetwood Mac

* Mick Taylor (August 1967–July 1969) who later joined The Rolling Stones, and reunion tours in 1982–83 and 2004,

* Harvey Mandel, Walter Trout, Larry Taylor (later in Canned Heat),

* Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Randy Resnick, Aynsley Dunbar, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Andy Fraser (Free), Chris Mercer, Henry Lowther, Johnny Almond and Jon Mark (later of Mark-Almond).

The Bluesbreakers were formed in January 1963 and became an ever-evolving lineup of more than 100 different combinations of musicians performing under that name. Eric Clapton joined in 1965 just a few months after the release of their first album. Clapton brought the blues influences to the forefront of the group, as he had left The Yardbirds in order to play the blues.

The group lost their record contract with Decca that year, which also saw the release of a single called "I'm Your Witchdoctor" (produced by Jimmy Page), followed by a return to Decca in 1966. The album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (also known as The Beano Album because Clapton is shown on the cover photo reading a copy of the comic) was released later that year; it reached the Top Ten in the UK.

Clapton and Jack Bruce left the group that year to form Cream. Clapton was replaced by Peter Green for A Hard Road, after which he left to form Fleetwood Mac. Finally, in 1969, the third Bluesbreaker-guitarist departed when Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones.

By the time the 1960s were over, the Bluesbreakers had finally achieved some success in the United States.

With some interruptions, the Bluesbreakers have continued to tour and release albums (over 50 to date), though they never achieved the critical or popular acclaim of their earlier material. In 2003, Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor and Chris Barber reunited with the band for John Mayall's 70th Birthday Concert in Liverpool — the concert was later released on CD and DVD. In 2004, their line up included Buddy Whittington, Joe Yuele, Hank Van Sickle and Tom Canning, and the band toured the UK with Mick Taylor as a guest musician.

In November 2008 Mayall announced on his website he was disbanding the Bluesbreakers to cut back on his heavy workload and give himself freedom to work with other musicians.

Going down
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Lyrics

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I'm going down
Down down down down down
I'm going down
Down down down down down

I've got my big feet in the window
My head down on the ground

Let me down
Let me crawl back to your door
Let me down
Let me crawl back to your door

Remember Laurel Canyon
Where I lay down on your floor

Help me down
And close that picture door
Help me down
And close that picture door

If someone puts the light out
Ain't gonna change no more

I'm going down
Down down down down down
I'm going down
Down down down down down

I've got my big feet in the window
My head down on the ground

Overall Meaning

The song "Going Down" by John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers is a blues classic that speaks about the singer's desperation to return to a past lover. The repetitive chorus "I'm going down, down, down, " emphasizes the feeling of hitting an all-time low in life. The use of the phrase "down" is a metaphorical representation of drowning, indicating that the singer feels like navigating life's difficulties is overwhelming and that they cannot handle it alone.

The line "I've got my big feet in the window, my head down on the ground" depicts the singer's physical and emotional state. They are metaphorically standing at the window, ready to jump, but they cannot bring themselves to do it. They are paralyzed by the thought of losing their lover and being unable to face the pain of being alone.

The reference to "Laurel Canyon" is a nod to the 1960s music scene that occurred in California, which was significant for the creation of many influential albums. In this context, it is an allusion to the singer's desire to return to that time when they were with their past lover, and everything seemed ideal.

Going downJohn Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Lyrics

Going down
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Lyrics