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.

Look in the Mirror
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look in the mirror
What is there to see?
Just a man
But can that man go free?

Can't find an answer
There is never one
For all the threads

Of days not yet begun

Look in the mirror
See it every day
Life's a forest
Nobody knows the way

My granddad told me
When I was a child
Don't lock up
A creature born to be wild

Look in the mirror
No more left to say
Night must fall
And then I'll start a new day

But don't stare at the mirror too long
Or you'll get cut by the pieces of splintered glass

Overall Meaning

The song "Look in the Mirror" by John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers is a song about self-reflection and self-discovery. The first two lines of the song set the stage for the rest of the lyrics as they ask the listener to take a long look at themselves in the mirror and question what they see. The lyrics suggest that while there may not be an answer to the question of who we really are, it's important to continue examining ourselves and trying to understand our place in the world.

The second verse starts off with a metaphor comparing life to a forest where nobody knows the way. It suggests that navigating through life can be difficult and confusing, and that there are many twists and turns along the way. The next part of the verse references the idea of embracing one’s wild nature, a trait that is often discouraged in society. The third verse brings a sense of finality as it describes the end of one day and the beginning of a new one. However, the song ends with a warning that staring at the mirror for too long can have consequences.

Overall, the song encourages us to take a good, hard look at ourselves and to embrace the unpredictability of life. It also warns of the dangers of becoming too introspective and getting lost in our own thoughts.

Line by Line Meaning

Look in the mirror
Reflect on oneself and one's actions

What is there to see?
Is there anything distinct or noteworthy in oneself or one's behavior?

Just a man
I, in my current form, am just another human being

But can that man go free?
Am I free to do as I please and pursue my destiny?

Can't find an answer
I am unable to determine what the appropriate action to take is

There is never one
However, there may not be a single 'right' answer

For all the threads
Considering all the possible ways in which events can unfold

Of days not yet begun
In the future, where things have not yet taken place

See it every day
Every day presents an opportunity to reflect on one's past and prepare for the future

Life's a forest
Life is an unpredictable adventure, full of twists and turns

Nobody knows the way
Even those who appear to have it all figured out are often just as lost as the rest of us

My granddad told me
A message passed down from the previous generation of my family

When I was a child
From a time when I was youthful and impressionable

Don't lock up
Do not constrain or limit

A creature born to be wild
An individual who is driven by an inner fire to break free from societal norms and pursue his or her own path

No more left to say
I have already said all that needed to be said

Night must fall
Darkness must inevitably overtake the day

And then I'll start a new day
However, a new morning will always arrive and bring with it new opportunities to change my fate

But don't stare at the mirror too long
It is alright to reflect and introspect, but excessive and obsessive reflection will only cause harm

Or you'll get cut by the pieces of splintered glass
Because, eventually, even the best of us can become shattered and consumed by our own self-reflection

Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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