* 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.
Streamline
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Coming down the track
Streamline
Coming down the track
Streamline
Brought my baby back
Streamline
Streamline
Did she pay her fare
Did she realize
That I really care
Hey streamline man
When she brought her ticket home
Did she ever tell you
That she left me own my own
Streamline
Coming down the line
Streamline
I'm so glad she's mine
When she walked out this morning
Didn't even say goodbye
Won't you tell me baby
What's the reason why
Streamline
Coming down the track
Streamline
Brought my baby back
The lyrics to John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers' song "Streamline" seem to be retelling a story of a lover who was left behind and is now waiting for their beloved to return. The repetitive mention of "Streamline coming down the track" gives the sense that the lover is waiting at a train station for their beloved to arrive, and upon seeing the train, is assured that their loved one is on it. The lyrics also suggest that there may have been some issues between the couple, such as a lack of communication, as seen in lines like "Did she ever tell you / That she left me on my own." However, despite these difficulties, the singer is thrilled to be reunited with their partner, as seen in the line "I'm so glad she's mine."
Overall, the song seems to express the longing and anticipation of waiting for a loved one to return, as well as the joy of finally being reunited with them. The references to the train and the tickets also give the sense of a journey, both literal and metaphorical, that the couple has gone through in their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Coming down the track
It's on its way
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Coming down the track
It's almost here
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Brought my baby back
It brought back my lover
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Did she pay her fare
Did my lover buy a ticket
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Did she realize
Did she know
That I really care
That I love her deeply
Hey streamline man
Hey train conductor
When she brought her ticket home
When my lover returned with her ticket
Did she ever tell you
Did she confess to you
That she left me own my own
That she abandoned me
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Coming down the line
It's approaching now
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
I'm so glad she's mine
I'm grateful to have my lover back
When she walked out this morning
When she left earlier today
Didn't even say goodbye
She didn't even bid farewell
Won't you tell me baby
Can you please explain to me
What's the reason why
Why she left
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Coming down the track
It's coming back again
Streamline
There's a train called Streamline
Brought my baby back
It brought back my lover
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN MAYALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind