Originally a guitarist, Cleary began playing at age five, and started his first band at 15. Raised on blues, jazz, and soul records, his love of New Orleans blues and jazz in particular took him across the ocean after he graduated from art school.
Upon arriving in New Orleans, Cleary started hanging out at one of the city's most storied venues -- the Maple Leaf Club. The bar's owner offered him a job painting the Maple Leaf's exterior; free admission and beer were Cleary's wages. He soaked up the bar's atmosphere, realizing that blues piano was his calling; the house he lived in had a piano, on which he spent hours practicing each day.
Returning to London culminated in forming a six-piece traditional New Orleans R&B band, with which he developed a reputation as a talented and gentlemanly musician. However, the Big Easy called to Cleary again. He moved back and got bookings in clubs as a featured and side performer, playing with bluesmen like Smokey Johnson, James Singleton, and George Porter. One of these gigs included Walter "Wolfman" Washington in the audience; taken with Cleary's playing, Washington offered Cleary a spot in his own band. Cleary played with Washington for two years, continuing his introduction to more sophisticated forms of R&B and blues, as well as incorporating Latin influences into his style.
At this point, Cleary began writing his own material and formed his own band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, with bassist Cornell Williams and guitarist Derwin "Big D" Perkins from the gospel group the Friendly Travelers, and drummer Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander. Just as the Absolute Monster Gentlemen achieved a reputation as one of New Orleans' finest combos, Cleary encountered visa problems and had to return to the U.K. immediately.
Back in England, Cleary continued refining and expanding his vision of the blues, when he received a call from producer John Porter, a fellow Englishman who had seen some of Cleary's performances at the Maple Leaf and wanted to introduce him to the blues scene at large. Recording with Taj Mahal and a gig at the Hollywood Athletic Club followed, as well as a collaboration between Cleary and Porter on his 1999 solo debut album, Moonburn. Three years would go by until a new album would be prepared, but by 2002 he had an eponymous album ready with the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.
See also the page for Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen
Got To Be More Careful
Jon Cleary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you walk the street alone
'Cause hiding in the shadows
Might be the devil you don't know
Got to be more careful
Everything you say
Don't wanna hear your words repeated
You can't even see
What they want from you and me
Can't believe a word they say
Can't believe the things they do
Can't believe they're getting away
With what they do, they do
Messing over me and you
Got to be more careful, people
Got to be more careful now
Got to be more careful, people
Got to be more careful, y'all
Got to be more careful
With all your 'Don't's and Do's'
Be on your best behavior
Watch your P's and Q's
Got to be more careful
When you're chatting on the phone
You don't know who's listening
And what they got going on
The lyrics of "Got To Be More Careful" by Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen are about being cautious and vigilant when dealing with life situations. The song warns us about the dangers that exist in our everyday lives, those that are hidden in the shadows, and that we need to be careful about. The devil in the song can be anyone or anything that poses a threat to our well-being.
The first verse advises us to be careful when walking alone on the street as danger might be lurking around in the shadows. The second verse tells us not to trust people easily and that we need to watch our words as they can misinterpret them. The third verse mentions the overall distrust towards others and the difficulty in ascertaining their intentions. In the chorus, the song emphasizes that we all need to be careful and vigilant in our daily lives, especially in our interactions with others.
The song raises awareness about the need for greater caution in life and serves as a reminder that our actions could have serious consequences. The song's upbeat tempo and soulful melody make it a catchy tune but the underlying message should not be lost on the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Got to be more careful
We need to be more cautious in our daily activities.
When you walk the street alone
Especially when we are alone, we need to be aware of our surroundings.
'Cause hiding in the shadows
Dangerous and unknown people may be lurking in the shadows.
Might be the devil you don't know
These unknown people could be trying to harm us in some way.
Everything you say
We need to be mindful of everything we say.
Don't wanna hear your words repeated
We don't want our words to be used against us or twisted to mean the opposite of what we intended.
All twisted round the other way
Our words could easily be taken out of context and misinterpreted.
You can't even see
It's hard to see what these people want from us.
What they want from you and me
These people could have ulterior motives that we are not aware of.
Can't believe a word they say
We can't trust anything they say.
Can't believe the things they do
We shouldn't take their actions at face value.
Can't believe they're getting away
They are doing these things and getting away with them.
With what they do, they do
They are taking advantage of us and causing harm.
Messing over me and you
They are causing problems and being destructive to us all.
People, Got to be more careful now
We all need to be alert and cautious in order to be safe.
With all your 'Don't's and Do's'
We need to be mindful of our actions and words.
Be on your best behavior
We need to behave in a responsible and cautious way.
Watch your P's and Q's
We need to be careful with everything we say and do.
When you're chatting on the phone
We need to be aware of who might be listening to our conversations.
You don't know who's listening
There could be unknown people listening in on our conversations.
And what they got going on
We don't know what their intentions are or what they might be planning to do with the information they gather.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JON CLEARY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bloodybagal
Got to be more careful when you walk the street alone
Cos hiding in the shadows might be the devil you don't know
Got to be more careful, everything you say
Don't wanna hear your words repeated
All twisted round the other way
You can't even see what they want from you and me
Can't believe a word they say
Can't believe the things they do
Can't believe they're getting away
With what they do, they do
Messing over me and you
Got to be more careful people
Got to be more careful now
Got to be more careful people
Got to be more careful y'all
Got to be more careful with all your don't's and do's
Be on your best behaviour watch your p's and q's
Got to be more careful when you're chatting on the phone
You don't know who's listening
And what they got going on
@joeysahouria5058
After my physical, doc prescribed some funk. On the way out, some guy with a cane handed me this album and said, "Take this. It's a little stronger."
@annalongo280
Doctor House maybe ?
@Katchasan
Love all the music from House👌 Hugh Laurie plays some mean piano! Jon Cleary is very talented! Love his music❤
@judai9183
I come here for dr house
@mcandersonsp9516
I'm too
@Jack-tr7tv
I'm too
@koalaperesoso
Y yo!
@aishwaryabyapari4178
Cushing's it is!
@chrisspite3503
Love this song house your playlist is brilliant 😎😎😎😎😎👍👍👍👍
@kieranmacmanus717
Perfect choice for that scene..this or maybe Lee Fields "watch that man"..obviously a big fan of Sly and the family stone...big influence