He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Arkansas. Wells moved to Chicago in 1948 and first made his mark at age 18 playing in Muddy Waters' band. He later worked with Buddy Guy in the 1960s and recorded for Delmark Records. His most memorable songs are "Messin' With the Kid" and "Little by Little," and his best-known album, 1965's Hoodoo Man Blues, which evokes the smoky atmosphere of the era's Westside Chicago blues bars.
Wells made an appearance in the 1998 movie Blues Brothers 2000, the sequel to The Blues Brothers. The movie was released less than a month after his death.
On his passing in 1998, Junior Wells was interred in the Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago.
You Don't Love Me Baby
Junior Wells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't love me, yes I know
You don't love me, baby
You don't love me, yes I know
If you leave me, baby
Don't you know, you gonna hurt me so
I've gotta talk to my father, too
I'm gonna tell my mother
I've gotta talk to my father, too
Lord, I gotta tell the old man
What these young girls will do to you
Goodbye now, pretty baby
If I don't see you no more
Goodbye now, pretty baby
If I never see no more
Lord, you think I'm a fool baby
You better be on your merry way
C'mon now
I [Incomprehensible] you baby, [Incomprehensible]
In Junior Wells's song "You Don't Love Me Baby," the artist is sad and frustrated with his romantic partner who does not reciprocate his love. The chorus of "You don't love me, baby / You don't love me, yes, I know" is repeated to emphasize his understanding of the situation. He knows that his partner does not love him and is not invested in the relationship, but he is unable to move on from his feelings. In the second verse, Wells warns his partner that leaving him will result in great pain for him as he loves her deeply.
The third verse is interesting due to the mention of Wells's parents. He plans to talk to both his mother and father about the situation, highlighting that love and relationships are not only personal but familial issues. The lyrics suggest that the older generations have some insight into the pains and pitfalls of love and may offer their wisdom to their children. The final verse has a tone of resignation as Wells says his goodbyes to his partner, urging her to leave if she does not love him. His warning that she "better be on your merry way" shows that he has finally accepted that the relationship is not working and it is time to let go.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't love me, baby
I have come to terms with the fact that you do not love me
You don't love me, yes I know
My intuition tells me that you do not love me
If you leave me, baby
Don't you know, you gonna hurt me so
You should be aware that if you leave me, it will cause me pain
I'm gonna tell my mother
I've gotta talk to my father, too
I'm gonna tell my mother
I've gotta talk to my father, too
I plan to confide in my parents about my relationship problems
Lord, I gotta tell the old man
What these young girls will do to you
I feel the need to warn my father about the harm that young women can bring
Goodbye now, pretty baby
If I don't see you no more
Goodbye now, pretty baby
If I never see no more
Farewell, attractive partner. It is possible that we may not cross paths again
Lord, you think I'm a fool baby
You better be on your merry way
You seem to believe that I am foolish, please leave me alone
C'mon now
I [Incomprehensible] you baby, [Incomprehensible]
Let us reconcile our differences, baby
Contributed by Liam W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.