MUDDY WATERS
Keb' Mo' & Corey Harris Lyrics
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I been down to the crossroads
And there ain't no devil down there
They got the whole town shakin' out in L.A.
They got the blues in Mississippi
I'm going back some day
Well I ain't gonna fuss and fight
Worryin' 'bout the things that I can't change
Let everybody think I'm a little bit strange
'Cause I love muddy water
It's dirty but it feels alright
I love muddy water
I'm ready, I'm ready for the blues tonight
Oh yes I am
On my way to California, my old car broke down
You know what, I left it sittin' right there
And I walked on into town, I found a cheap Motel
I got a twenty dollar room
And when I woke up the next day
You know what it was four o'clock in the afternoon
Well I ain't gonna fuss and fight
And I ain't stayin' up all night
Worryin' 'bout the things that I can't change
Let everybody think I'm a little bit strange
'Cause I love muddy water
It's dirty but it feels alright
I love muddy water
And I'm ready for the blues tonight
Now why should I worry all night and day
'Cause whatever it is, it's gonna be okay
Oh yeah
Well I love muddy water
It's dirty but it feels alright
I love muddy water
I'm ready for the blues tonight
Oh, and I love muddy water
It's dirty but it feels alright
I love muddy water
I'm ready, ready for the blues tonight
Well I love muddy water
It's dirty but it feels alright
I love muddy water
I'm ready, ready for the blues tonight
Yeah, it's dirty but it feels alright
Muddy water
I'm ready, ready for the blues tonight
Keb' Mo's song "Muddy Water" is a bluesy ballad that celebrates the grittiness of everyday life. The first verse essentially dismisses the idea of heaven as a destination by claiming that the best things in life happen while he's alive on earth. In the following lines, he compares the "whole town shakin' out in L.A." to the blues that he's experienced in Mississippi, suggesting that, in his view, the gritty, imperfect nature of the blues is preferable to the false, glitzy glamour of Los Angeles.
The second verse describes an experience in which his car broke down on the way to California, causing him to stop overnight in a cheap motel. Rather than worry about his car or his predicament, he embraces the moment, waking up at four in the afternoon and reveling in the dirty, raw appeal of his surroundings. The chorus, which repeats twice, drives home the overriding theme of the song: that the muddy water may be dirtier than clean water, but it still feels good, especially when it comes to the blues.
Overall, the message of the song seems to be that life is messy and imperfect, but that's okay. One should embrace the grittiness and imperfections of life instead of fighting against them. The blues, in particular, harken to a time when people didn't have much and couldn't afford to be fussy - they had to take things as they came and make the best of it. This philosophy is exemplified by Keb' Mo's celebration of "muddy water" in all its dirty, raw beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
If I never get to heaven I don't care
He doesn't care if he never gets to heaven
I been down to the crossroads
He has been to the crossroads
And there ain't no devil down there
There is no devil at the crossroads
They got the whole town shakin' out in L.A.
The whole town is excited in L.A.
They got the blues in Mississippi
There are blues in Mississippi
I'm going back some day
He will go back to Mississippi someday
Well I ain't gonna fuss and fight
He won't argue or fight
And I ain't stayin' up all night
He won't stay awake worrying
Worryin' 'bout the things that I can't change
He won't worry about things he can't change
Let everybody think I'm a little bit strange
He doesn't mind if people think he's strange
'Cause I love muddy water
He loves muddy water
It's dirty but it feels alright
Muddy water may be dirty, but it feels good
I'm ready, I'm ready for the blues tonight
He's ready for the blues tonight
On my way to California, my old car broke down
While he was traveling to California, his car broke down
You know what, I left it sittin' right there
He left the car where it broke down
And I walked on into town, I found a cheap Motel
He walked to a motel in town
I got a twenty dollar room
He got a cheap twenty-dollar room
And when I woke up the next day
He woke up the next day
You know what it was four o'clock in the afternoon
It was already 4 pm when he woke up
Now why should I worry all night and day
He questions why he should worry continuously
'Cause whatever it is, it's gonna be okay
He believes everything will be okay, whatever it is
Oh yeah
Expressing agreement or enthusiasm
Yeah, it's dirty but it feels alright
Muddy water may be dirty, but it feels good
Muddy water
Referring to the muddy water
I'm ready, ready for the blues tonight
He's ready for the blues tonight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Georgina M. Graper, Kevin R. Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bensmith8127
Taj,
As a 69 year old guitarist who has had the joy and frustration of playing 61 of these 69 years, I just have to tell you that I first became aware of you at age 15 when I saw you for the first time on public television. In my eyes you are such an accomplished, multi instrumentalist and vocalist. To watch you perform in so many different settings with such ease of delivery has been awe inspiring and joyful. It is you that caused me to toss my pick out the window years ago and become more aligned with my guitar. I always get the feeling that you are right here in the room with me when I watch you. I’ve also had great pleasure in playing your songs on many occasions. Thank you sir, for the pureness of your music and soul.
@bluesborn
This makes me want to march in time out the door and form a spontaneous dance line with the neighbors.
@Dixielinemuzik
This should be studio recorded for sure. Great roots blues music.
@johnconway9882
He recorded this song several years prior to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5RL74_YWyI
@bak1358
This is absolutely the best version of this song I've heard. Man this was awesome
@johnallwood
I could sit there and listen to corey and taj doing this all day long
@lenandpam
Simple Blues, simply awesome!
@bengreens
Taj made Corey laugh with the "wrapped a towel" line!
@ecanuck
This was from the Martin Scorcese documentary series on PBS on the Blues. There's a box set for the series, 2003 (Hip-O Records, Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: A Musical Journey.)
@doobeedoo2
still alive, amazing dedicated artist