Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931 in Detroit) is an American jazz gu… Read Full Bio ↴Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931 in Detroit) is an American jazz guitarist. His playing is founded in bebop and blues but works well with other jazz styles, so he has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz musicians.

Burrell made his first recording in 1951, with Dizzy Gillespie. After moving from Detroit to New York City in 1956, he recorded with a wide range of prominent musicians, including John Coltrane, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Billie Holiday, Milt Jackson, Quincy Jones, Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Jimmy Smith, Stanley Turrentine, and Cedar Walton. He also led his own groups since 1951.

In the 1970s he began leading seminars about music, particularly Duke Ellington's (Burrell has a music degree from Wayne State University). A highly popular performer, he has won several jazz polls in Japan and the United Kingdom as well as the United States.

He has recorded about 40 LPs, including Midnight Blue (1961), Blue Lights, Guitar Forms, Sunup To Sundown (1990), Soft Winds (1993), Then Along Came Kenny (1993), and Lotus Blossom (1995).

Burrell now serves as Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA.

I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
Kenny Burrell Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ain't got the change of a nickel
Ain't got no bounce in my shoes
Ain't got no fancy to tickle

I ain't got nothing but the blues
Ain't got no coffee that's perking
Ain't got no winnings to lose

Ain't got a dream that is working
I ain't got nothing but the blues
When trumpets flare up

I keep my hair up
I just can't make it come down
Believe me, peppie
I can't get happy

Since my ever-loving baby left town
Ain't got no rest in my slumbers
Ain't got no feelings to bruise

Ain't got no telephone numbers
I ain't got nothing but the blues

Overall Meaning

In Kenny Burrell's song "I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues," the title itself summarizes the theme of the song. The song is about the singer's desolate state of being. He is in a financial crisis and has no money to his name. He doesn't have any shoes with springs in them to lift his spirits. Furthermore, he has "nothing to tickle his fancy." He has losses but no winnings, no coffee to perk him up, and no dreams that come to fruition. All in all, he has nothing to look forward to but the blues. When the trumpets play, he can’t get happy; he's affected since his lover left him. There's no comfort in his sleep because he's haunted by his thoughts. In all, he's empty, and he has only the blues.

It's an insightful song about the human experience, where the state of mind is at its lowest, and nothing seems to be working. The way the lyrics are executed, it gives the audience a glimpse into the world of the blues where the emotions reign, and nothing seems to go right. The song evokes melancholy, sadness, and hopelessness, where the main character has nothing but the blues.

Line by Line Meaning

Ain't got the change of a nickel
I have no money at all, not even a single nickel

Ain't got no bounce in my shoes
I have no energy or enthusiasm left in me

Ain't got no fancy to tickle
I have lost my taste for luxury and extravagance

I ain't got nothing but the blues
All I have left is a deep feeling of sadness and melancholy

Ain't got no coffee that's perking
I have nothing to cheer me up, even my coffee is not good enough

Ain't got no winnings to lose
I have no luck or success in anything I do

Ain't got a dream that is working
I have no aspiration or goal that is coming to fruition

When trumpets flare up
When I hear joyful music and celebration

I keep my hair up
I try to maintain a positive attitude

I just can't make it come down
But my sadness and depression cannot be overcome

Believe me, peppie
I assure you, my friend