Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his group exploded on the scene in the mid-'90s an… Read Full Bio ↴Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his group exploded on the scene in the mid-'90s and garnered huge amounts of radio airplay on commercial radio, which historically has not been a solid home for blues and blues-rock music, with the exception of Stevie Ray Vaughan in the mid-'80s. Shepherd was born June 12, 1977, in Shreveport, LA. The Shreveport native began playing at age seven, figuring out Muddy Waters licks from his father's record collection (he has never taken a formal lesson). At age 13, he was invited on-stage by New Orleans bluesman Brian Lee and held his own for several hours; thus proving himself, he decided on music as a career. He formed his own band, which featured lead vocalist Corey Sterling, gaining early exposure through club dates and, later, radio conventions. Shepherd's father/manager used his own contacts and pizzazz in the record business to help land his son a major-label record deal with Irving Azoff's Giant Records. Ledbetter Heights, his first album, was released two years later in 1995. Ledbetter Heights was an immediate hit, selling over 500,000 by early 1996. Most blues records never achieve that level of commercial success, much less ones released by artists who are still in their teens. Although Shepherd -- who has been influenced by (and has sometimes played with) guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Slash, Robert Cray, and Duane Allman -- is definitely a performer who thrives in front of an audience, Ledbetter Heights is impressive for its range of styles: acoustic blues, rockin' blues, Texas blues, Louisiana blues. The only style that he doesn't tackle is Chicago blues, owing to Shepherd's home base smack dab in the middle of the Texas triangle. 1998's Trouble Is... earned a Grammy nomination; Live On followed a year later. In 2004 The Place You're In was released on Reprise Records, the first album that featured Shepherd doing the majority of the lead vocals (singer Noah Hunt handled the lead vocals on the previous two albums). Shepherd's next project saw him traveling in the American South with a documentary film crew and a portable recording studio as he backed up several veteran blues players on their home turf. The resulting album and film, 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads), appeared in 2007.

I'm Leaving You
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm leaving you, woman
Before I commit a crime
You tried so hard to kill me
But baby, it was not my time

You put poison in my coffee
Instead of milk or cream
You're the evilest woman

I think I've ever seen

You mix my drink
With a can of Red Devil lye

Then you sit right down
Watch me, hoping I might die

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kenny Wayne Shepherd's song "I'm Leaving You" describe a man who has finally decided to leave his evil and manipulative partner before he commits a crime or ends up dead at her hands. He accuses his partner of trying to kill him by putting poison in his coffee instead of milk or cream and mixing his drink with a can of Red Devil lye, which is a potent drain and pipe cleaner that can cause severe burns and other serious injuries if ingested. He calls her "the evilest woman" he has ever seen, which suggests that she has been emotionally and physically abusive towards him for some time.

The lyrics paint a picture of a toxic relationship where one partner is trying to harm or control the other. The singer's decision to leave is a powerful act of self-preservation and self-care, as he recognizes that staying with his partner would only lead to further harm. The imagery of poison and lye adds a sense of danger and urgency to the song, as the singer's life is literally in danger.

Overall, the lyrics to "I'm Leaving You" convey a message of empowerment and survival. The singer refuses to be a victim of his partner's abuse and takes control of his own life by leaving her behind.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm leaving you, woman
I am ending our relationship

Before I commit a crime
I am leaving to avoid doing something regrettable or illegal

You tried so hard to kill me
You made several attempts to harm or kill me

But baby, it was not my time
Fortunately, none of your attempts succeeded and I am still alive

You put poison in my coffee
You intentionally added a harmful substance to my drink

Instead of milk or cream
You used this method to conceal the poison

You're the evilest woman
Your actions were malicious and malevolent

I think I've ever seen
I have never encountered someone as wicked as you

You mix my drink
You continue to attempt to harm me

With a can of Red Devil lye
You have now escalated your attempts by using a highly toxic substance

Then you sit right down
You are completely unconcerned about my wellbeing