Beginnings 1962—1963
The Mann-Hugg Blues Brothers (as the band were originally called) were formed in London in December 1962 by keyboard player Manfred Mann and drummer/vibes player Mike Hugg. Born out of the British blues boom then sweeping London's clubs (which also spawned such luminaries as The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds), the band were completed by Mike Vickers on lead guitar, Dave Richmond on bass, and Paul Jones fronting as lead vocalist and harmonica player. Gigging constantly throughout late 1962 and early 1963, the band soon attracted attention for their distinctive sound propelled by Mann's keyboards, Jones' soulful vocals and an occasional horn section.
Manfred Mann's Cock-A-Hoop (1964)
The group signed to HMV Records in March 1963 after a change of name to Manfred Mann (at the suggestion of their label's producer), and debuted in July of that year with the jazzy instrumental single "Why Should We Not?", which failed to chart, as did the follow up (with vocals this time), "Cock-A-Hoop"
Early success 1964—1965
Groovin' with Manfred Mann EP (1964)
In 1964 the group were asked to provide a new theme tune for the ITV pop music TV series Ready Steady Go!. They responded with the energetic "5-4-3-2-1" which, with the help of weekly TV exposure, rose to No.5 in the UK charts. It was shortly after "5-4-3-2-1" was recorded that Richmond left the band, being replaced by Tom McGuinness - the first of many line-up changes. After a further self-penned hit ("Hubble Bubble (Toil And Trouble)") the band struck gold with "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", a cover of a minor hit earlier that year by The Exciters. The track, which showcased Jones' powerful singing, reached the top of both the UK and US charts (The Exciters version had only charted #78 in the US).
During 1965 the group continued to have hits with both self-penned and cover material, their sound increasingly moving away from the blues-based music of their early years to a highly successful pop-soul hybrid. Notably the group began to have success with interpretations of Bob Dylan songs, including "With God On Our Side" as a track on a best-selling EP.
The One In the Middle EP (1965)
They also reached No.2 in the UK with the controversial "If You Gotta Go, Go Now", which was banned or edited by a number of TV and radio stations. Prior to this latter release, Paul Jones announced his intention to quit the band for a solo career once a replacement could be found.
The Mike d'Abo years 1966—1969
Jones stayed with the band for one more year, during which time Mike Vickers was replaced by Jack Bruce of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (long enough to play bass on the band's second UK No.1 single "Pretty Flamingo"). Jones was eventually replaced by Mike d'Abo - among those on the shortlist was Rod Stewart - and this was one of the few occasions when a band has successfully swapped lead singers and remained at the top. Jack Bruce left to form Cream and was replaced by Klaus Voorman (a longtime Beatles associate), with McGuinness moving to guitar. To complete the changes, the group switched labels to Fontana Records.
With d'Abo as vocalist, the group pursued a softer acoustic pop sound, with a tinge of Dylanesque social comment and surrealism in the lyrics. Their first Fontana Records single was in fact a Dylan cover, "Just Like A Woman", and the group went on to score their biggest hit for two years with a cover of his "Mighty Quinn".
Frustrated with the limitations and image of being seen purely as a hit singles band (their last two albums failed to chart), the group split in 1969.
1970s and on— Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Mann went on to write advertising jingles after the group's demise, but still continued to work in the group format. Initially he formed Manfred Mann Chapter Three (with Mike Hugg), an experimental jazz rock band, described by Mann as an over reaction to the hit factory of the Manfred Mann group. This was, however, short lived and by 1971 they had disbanded and Mann had formed a new group, Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
For further details, see Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
5-4-3-2-1 The Manfreds (1998)
1990s and on—The Manfreds
In the 1990s, most of the original 1960s line-up reformed as The Manfreds, minus Manfred Mann himself (hence the name), playing most of the old 1960s hits and a few jazz instrumentals, sometimes with both Paul Jones and Mike d'Abo fronting the line-up.
At the same time Jones and Tom McGuinness (McGuinness formed McGuinness Flint in 1970, but they disbanded in 1975) have been mainstays of The Blues Band (which they helped form in 1978).
Hubble Bubble
Manfred Mann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Drivin' down the street just the other day
I saw this real fine girl and stopped and said "you're goin' my way?"
She said, "thanks for the ride but before I get inside
There's just one thing that I wanna say"
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
I drove to her house and dropped her by the gate
I thought, I'm doin' all right, so I asked for a date
She said "meet me at nine and you'd better be on time
'Cause I'll offer you to death if you show up late"
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
(Na-na) what in the world is wrong with this chick, now?
Somebody tell me, what makes her tick, now? (na-na)
Some chicks do you wrong but this one wrongs you doubly (na-na)
I never saw a girl who was so hubbly-bubbly (na-na)
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Manfred Mann's song, Hubble Bubble, features lyrics that depict the challenges of navigating an enigmatic woman. The phrase "hubble, bubble, toil and trouble" is a playful nod to the witches' chant in William Shakespeare's Macbeth. The song tells the story of a man driving down the street when he sees an attractive girl and offers her a ride. When she agrees, she insists that before she gets in the car, she has something to say. This is where the repetition of "hubble, bubble, toil and trouble" begins.
The story continues with the man dropping the woman off at her house and asking her on a date. She agrees, but warns that he needs to be on time, or he'll "be offered to death." The singer conveys his confusion about the woman's behavior through the repeated refrain of "hubble, bubble, toil and trouble." The song is catchy and upbeat, with a strong rock and roll feel. The lyrics are meant to be playful and fun, but they also convey the frustration and confusion experienced when dealing with someone enigmatic.
Line by Line Meaning
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
The phrase 'Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble' is used to express confusion, turbulence, and chaos which is the state the singer seems to be in at the moment.
Drivin' down the street just the other day
The singer recalls driving down the street recently, setting the stage for a new encounter during this already mysterious and chaotic time.
I saw this real fine girl and stopped and said "you're goin' my way?"
The singer saw a woman he was attracted to and asked if she was going in the same direction as him. The introduction of a love interest adds even more complexity to the situation.
She said, "thanks for the ride but before I get inside / There's just one thing that I wanna say"
The woman accepts the offer for a ride but not before giving a warning of sorts, which only adds more confusion to the artist's state of mind.
(Na-na) what in the world is wrong with this chick, now?
The artist is at a loss and uses the interjection 'na-na' to question what is wrong with the woman
Somebody tell me, what makes her tick, now? (na-na)
The singer is requesting help to understand the woman, hoping for clues or understanding anyone can offer
Some chicks do you wrong but this one wrongs you doubly (na-na)
The interjection 'na-na' is used as the singer draws a conclusion that the woman he encountered is going to hurt him twice as much as other women might.
I never saw a girl who was so hubbly-bubbly (na-na)
The phrase 'hubbly-bubbly' is an adjective for someone who is highly excitable and vibrant, emphasizing the woman's unpredictable, capricious disposition. The interjection 'na-na' is used with a clueless, unfathomable flair.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Mike Hugg, Paul Jones, Manfred Mann, Tom McGuinness, Mike Vickers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Stocks
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Drivin’ down the street just the other day
I saw this real fine girl 👧 and stopped and said “you’re goin’ my way?”
She said, “thanks for the ride but before I get inside
There’s just one ☝️ thing I wanna say”
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
I drove to her house 🏠 and dropped her by the gate
I thought 💭 I’m doin’ alright, so I asked for a date
She said “meet me at 9 and you’d better be on time
‘Cause I’ll offer you to death 💀 if you show up late”
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
What in the world 🗺 is wrong with this chick 🐤 now?
Somebody tell me, what makes her tick, now? (na-na)
Some chicks 🐣 do you wrong but this one ☝️ wrongs you doubly (na-na)
I never saw a girl 👧 who was so hubbly-bubbly (na-na)
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Patrick Stocks
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Drivin’ down the street just the other day
I saw this real fine girl 👧 and stopped and said “you’re goin’ my way?”
She said, “thanks for the ride but before I get inside
There’s just one ☝️ thing I wanna say”
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
I drove to her house 🏠 and dropped her by the gate
I thought 💭 I’m doin’ alright, so I asked for a date
She said “meet me at 9 and you’d better be on time
‘Cause I’ll offer you to death 💀 if you show up late”
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
What in the world 🗺 is wrong with this chick 🐤 now?
Somebody tell me, what makes her tick, now? (na-na)
Some chicks 🐣 do you wrong but this one ☝️ wrongs you doubly (na-na)
I never saw a girl 👧 who was so hubbly-bubbly (na-na)
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble
sunryse111
Thanks for the lyrics there, Patrick. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd have posted them myself.
ian bentley
Paul's still performing, looking and sounding as good as ever 56 years later in 2020.
Ric Mac
Crikey! This takes me back. My much older brother was big on the Manfreds and I vividly recall me pretending to play drums on an upturned ashtray stand to this as he mimed as Paul Jones in front of the mirror. Incredibly, I recall every word, even though I had no understanding of their meaning back then when I was a 5yo.
Heidi Sierra
Love Love Love the harmonica ♥️♥️♥️
sunryse111
Me too, Heidi.
toeknee da'man
Excellent song!
Meredyth Sawyer
I thought this song was an early one but when I looked at my notes, I had it down as 1966. It should have been under my question mark list. Some early records didn't have the dates. I've got Mann Made Hits album as well as 'Best of...' and another 'Best of that includes the songs after Paul Jones left.
sunryse111
Oh, Meredyth - you see, I have the advantage of my age here. I remember watching the early TV show "Ready Steady Go" back in 1964. The tune they used for the opening titles was "5-4-3-2-1" by Manfred Mann. After that, they briefly used "Hubble Bubble" for the opening credits. This was all in 1964. 1966 is much too late a date for this single!
Meredyth Sawyer
@sunryse111 Yes. I definitely remember that song being on the radio in the beginning of their popularity. I also saw some episodes of Ready Steady Go but it wasn't a regular program in Melbourne. Again, it was on an album I have and I either misunderstood the date or it didn't have any.