Rolling Stone
Muddy Waters Lyrics


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Well, I wish I was a catfish,
Swimmin in a oh, deep, blue sea
I would have all you good lookin women,
Fishin, fishin after me
Sure 'nough, a-after me
Sure 'nough, a-after me
Oh 'nough, oh 'nough, sure 'nough
I went to my baby's house,
And I sit down oh, on her steps
She said, "C'mon in now, Muddy
You know, my husband just now left
Sure 'nough, he just now left
Sure 'nough, he just now left
Oh Lord, oh well, oh well

Well, my mother told my father,
Just before hmmm, I was born,
"I got a boy child's comin',
Gonna be, he gonna be a rollin' stone,
Sure 'nough, he's a rollin' stone
Sure 'nough, he's a rollin' stone"
Oh well he's a, oh well he's a, oh well he's a

Well, I feel, yes I feel,
Feel that I could lay down oh, time ain't long
I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin',
Back, back down the road I'm goin'
Back down the road I'm goin'




Back down the road I'm goin'
Sure 'nough back, sure 'nough back

Overall Meaning

Muddy Waters's song "Rollin' Stone" is about a man who is a bit of a drifter and moves from place to place without much purpose. The opening stanza sees the singer expressing his desire to be a catfish in the deep blue sea, as then all the good-looking women would be fishing after him. This reveals the singer's insecurities, suggesting that he desires attention and recognition from others.


In the second verse, the singer visits his lover's house, and she invites him in because her husband has just left. This suggests that the singer is not a particularly respectable man, as his lover is willing to cheat on her husband with him. The third verse talks about how the singer's mother forewarned his father before he was born that he was going to be a "Rollin' Stone." This suggests that his nature was predetermined, and he was always going to be a drifter.


Finally, the last verse reveals that the singer feels a sense of detachment from his current situation, and he is ready to leave at any moment. He knows that time is not on his side, and he wishes to get going on his journey. Overall, "Rollin' Stone" tells the story of a man who is aimless and without direction, and he is constantly moving from place to place.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, I wish I was a catfish, Swimmin in a oh, deep, blue sea I would have all you good lookin women, Fishin, fishin after me Sure 'nough, a-after me Sure 'nough, a-after me Oh 'nough, oh 'nough, sure 'nough
Muddy Waters wishes he could be like a catfish, swimming freely in the ocean without any worries. He knows that if he were a catfish, he would be irresistible to women and they would all be chasing after him.


I went to my baby's house, And I sit down oh, on her steps She said, "C'mon in now, Muddy You know, my husband just now left Sure 'nough, he just now left Sure 'nough, he just now left Oh Lord, oh well, oh well
Muddy Waters visited his lover's house and sat on her steps. She invited him in because her husband had just left. Muddy is ecstatic that her husband is out of the way and he can spend time with her.


Well, my mother told my father, Just before hmmm, I was born, "I got a boy child's comin', Gonna be, he gonna be a rollin' stone, Sure 'nough, he's a rollin' stone Sure 'nough, he's a rollin' stone" Oh well he's a, oh well he's a, oh well he's a
Muddy Waters' parents knew that he was going to be a free-spirited person even before he was born. They predicted that he was going to be a rolling stone, always moving from place to place and never settling down. Muddy is proud to be a rolling stone and is confident in his lifestyle.


Well, I feel, yes I feel, Feel that I could lay down oh, time ain't long I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin', Back, back down the road I'm goin' Back down the road I'm goin' Back down the road I'm goin' Sure 'nough back, sure 'nough back
Muddy Waters feels that time is running out and he wants to make the most of it. He decides to leave his current location and head back down the road, knowing that he will have many more adventures as a rolling stone. He is determined to never settle down and will continue to pursue his free-spirited lifestyle.




Lyrics Β© BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MC KINLEY MORGANFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@adamlthompson4966

A person can’t simply just listen to mr waters. You feel it . It moves your soul. I either get goosebumps or it brings a tear to my eye every time!

@idontknowwhy222

Getting goosebumps and chills as I listen to this!

@williamsherman1089

Your 100% correct, it touches something in your soul.

@henkholland637

the sound gets in your body bones and soul

@MrMikadelic

such a simple tune, but so powerful. you can hear why it captured a generation and inspired modern blues-based rock.

@cordellaray45

Muddy Waters is the first rock and roll star... Everybody that came after him owes this man his respect as one of the founders of Rock and roll

@jeremysanders9336

If that's the case, we should be crediting Robert Johnson for creating rock and roll.

@daviderbacher2672

what about howlin wolf , sonny boy Williams , Robert Johnson. I agree with you that these guys started country and rock

@DrDixonBhD

Your so right Michelle T !!! Gettin' to perform with him back in the day when he came to Atlanta inΒ 1967 up to his passing in 83' the power of Muddy's voice and slide guitar was like no other that has ever been in the history of the blues/rock and rollΒ !!! Muddy Waters Is KING !!!

@path.1454

Michelle T if you asks blues artists they say rock is blues its just given a fancier name to be more appealing to an audience . But with out muddy , Johnson , and wolf music would t be the same

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