Robben Ford (born December 16, 1951) is a blues, jazz and rock guitarist wi… Read Full Bio ↴Robben Ford (born December 16, 1951) is a blues, jazz and rock guitarist with a diverse career.

He was born in Woodlake, California and raised in Ukiah. He taught himself guitar when he was 13 and considered his first influence to be Mike Bloomfield. At 18 he moved to San Francisco to form the Charles Ford Blues Band (named after his father, who was also a guitarist) featuring his brothers Mark (mouth harp) and Patrick (drums).

Robben was soon hired to play with Charles Musselwhite for nine months. Robben Ford played with Jimmy Witherspoon (1972-1973), the L.A. Express with Tom Scott (1974), George Harrison and Joni Mitchell. In 1977 he was a founding member of the Yellowjackets, which he stayed with until 1983, simultaneously having a solo career and working as a session guitarist.

In 1986, Ford toured with Miles Davis and he had two separate periods (1985 and 1987) with Sadao Watanabe, but he seemed to really find himself in 1992 when he returned to his roots: the blues. Ford formed a new group, the Blue Line, and subsequently recorded a couple of blues-rock dates for Stretch that are among the finest of his career. In 1999, he released Sunrise on Rhino and Supernatural on Blue Thumb. Ford signed to the Concord Jazz label in 2002 and released Blue Moon that same year, followed by Keep on Running in 2003 and Truth in 2007. Robben Ford whilst continuing to record solo albums has been touring in 2007 with guitar legend Larry Carlton.

Bonnie
Robben Ford Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Twenty-one days of travel
I played twenty one night stands
Too many nights trying to call you on the phone
I made my flight this morning
And taxied into town
Wondering did you spend your nights alone
Now who do I chance to meet?
Hand in hand on Dixon street?

Hey Bonnie where have you been
And who is your friend
Did I pretend to be surprised
That you won’t look me in the eyes
Bonnie where have you been
Who is your friend?
Is our sweet thing over
Did I just walk away?

I thought I saw you in Amsterdam
I dreamed of you in Rome
By Madrid I couldn’t get you off my mind
It’s 3:00 AM in L.A.
I still can’t find you home
I’ll be home soon but I’m worried ‘bout what I’ll find
Now I see him here with you
What am I supposed to do?

Chorus
Guitar solo

Now you say you’re just having a drink
What am I supposed to think?

Chorus
Guitar solo and out

Overall Meaning

The song "Bonnie" by Robben Ford delves into the emotions of a man who has been touring for twenty-one days and has finally returned home with expectations of meeting his partner, Bonnie, who he has been desperately trying to contact while on tour. The lyrics portray the feeling of unease, as the singer questions if Bonnie has been faithful to their relationship. The opening lines, "Twenty-one days of travel, I played twenty-one night stands. Too many nights trying to call you on the phone," set up the underlying tone of the song, which is one of sadness and confusion. The singer's raw emotions are further highlighted in the lines, "Hey Bonnie where have you been, and who is your friend, did I pretend to be surprised that you won’t look me in the eyes," which indicates that there is something amiss with Bonnie's behavior.

The song's chorus repeatedly asks Bonnie where she has been and who her friend is, with a hint of jealousy and insecurity. The bridge of the song, with its guitar solo, adds to the melancholic tone of the piece, heightening the sense of despair that the singer is experiencing. The song's ending is open-ended, leaving listeners to imagine the outcome of the singer's situation.

Line by Line Meaning

Twenty-one days of travel
I have been travelling for twenty-one days non-stop

I played twenty one night stands
I had twenty-one performances in different venues

Too many nights trying to call you on the phone
I have been trying to reach you on phone for far too many nights

I made my flight this morning
I was able to catch my flight this morning

And taxied into town
I arrived in town by taxi

Wondering did you spend your nights alone
I am wondering if you were alone during my absence

Now who do I chance to meet?
Now, who do I happen to meet?

Hand in hand on Dixon street?
They were walking together, holding hands on Dixon Street

Hey Bonnie where have you been
Welcome back Bonnie, where were you?

And who is your friend
Who is this person with you?

Did I pretend to be surprised
Did I actually show any surprise?