The Guess Who is a rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba that was one of the fi… Read Full Bio ↴The Guess Who is a rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba that was one of the first Canadian groups to establish a major successful following both in their own country as well as abroad. In their late 60s and early 70s heyday, the guys took influence from late period British invasion bands as well as stuck alongside them on the charts. They were notably the first Canadian rock n roll group to have a #1 hit in the United States thanks to the success of 1970's "American Woman".

The band evolved out of "Chad Allan and the Expressions" (often shortened to The Expressions), which was a pop rock group with a British Invasion feel fronted by Chad Allan and featuring guitarist Randy Bachman. Both of them had great potential as singer-songwriters. After their cover of "Shakin' All Over" sold well as a single, their record label released the band's album with "Guess Who?" written on the cover, hoping to mislead unsuspecting buyers into thinking it was a British group. The name stuck, however, and from then on they were 'The Guess Who'. The Who musician Pete Townshend later jokingly said that he allowed the Canadian group to take both their style and name, calling himself a fan.

Singer and keyboardist Burton Cummings joined upon Allan's departure in 1966, and the band's classic line-up was born. The guys mixed some jazz-inspired sounds such as flute and electric piano playing into their sound, and they scored hits in Canada with tracks such as "These Eyes", "Undun", and "Laughing". Yet it was when they turned to psychedelic-influenced rock and rock with 'American Woman' (the third album with the Bachman/Cummings line-up) that they broke through in the U.S. The anti-war title cut (a song ironically embraced by some Americans as a patriotic anthem despite the cynical lyrics, though the band didn't complain as the record royalties came in) has received airplay on classic rock radio for years and years now. The Guess Who's success after that album came out proved to be hit and miss, however, and they would have members go in and out.

After the release of 'Share the Land', their second album of 1970, Bachman left to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, leaving Cummings as the band's leader and main songwriter. Though Bachman and his band-mates had achieved huge commercial success, the singer-songwriter felt like he wanted to go off into a whole other muscial direction. Afterwards, the Guess Who experimented in various styles through the 70s, including blues, down-home bluegrass, jazz fusion, and Cummings's trademark piano-based rock ballads. The novelty pop single "Clap for the Wolfman", a 1974 track made for the popular DJ Wolfman Jack that the band members were fans of, ended up being the Guess Who's last chart appearance.

Various combinations of former members of the band have reunited at various times since their breakup in 1975. The Guess Who's classic songs remain radio staples, even into the new millennium. Various greatest hits and multi-artist collections featuring their music have also been released.

See Guess Who for the Romanian rapper Laurentiu Mocanu.

Bus Rider
The Guess Who Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get up in the morning, get on the bus
Get up in the morning like the rest of us
Places to go, important people to meet
Better not get up or you might lose your seat

(Bus rider)

Leave the house at six o'clock to be on time

Leave the wife and kids at home to make a dime
Grab your lunch pail, check for mail in your slot
You won't get your cheque if you don't punch the clock

(Bus rider)

(Bus rider)

Grab the evening paper, and sit down in your chair
Grab yourself a toupee, 'cause you're losing your hair
Doesn't matter what you do, you've nothing to lose
I'm so awful goddamn glad I'm not in your shoes

(Bus rider)

(Bus rider)
You know you'll ride it every single morning today
(Bus rider)
Ride, ride, little man
(Bus rider)
I don't want to ride, no I don't want to ride
(Bus rider)
Get up in the morning, get on the bus
(Bus rider)
Oh, little man riding upside down, yeah
(Bus rider)

Mm, no I don't want to ride
(Bus rider)

Overall Meaning

The Guess Who's song "Bus Rider" presents a commentary on the everyday monotony of work-life, specifically in the context of the typical daily commute. The opening lines of the song set the stage for the banality of routine as the vocalist sings about getting up in the morning and taking the bus, much like everyone else. The song stresses the repetitive nature of the journey, familiar to many who have experienced the daily commute, suggesting that there is not much to look forward to other than the routine.

The singer goes on to detail what else the character is sacrificing to work the job they have. Leaving family in the morning while it's still dark outside, the necessity of punching the clock, and the sense of loss of personal identity through aging are all painted as the potential consequences of riding the bus. The monotony and loss of identity are highlighted in the refrain, "Bus rider" which is repeated throughout the song. The song closes with the singer acknowledging the day will start again the next day and that the little man on the bus will have to ride once again.

Overall, The Guess Who's "Bus Rider" provides a commentary on the mundanity of the daily grind, particularly on the daily commute. The song shows that there is often a routine to life and the consequences of living that routine include missing out on important moments, sacrificing personal identity for a job, and aging without any real growth or change being made.

Line by Line Meaning

Get up in the morning, get on the bus
Just like everyone else, wake up and catch the bus

Places to go, important people to meet
There are people to see and places to be

Better not get up or you might lose your seat
Stay seated so you don't have to stand

Leave the house at six o'clock to be on time
Leave early to avoid being late

Leave the wife and kids at home to make a dime
Sacrifices must be made to earn a living

Grab your lunch pail, check for mail in your slot
Get your lunch and check for any mail in your mailbox

You won't get your cheque if you don't punch the clock
You need to clock in to get paid

Grab the evening paper, and sit down in your chair
Take a seat and relax with the evening paper

Grab yourself a toupee, 'cause you're losing your hair
Cover up your balding head with a toupee

Doesn't matter what you do, you've nothing to lose
No matter what you do, you have nothing to risk

I'm so awful goddamn glad I'm not in your shoes
I'm glad I'm not in your position