The band went on to record several successful albums and was popular on the late-1960s concert and festival circuit, with performances at the Fillmore West, in San Francisco; the Fillmore East, in New York City; the Monterey Pop Festival; and Woodstock. The band split in 1971.
Get Yourself Together
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band Lyrics
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While all my love is true
All my lovin' and a huggin', baby
It was meant for you
Get yourself together, yeah
Don't you tell no lie, ah, don't you lie
You've been burning both ends of the candle, baby
I see by your expression
Of shock and disbelief
You know I'm not mistaken, baby
So I'll just make it brief
Get yourself together, baby, yeah
Don't you lie to me, ah, ah, don't you lie to me
You've been running around and cheatin', baby
Gonna get you, wait and see
Hey baby, you may think I'm rappin'
And don't mean what I say
But if I have to leave you, baby
Just don't give no way
Get yourself together, girl
Don't you tell no lie, ah, don't you lie, yeah
You've been running around and cheatin', baby
Gonna get you by and by, ah, go get your bye bye, baby
You may think I'm rappin'
And don't mean what I say
But if I have to leave you, baby
You better not get in my way
Get yourself together, girl
Don't you tell no lie, ah, don't you lie
You've been running around and cheatin', baby
Gonna get you by and by, by, by, by
I'm goin' by, baby, I'm goin' by
Got my packed bag
And I'm leaving this house
Slammin' the door behind my back
I'm goin', leavin', quitin'
Ain't gonna come back no more
I'm catchin' that 9 o'clock train
And I'm sayin', bye bye, baby
Bye bye, bye baby, I'm gone
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band's song "Get Yourself Together" is a song about a relationship that has gone sour. The singer of the song is telling his partner that they need to get their act together or he'll have to leave. The song is full of regret and sadness, but it also has an underlying sense of determination.
The first verse talks about how while the partner is out "jivin'", the singer is giving his all to the relationship. He tells her that he loves her and wants to be with her, but she needs to start pulling her weight in the relationship. The next verse gets more forceful, telling her that she's been burning both ends of the candle and that he's going to have to leave if she doesn't straighten up.
The chorus repeats the title of the song, telling the partner to get herself together and to stop lying. The singer has caught her cheating and he's not going to put up with it anymore. He warns her that if he leaves, she better not try to stop him.
The last verse is the most somber, as the singer packs up and leaves the house. He tells her that he's leaving for good and that he's catching the 9 o'clock train to get away. The song ends on a note of finality, with the singer saying goodbye for good.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me while you're jivin'
Let me know while you're being lively and entertaining
While all my love is true
While my love for you is genuine
All my lovin' and a huggin', baby
All the love and physical affection I provide, my dear
It was meant for you
It was intended for you and only you
Get yourself together, yeah
Pull yourself together and get serious, yes
Don't you tell no lie, ah, don't you lie
Don't you dare lie to me or deceive me
You've been burning both ends of the candle, baby
You've been overworking yourself, excessively or extravagantly, dear
Gonna get you by and by
I will be causing you trouble, soon enough
I see by your expression
It's obvious by the way you look
Of shock and disbelief
That you're surprised and doubtful
You know I'm not mistaken, baby
You know I'm not wrong, my dear
So I'll just make it brief
I'll keep it short and simple
Don't you lie to me, ah, ah, don't you lie to me
Do not deceive or lie to me, no, no, don't you dare
You've been running around and cheatin', baby
You've been unfaithful and playing around, dear
Gonna get you, wait and see
I'll catch you and there will be consequences, just watch and wait
Hey baby, you may think I'm rappin'
Listen up, dear, you might think I'm talking nonsense
And don't mean what I say
And that I'm not serious about what I'm saying
But if I have to leave you, baby
But if I have to break up with you, dear
Just don't give no way
Just don't try to stop me
Get yourself together, girl
Pull yourself together, young lady
You've been running around and cheatin', baby
You've been unfaithful and playing around, dear
Gonna get you by and by, ah, go get your bye bye, baby
I'll catch you soon enough, so get ready to say goodbye, dear
I'm goin' by, baby, I'm goin' by
I'm leaving you, dear, I'm leaving you
Got my packed bag
I have my bags, all packed and ready
And I'm leaving this house
And I'm leaving this place, this home
Slammin' the door behind my back
Shutting the door forcefully as I leave
Leavin', quitin'
Departing, resigning
Ain't gonna come back no more
I won't return any longer
I'm catchin' that 9 o'clock train
I'm taking the 9 o'clock train
And I'm sayin', bye bye, baby
And I'm saying goodbye, dear
Bye bye, bye baby, I'm gone
Goodbye, goodbye, my dear, I'm gone
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BUGSY MAUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind