Originally a blues-based band noted for their signature "rave-up" instrumental breaks, the Yardbirds broadened their range into pop, pioneering psychedelic rock and early hard rock; and contributed to many electric guitar innovations of the mid-1960s. Some rock critics and historians also cite their influence on the later punk rock, progressive rock and heavy metal trends. Following the band's split in 1968, Relf and McCarty formed the acoustic-duo Together, and then later Renaissance, a progressive rock group memorable for being heavily influenced by medieval instruments and sound, and guitarist Jimmy Page formed Led Zeppelin - the latter of which was initially intended as a direct successor to the Yardbirds. Dreja was first invited to play guitar in the new group, then known as "The New Yardbirds", however he turned it down, opting to become a photographer instead. He captured the back cover of Led Zeppelin's first album.
The band formed in the south-west London suburbs in 1963. Relf and Samwell-Smith were originally in a band named the Metropolitan Blues Quartet. After being joined by Dreja, McCarty and Top Topham, they performed at Kingston Art School in late May 1963 as a backup band for Cyril Davies. Following a couple of gigs in September 1963 as the Blue-Sounds, they changed their name to the Yardbirds. McCarty claims that Relf was the first to use the name; he may have got it from Jack Kerouac's novel On the Road, where it referred to rail yard hobos. He adds that Topham identified it as a nickname for jazz saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker.
The quintet achieved notice on the burgeoning British rhythm and blues scene when they took over as the house band at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond, succeeding the Rolling Stones. Their repertoire drew from the Chicago blues of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Sonny Boy Williamson II and Elmore James, including "Smokestack Lightning", "Good Morning Little School Girl", "Boom Boom", "I Wish You Would", "Rollin' and Tumblin'", "Got Love if You Want It" and "I'm a Man".
Original lead guitarist Topham left and was replaced by Eric Clapton in October 1963. Crawdaddy Club impresario Giorgio Gomelsky became the Yardbirds manager and first record producer. Under Gomelsky's guidance the Yardbirds toured Britain as the back-up band for blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson II in December 1963 and early 1964, recording live tracks on 8 December and other dates. The recordings would be released two years later during the height of the Yardbirds popularity on the album Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds.
After the tours with Williamson, the Yardbirds signed to EMI's Columbia label in February 1964, and recorded more live tracks on 20 March at the legendary Marquee Club in London. The resulting album of mostly American blues and R&B covers, Five Live Yardbirds, was released by Columbia nine months later, and it failed to enter the UK Albums Chart. Over time, Five Live gained stature as one of the few high-quality live recordings of the era and as a historical document of both the British rock and roll boom of the 1960s and Clapton's time in the band.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They were included at number 89 in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
The Yardbirds re-formed in the 1990s, featuring drummer Jim McCarty and rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja as the only original members. In 2003, the Yardbirds released the album "Birdland" featuring original personnel Jim McCarty and Chris Dreja, along with contributions from Jeff Beck, and John Idan replacing Relf on lead vocals.
Dreja left the band in 2012, leaving McCarty as the sole original member of the band in the present lineup.
Along with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds were part of the British blues scene of the 1960s. As the blues rock genre developed, some acts like Chicken Shack were playing a louder and more aggressive style, while the Yardbirds emphasized instrumental textures and extended instrumental improvisations. They covered blues classics like Howlin' Wolf's Smokestack Lightning (1956) and Bo Diddley's I'm a Man (1955) which had a repetitive structure where instrumental solos were brief breaks between repetition of verses. The Yardbirds often extended these instrumental sections into "heavy jams", known as 'rave-ups'.
Scratch My Back
The Yardbirds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, I got a problem,
I don't know what to do.
Baby, I got a problem,
Bleep me, it concerns you.
You're the only one can help,
I need you to.
I know you can do it,You can do it if you try.
My, my, my, my,
You can do it if you try.
Don't [hold me back?], babe,
Just scratch my back, babe,
Baby, scratch my back,
Baby, scratch my back,
Baby, scratch my back,
Baby, scratch my back,
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Scratch my back.
I'm feeling much better babe,
Like I know I should do,
Feeling much better, woman,
All because of you.
I knew that you could do it,
You could do it if you tried.
Come along baby,
Come along tonight,
Make me feel alright, baby,
Come along tonight.
Turn me round now,
Turn me round and come along baby now, now,
Yeah, now, scratch my back,
Scratch my back,
Scratch my back,
Don't [hold me back?],
Scratch my back.
The song "Scratch My Back" by The Yardbirds is a plea for help from a man with a problem that he doesn't know how to solve. The lyrics suggest that he needs the woman he is addressing to scratch his back, which could be a metaphor for providing emotional support or help in solving a problem. He believes that she is the only one who can help him and that she can do it if she tries. He urges her to come along with him and make him feel better, suggesting that her presence alone is enough to improve his situation. The repetition of the phrase "scratch my back" throughout the song emphasizes the importance of this request and suggests that it may be a simple action that could provide great relief to the singer.
Overall, the lyrics of "Scratch My Back" convey a sense of desperation and vulnerability. The singer is admitting that he has a problem and needs help, and he is placing a great deal of trust in the woman he is addressing. The repeated use of the phrase "you can do it if you try" suggests that he may doubt her ability to help him, or that he is trying to convince her of her own strength and power.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I got a problem,
I have an issue that I don't know how to solve.
I don't know what to do.
I am clueless about how to resolve my problem.
Baby, I got a problem,
I am still facing the same dilemma.
Bleep me, it concerns you.
It's crucial and affects you, so please listen to me.
You're the only one can help,
You are the sole solution to my problem.
I need you to.
I am counting on your assistance.
I know you can do it,
I believe in your ability to help me.
You can do it if you try.
If you put in the effort, you can succeed in helping me.
My, my, my, my,
Emphasizes the urgency and importance of the situation.
You can do it if you try.
Reinforces the idea that the person being addressed can solve the problem.
Don't [hold me back?], babe,
Asking the person not to obstruct or impede him/her while solving the problem.
Just scratch my back, babe,
Help or support in resolving the problem is desperately needed.
Baby, scratch my back,
Repeated calling for assistance to solve the personal predicament.
Baby, scratch my back,
Persisting with the same request for help.
Baby, scratch my back,
Still requesting urgent aid in tackling the problem.
Baby, scratch my back,
Insistent pleading to render assistance.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Expressing eagerness and anticipation of receiving necessary help.
Scratch my back.
Final plea to receive the required help.
I'm feeling much better babe,
The situation improved when the problem was finally solved.
Like I know I should do,
A sense of relief and satisfaction for finding a solution to the problem.
Feeling much better, woman,
Continuing to describe the positive outcome of the assistance received.
All because of you.
Acknowledging the instrumental role the person played in resolving the issue.
I knew that you could do it,
Confidence in the person's ability to solve the problem was not misplaced.
You could do it if you tried.
Embodies the idea of faith in the person's skills and their potential to assist.
Come along baby,
Inviting the person to be a part of the celebration for finding the resolution.
Come along tonight,
Suggesting to celebrate the good result at night together with the person.
Make me feel alright, baby,
This is an approving compliment to the person who helped solve the problem.
Come along tonight.
Making definite plans to enjoy the moment together with the person.
Turn me round now,
Describing the feeling of being liberated from the problem thanks to the assistance received.
Turn me round and come along baby now, now,
Emphasizing the importance of returning the favor by being present in the celebration.
Scratch my back,
A final reminder of the request to offer aid in a predicament.
Yeah, now, scratch my back,
Persistent pleading to talk about an urgent requirement for reciprocation.
Scratch my back,
Repeated call to the person for help in a pressing matter.
Scratch my back,
Once again reiterating the urgent need for assistance.
Don't [hold me back?],
Asking the person not to obstruct the resolution of the predicament.
Scratch my back.
The final plea for someone's assistance to solve a problem.
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Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rebeccadale2413
I never heard of this track before I like it a lot
@flatop47
Thanks Rebecca'
@floyJoy0729
the great Yardbirds - i like them
@alain59200
great version !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@flatop47
Cheers!
@yardbird666
They took this song, changed the lyrics slightly and renamed it "Rack My Mind" and placed it on their next album, taking full writer's credit and not acknowledging that it was essentially a Slim Harpo song. I love the Yardbirds and most British bands did the same thing back then, but the truth needs to be told.
@flatop47
+yardbird666 Thanks For Looking & The Info
@michaelconsuegra7316
I would consider this as an early version of " Rack My Mind " which is on the Roger The Engineer Album.
@jean-claudelandreaud7818
Original version Slim Harpo, best version Otis Redding ;)
@Gonar1212
Beck singing?