I Don't Trust Nobody
Willie Dixon Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I DON′T TRUST NOBODY

The old folks told me long time ago,
Don't trust nobody that I don′t know.
I don't trust nobody,
Not even myself.
Well, I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.
I don′t trust my sister don't trust my brother.
Don′t trust my father don't trust my mother.
Don′t trust the baby, don't trust the man.
I don′t trust a doggone thing.
I I don't trust the judge, don't trust the police.
Don′t trust the President, neither the priest.
I don′t trust the bus, don't trust the plane.
I don′t trust a doggone thing.
I don't trust nobody,
Not even myself.
Well, I don′t trust you and I don't trust nobody else.

I′ve been at school many times a fool.
Tryin' to be cool, I was always used.
I don't trust nothin′ not even myself.
I don′t trust you and nobody else.
I don't trust the woman, don′t trust the man.
I don't trust the enemy, neither the plan.
I don′t trust man and I don't trust you.
I don′t trust even none of you.
I don't trust nobody,
Not even myself.
Well, I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.

I don′t trust my son, don't trust my daughter.
Don′t trust the bread, don't trust the water.
Don′t trust the fruit, don't trust the nuts.
I don′t trust even none of us.
I don't trust nobody,
Not even myself.
Now I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.
I don′t trust nobody.
I don't trust nobody.
I don′t trust nobody, not even myself.
Well, I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.

Overall Meaning

The song “I Don’t Trust Nobody” by Willie Dixon is a blues song about paranoia and the inability to trust anyone. The song speaks to behavior often learned over time and impacted by life experiences. The opening stanza speaks to the adage of not trusting strangers, specifically those unknown. The distrustful nature addressed in the song builds with every line that the singer sings. There is a sense of fear that has built up, and it is evident in the lyrics. The love and trust of family, even immediate, are lost, as well as a feeling of extreme mistrust towards the system.


The song speaks to deep-rooted mistrust as well as the sense of betrayal that can come when trust is broken. The singer has become incredibly paranoid, not trusting even themselves at this point. The song is an interesting study of how emotions can take over and how experiences can shape how people interact with the world around them. The singer’s inability to trust extends from strangers to family, and the distrust spans not only individuals but institutions from the police to the government, to the bus and plane.


Overall, the song expresses an overall sense of fear and mistrust towards life and society. The words make it clear that the singer is not just paranoid, and the song's message is one that remains relevant over time.


Line by Line Meaning

The old folks told me long time ago,
As a young person, the singer was taught by older generations to never trust strangers.


Don't trust nobody that I don′t know.
The singer follows the advice they were given and refuses to trust anyone they don't have a personal relationship with.


I don't trust nobody,
The singer repeats their distrust in others, emphasizing their deep suspicion of everyone.


Not even myself.
The artist doesn't even trust themselves, implying they may have made mistakes in the past.


Well, I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.
The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the artist's general lack of trust in other people.


I don′t trust my sister don't trust my brother.
The singer extends their lack of trust even to close family members.


Don′t trust my father don't trust my mother.
The singer includes their own parents in their list of people they can't trust.


Don′t trust the baby, don't trust the man.
The artist distrusts people of all ages, even babies.


I don′t trust a doggone thing.
The artist is so suspicious that they can't even trust physical objects.


I don't trust the judge, don't trust the police.
The artist believes that even authority figures like judges and police officers are not worthy of their trust.


Don′t trust the President, neither the priest.
The singer extends their distrust to the highest levels of government and organized religion.


I don′t trust the bus, don't trust the plane.
The artist is so distrusting that they won't even trust modes of transportation.


I don't trust nobody,
Again, the singer repeats their general lack of trust in others.


Not even myself.
The singer is so paranoid that they don't even trust their own judgment or actions.


Well, I don′t trust you and I don't trust nobody else.
The chorus is repeated to drive home the singer's lack of faith in anyone.


I′ve been at school many times a fool.
The artist admits to making mistakes in the past, perhaps indicating that they have been burned by trusting the wrong people.


Tryin' to be cool, I was always used.
The artist tried to fit in with others and be well-liked, but it ended up backfiring and causing them to feel like they were taken advantage of.


I don't trust nothin′ not even myself.
Again, the singer emphasizes their distrust, even of things or people they thought they knew.


I don′t trust you and nobody else.
The singer is all alone in their mistrust of the world.


I don't trust the woman, don′t trust the man.
The artist refuses to trust people of any gender.


I don't trust the enemy, neither the plan.
The artist doesn't trust their enemies or even their own plans.


I don′t trust man and I don't trust you.
The artist once again refuses to trust mankind as a whole, emphasizing their disconnect from others.


I don′t trust even none of you.
The singer specifies that they don't trust any individual in their audience or listening to the song.


Now I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.
The artist's distrust remains constant, and they emphasize that it will not change.


I don′t trust nobody.
The singer reiterates yet again that they do not trust anyone.


I don't trust nobody.
The same message is repeated once more for emphasis.


I don′t trust nobody, not even myself.
The singer emphasizes their lack of trust in themselves and others one final time.


Well, I don't trust you and I don′t trust nobody else.
The chorus is repeated one last time, fully emphasizing the artist's deep-seated mistrust of the world around them.




Writer(s): Willie Dixon, Eddie Shaw

Contributed by Savannah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found