"Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call? Well, you ain't so big, you're just tall, that's all."
Jimmy Reed (1925-1976) was an American Blues singer, harmonica player, and guitarist. With his laid-back simple, easily recognizable style, Reed had a huge influence on blues and early Rock music. Notable for a 1950s bluesman, many of Reeds songs actually made it to the Pop charts.
Reed and his music contain examples of:
- Dogged Nice Guy: He has quite a few songs where he plays the role.
- Intercourse with You: "Baby, What You Want Me to Do".
- Lighter and Softer: When compared to the harsh, daring sounds of his Chicago contemporaries Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. His style has even been called "singalong Blues". He also strictly averts the Scary Black Man and Angry Black Man Stereotypes — instead being very much a Nice Guy, albeit also a Mr. Vice Guy. Furthermore, while the aforementioned two bluesmen were known their liberal usage of the word "motherfucker" — and, in general, swearing like sailors — Jimmy Reed was known to rarely ever swear.
- Mean Boss:"Big Boss Man" might as well be the trope namer!You got me workin´ boss man,
Working ´round the clock,
I want a little drink of water,
But you won't let Jimmy stop! - Song of Song Titles: He has "Honey, Don't Let Me Go", where he tries to convince the woman that he loves not to leave him by referencing other songs of his — including "High and Lonesome", "Roll and Rhumba", "Boogie in the Dark", "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", and "Rockin' with Reed".
- Stalker with a Crush: "Knocking on Your Door" veers towards this, while still establishing him as a Dogged Nice Guy.
- Strictly Formula: And how! Roughly 90% of his songs are twelve-bar blues songs in no other keys than E or A and either a shuffle or "2/4" rhythm. "Honest I Do" and, to a lesser extent, "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" are the only notable exceptions.
- Welcome to the Big City: "Bright Lights, Big City" laments this;Bright Lights, Big City,
Gone to my baby's head (x2)
And I try to tell that woman
But she don't believe a word I say
