Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters - Forty Days And Forty Nights Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Forty days and forty nights
Since my baby left this town
Sunshinin' all day long
But the rain keep comin' down
She's my life I need her so
Why she left I just don't know
Forty days and forty nights
Since I set right down and cried Keep rainin' all the time
But the river is runnin' dry
Lord help me it just ain't right
I love that girl with all-a my might
Forty days and forty nights
Since my baby broke my heart
Searchin' for her in a while
Like a blind man in the dark
Love can make a poor man rich
Or break his heart I don't know which
Forty days and forty nights
Like a ship out on the sea
Prayin' for her each night
That she would come back-a home to me

Life is love and love is right
I hope she come back home tonight

Overall Meaning

Muddy Waters's song "Forty Days and Forty Nights" is a ballad about a man whose love has left him without explanation. The lyrics are expressive, conveying the pain and despair of this love-sick man who has been waiting for his lover to return for forty days and forty nights. The man is bewildered by the absence of his lover, and he cannot find a satisfactory reason for her departure. He misses her and needs her in his life, and the rain that keeps pouring down is symbolic of his tears.

The singer's longing is evident through the lyrics, "She's my life, I need her so." He is trying to fill the void created by her absence by wishing for her return, "Prayin' for her each night, That she would come back-a home to me." He feels that love can both make a poor man rich and break his heart, and he cannot make peace with the fact that she chose to leave him. The song's narrative builds up as the singer searches for his lover, describing the emotional turmoil he is experiencing at her loss.

Line by Line Meaning

Forty days and forty nights
It's been a long time since my baby left

Since my baby left this town
My love left and my world fell apart

Sunshinin' all day long
The weather is nice, but I'm still sad

But the rain keep comin' down
My tears won't stop falling

She's my life I need her so
My love is everything to me

Why she left I just don't know
I'm confused and hurt by her departure

Since I set right down and cried
I've been so sad that I broke down and cried

Keep rainin' all the time
My life feels like a never-ending storm

But the river is runnin' dry
Even though it's been raining a lot, I'm still unable to move on

Lord help me it just ain't right
I'm struggling and need divine intervention

I love that girl with all-a my might
My love for her is all-consuming

Since my baby broke my heart
My heart is broken from her leaving

Searchin' for her in a while
I've been looking for her for some time now

Like a blind man in the dark
I'm lost and unsure how to find her

Love can make a poor man rich
The power of love can bring so much joy and happiness

Or break his heart I don't know which
But at the same time, it can bring so much pain and heartbreak

Like a ship out on the sea
I feel lost and adrift without her

Prayin' for her each night
I'm hoping and praying that she'll come back to me

That she would come back-a home to me
I want her to come back and be with me again

Life is love and love is right
Love is the most important thing in life

I hope she come back home tonight
I miss her so much and want her to return to me soon

Contributed by Kaitlyn A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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