Better Not Look Down
B.B. King · Icon [2011]
I've been around and I've seen some things
People moving faster than the speed of sound
Faster than the speeding bullet people living like Superman
All day and all night and I won't say if it's wrong or if it's right
I'm pretty fast myself but I do have some advice to pass along
Right here in the words of this song
You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
You better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down
An old girl friend of mine showed up the other day
That girl had lived in love and for love
And over love, and under love all her life
If the arrows from cupids bow that had
Passed through her heart had been sticking
Out of her body she would have looked like
A porcupine, and she asked me
"B.B. do you think I've lived my life all wrong?"
And I said, "The only advice I have to pass
Along is concealed in the chorus of this song"
Girl, better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
Better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down
I was walking down the street at sunrise one morning
In London, England
And there was a very large Rolls Royce Limousine
Pulling slowly along the street
And in that Rolls Royce was the Queen of England
Looking tired, just got back from a party
And the Queen leaned out and she said, "Aren't you B.B. King?"
She said, "Oh B.B., sometimes it's so hard to pull things together
Could you tell me what you think I ought to do?" And I said
"You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
Better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down"
You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
You better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down
You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
People moving faster than the speed of sound
Faster than the speeding bullet people living like Superman
All day and all night and I won't say if it's wrong or if it's right
I'm pretty fast myself but I do have some advice to pass along
Right here in the words of this song
You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
You better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down
An old girl friend of mine showed up the other day
That girl had lived in love and for love
And over love, and under love all her life
If the arrows from cupids bow that had
Passed through her heart had been sticking
Out of her body she would have looked like
A porcupine, and she asked me
"B.B. do you think I've lived my life all wrong?"
And I said, "The only advice I have to pass
Along is concealed in the chorus of this song"
Girl, better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
Better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down
I was walking down the street at sunrise one morning
In London, England
And there was a very large Rolls Royce Limousine
Pulling slowly along the street
And in that Rolls Royce was the Queen of England
Looking tired, just got back from a party
And the Queen leaned out and she said, "Aren't you B.B. King?"
She said, "Oh B.B., sometimes it's so hard to pull things together
Could you tell me what you think I ought to do?" And I said
"You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
Better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down"
You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
You better not look back or you might just wind up crying
You can keep it moving if you don't look down
You better not look down if you want to keep on flying
Put the hammer down keep it full speed ahead
Better Not Look Down
B.B. King's 'Better Not Look Down' stands as a quintessential example of his masterful slide guitar work and soulful vocal delivery. Recorded for the 2011 compilation 'Icon,' this track captures the essence of his blues legacy, blending traditional Chicago blues structures with his signature emotional intensity. The song showcases King's ability to weave complex melodic lines over a driving rhythm, a hallmark of his discography that defined the genre for decades. As a staple of his live performances and studio recordings, the track exemplifies the raw power and lyrical depth that made him a towering figure in American music history.

