One of the "Three Kings of the Blues Guitar" (along with B.B. King and Freddie King), Albert King stood 6' 4", weighed 250 lbs and was known as "The Velvet Bulldozer". He was born Albert Nelson on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi. During his childhood he would sing at a family gospel group at a church. One of 13 children, King grew up picking cotton on plantations near Forrest City, Arkansas where the family moved when he was eight years old. He began his professional work as a musician with a group called In The Groove Boys in Osceola, Arkansas. He had also briefly played drums for Jimmy Reed's band and on several early Reed recordings. Influenced by blues musicians Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson, but also interestingly Hawaiian music, the electric guitar became his signature instrument, his preference being the Gibson Flying V, which he named "Lucy".
King was a left-handed "upside-down/backwards" guitarist. He was left-handed, but usually played right-handed guitars flipped over upside-down so the low E string was on the bottom. In later years he played a custom-made guitar that was basically left-handed, but had the strings reversed (as he was used to playing). He also used very unorthodox tunings (i.e., tuning as low as C to allow him to make sweeping string bends). Some believe that he was using open E minor tuning (C-B-E-G-B-E) or open F tuning (C-F-C-F-A-D). A "less is more" type blues player, he was known for his expressive "bending" of notes, a technique characteristic of blues guitarists.
He recorded his first record in 1953 for Parrot Records in Chicago, but it had no impact. His first minor hit came in 1959 with Lonely Man written by Bobbin Records A&R man and fellow guitar hero Little Milton, responsible for King's signing with the label. However, it was not until his 1961 release Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong that he had a major hit, reaching number fourteen on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart. In 1966 he signed with the Stax record label. Produced by Al Jackson, Jr., King with Booker T. & the MG's recorded dozens of influential sides, such as Crosscut Saw and As The Years Go Passing By, and in 1967 Stax released the album, Born Under a Bad Sign. The title track of that album (written by Booker T. Jones and William Bell) became King's best known songs and has been covered by many other artists.
Another landmark album followed in Live Wire/Blues Power from one of many dates King played at promoter Bill Graham's Fillmore venues. It had a wide and long-term influence on Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Robbie Robertson, and later Gary Moore and Stevie Ray Vaughan (Criminal World, on David Bowie's 1983 release Let's Dance, features a guitar solo copied note-for-note from his hero Albert King by young session musician Stevie Ray Vaughan).
In the 1970s, King was teamed with members of The Bar-Kays and The Movement (Isaac Hayes's backing group), including bassist James Alexander and drummer Willie Hall adding strong funk elements to his music. Adding strings and multiple rhythm guitarists, producers Allen Jones and Henry Bush created a wall of sound that contrasted the sparse, punchy records King made with Booker T. & the MG's. Among these was another of King's signature tunes with I'll Play the Blues For You in 1972.
Recorded in December 1983, In Session captures an in-concert jam between Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan
As he hit his mid-sixties King began to muse about retirement, not unreasonable given that he had health problems. Nevertheless, when near to death, he was planning yet another overseas tour.
King died on December 21, 1992 from a heart attack in Memphis, Tennessee.
Blue Suede Shoes
Albert King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Three to get ready, now go, cat, go
But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off
Of my blue suede shoes
Well, you can knock me down, step in my face,
Slander my name all over the place
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off
Of my blue suede shoes
You can burn my house, steal my car,
Drink my liquor from an old fruitjar
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off
Of my blue suede shoes
The lyrics to Albert King's song Blue Suede Shoes are a warning to all those who might cross the path of the man with the blue suede shoes. The first stanza shows his determination to put on a great show, with the classic 3-2-1 countdown to start a performance. He owns an iconic pair of blue suede shoes, and he makes it clear that he won't tolerate anyone stepping on them. The second stanza takes a more aggressive turn, as King warns anyone who would dare insult him and his name or reputation. He reminds them that they can do anything they want except for messing with his shoes. The third stanza takes it even further, as he warns people not to burn his house or steal his car, and cautions them to stay away from his shoes once again. He delivers this warning in a sly, tongue-in-cheek way, which is one of the hallmarks of the blues genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's one for the money, two for the show,
The performance is about to begin, and the first act will earn the performer some money, and the second act will display the performer's more magnificent moves.
Three to get ready, now go, cat, go
The performer is now expected to execute the routine flawlessly, gracefully, and with intensity.
But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
The performer's blue suede shoes are very valuable to them and must be avoided at all costs.
You can do anything but lay off
Don't get too close or mess with.
Of my blue suede shoes
The performer's prized blue suede shoes are off-limits.
Well, you can knock me down, step in my face,
You have the power to strike me down physically and emotionally and hurt my feelings.
Slander my name all over the place
You have the power to spread false things about me and defame me.
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
You have a free hand to act however you want, but there is a line you can't cross.
Honey, lay off of my shoes
The performer's blue suede shoes are off-limits, and they must not be damaged in any way.
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
The performer's prized blue suede shoes are off-limits and must be respected.
You can do anything but lay off
You have the freedom to do certain things, but the performer's blue suede shoes are a no-go area.
Of my blue suede shoes
The performer's blue suede shoes are prized possessions and can't be tampered with in any way.
You can burn my house, steal my car,
Now you have the power to steal my valuables and property entirely, eliminate me from my environment, and switch my lifestyle up entirely.
Drink my liquor from an old fruitjar
You can do anything you want with the performer's possessions, but there is one thing you can't lay your hands on.
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,
There is an exception to the freedom you've been guaranteed.
Honey, lay off of my shoes
The performer is urging caution around their blue suede shoes.
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
The performer's blue suede shoes must not be touched or stepped on.
You can do anything but lay off
The performer's blue suede shoes are your only limitation.
Of my blue suede shoes
The performer has stressed the importance of their blue suede shoes as prized possessions.
Contributed by Bentley V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.