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.
Get Out Of My Life Woman
Albert King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said, "Get out of my life woman, you don't no love me no more
Get out of my life woman, you don't no love me no more"
Get out my eyes teardrops, I got to see my way around
Won't you get out my eyes teardrops, I got to see my way around
Get out my life heartaches, nothing but heartaches by the pound
I said, "Get off my ladder woman, I got to climb up to the top
Get off my ladder woman, ladder's nothing to make you stop"
Get out the way woman, I got to be movin' on
I said, "Get out the way woman, I got to be movin' on
Get out the way woman, I got to be movin' on"
In this song, Albert King is expressing his frustration with a woman who has stopped loving him. He demands that she get out of his life and stop causing him pain. He wants to be able to see clearly and move on from the heartache and tears she has caused him. He tells her to get off of his ladder because he needs to climb higher and achieve success without her weighing him down. He is determined to move on from this destructive relationship and is asking her to get out of his way so he can do so.
The lyrics of this song were written by Allen Toussaint and originally recorded by Lee Dorsey in 1966. Albert King's version was released in 1968 and became a hit for him. The song has since been covered by many other artists, including Willie Nelson and The Neville Brothers.
Line by Line Meaning
Get out of my life woman, you don't no love me no more
I want you to leave my life because you no longer love me.
Get out my eyes teardrops, I got to see my way around
Stop making me cry, I need to see things clearly.
Won't you get out my eyes teardrops, I got to see my way around
Please stop making me cry, I need to navigate my life.
Get out my life heartaches, nothing but heartaches by the pound
I need to get rid of the pain you have caused, it's unbearable.
Get off my ladder woman, I got to climb up to the top
You are hindering my progress, please step aside.
I said, "Get off my ladder woman, I got to climb up to the top
I am serious, I need to reach my goals and you are in the way.
Get off my ladder woman, ladder's nothing to make you stop"
A ladder should not stop anyone from reaching their goals, move out of the way.
Get out the way woman, I got to be movin' on
I need to continue my journey, please don't block my path.
I said, "Get out the way woman, I got to be movin' on
I am adamant that you step aside, I have to keep moving forward.
Get out the way woman, I got to be movin' on"
It's important that you move out of my way so that I can proceed with my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Allen Toussaint
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rubendez Guitar Tips
Played and sang this one since I was 18. Wonderful.
james mccarthy
Albert King rocks!!
Craig McCauley
Cool blues!
Леонид Зверев
гуд, пианино заходит
g jazzy
Loose, Funky, and Swingy. I don't want this beat get out of my life.
Francois Froge
♫♫♫
michavandam
Another version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxp0Kfgpft8
Keith Richards
You're supposed to put a comment under the video ?? :/
michavandam
No, not you. Just play your riffs, that's all we need from you.