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.
WATER
Albert King Lyrics
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My baby took my love and left me on a desert
I feel the taste of salt and I gotta have air to breathe
That girl she stole my heart and left me in misery
Somebody, somebody will give me water
Why don't you give me water, well
Somebody help me off this desert, won't you give me water
Now I've heard a many tales about a lonely grounded man
And about him all along you know I'm, I'm living a life that's not the same
Somebody, somebody will give me water
Why don't you just give me water, and I want you, tell them Albert
Just a thought of her you know it drives me all up inside
And I'm numb with pain because I only have tears to taste
The man is all messed up, won't you give me water, water
And I don't know how I can make it, I just can't make a gopher
Somebody, somebody will give me water
Why don't you just give me water and I want you
Water, water, I need some water, hey, water
Need some water, give me water Albert, hey, hey
The lyrics to Albert King's song Water describe a man who feels like he is dying and desperately needs water. The reason for this is that his lover has left him alone in the desert, and he feels like he is suffocating from the lack of air and the taste of salt in his mouth. He is in a state of misery and is begging for someone, anyone to help him. This man is not used to losing love and feels like he has been left in a life that is not the same anymore, without the one he loves.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man in a hopeless situation, who is struggling to survive in the desert alone. He is numb with pain and cannot stop thinking about his lover who has left him in this state. The song speaks to the universal human experience of heartbreak and loss, reminding us of the pain that we all have felt at some point in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a dying man won't you give me water
As a metaphor, the singer is in dire need of relief from the emotional pain he is experiencing.
My baby took my love and left me on a desert
The one the singer loved left him stranded on an emotional wasteland.
I feel the taste of salt and I gotta have air to breathe
The singer is overwhelmed by his emotions, but still needs to keep going.
That girl she stole my heart and left me in misery
The object of the singer's affection completely shattered him emotionally.
Somebody, somebody will give me water
The singer is asking for relief and support.
Why don't you give me water, well
The singer pleads with someone to go out of their way to help him.
I'm just a simple man and I'm not used to losing love
The singer is admitting that, even though he is known to be in love, he has never experienced heartbreak.
Somebody help me off this desert, won't you give me water
The singer remains stranded in his grief and needs help to find relief.
Now I've heard a many tales about a lonely grounded man
The singer is trying to find relief from his isolation and misery by relating to the plight of others.
And about him all along you know I'm, I'm living a life that's not the same
The singer has finally found that he is living a different life from that of the man he hears stories about.
Just a thought of her you know it drives me all up inside
The presence of the memory of his loved one tears the singer apart emotionally.
And I'm numb with pain because I only have tears to taste
The singer is unable to articulate his emotions anymore and is drowning in his grief.
The man is all messed up, won't you give me water, water
The singer continues to cry for help as he tries to find a way out of his situation.
And I don't know how I can make it, I just can't make a gopher
The singer is unable to navigate his way back to emotional stability.
Water, water, I need some water, hey, water
The relief and assistance the singer needs is likened to the very basic need for water in order to survive.
Need some water, give me water Albert, hey, hey
The singer requests the aid of someone, Albert, to bring him relief from his troubles.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AUGUST CINJUN TATE, CEDRIC LEMOYNE, JOE IPPOLITO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind