Biography:
Lister started playing guitar at 8 and played his first concert in a bar band at the age of 13. He had learned guitar by playing along to his father's old 45s of Freddie King, John Mayall and Eric Clapton. By the time he was 18, having already been in several bands, he formed his own, which recorded two albums Messin' With The Kid (1996) and Pay Attention! (1997). Three numbers written by Lister, on the second album, attracted the attention of Ruf Records' owner Thomas Ruf. In 1998 they signed a record deal and Lister recorded his first major album, Aynsley Lister, produced by Jim Gaines. The tracks were primarily Lister compositions, and the album featured a guest appearance by Walter Trout. The album led to him touring Europe and working with some of the top current blues players.
While Lister's music is blues based, his own material incorporates contemporary influences with harder rhythms and guitar work, reminiscent of early Eric Clapton. Lister was the only British artist to be featured in Classic Rock's 2007 "Top 10 Contemporary Blues Artists"; alongside The White Stripes, The Black Keys, John Mayer, Jon Spencer, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamassa, Derek Trucks and the North Mississippi Allstars.
After his first album Lister began opening for artists such as Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, John Mayall and contemporaries such as Bryan Adams and Fun Lovin Criminals. Having become better known, he now headlines major festivals in Europe. He has twice played the Heitere Open Air in Switzerland to 12,000 people and in 2006 he played the main stage at The Bayfront Blues Festival, MN. Later that year he was invited to sit in with Delbert McClinton at The Pinedale Blues Festival in Wyoming, where Delbert kept Lister on stage for the whole second half of his show. In May 2009, Lister played to over 16,000 people whilst opening for the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd on the UK dates of their God and Guns tour, performed a headline slot at Glastonbury in 2010 and during the same year, shared the stage with ZZ Top at the Skånevik Bluesfestival in Norway.
Lister has also recorded with Jesse Davey from the English blues band The Hoax on Everything I Need (2000) and All Or Nothing (2002) both produced by Greg Haver (Manic Street Preachers, Catatonia). Everything I Need was his debut US release in 2006, in preparation for a US tour, and received critical acclaim. Lister's fourth studio album, and his first to only contain original material, was 2007's Upside Down which Lister produced himself.
In June 2008 Lister changed to ARM Management and signed to Manhaton Records in August 2008, releasing Equilibrium in March 2009. Equilibrium was produced by Steve Darrel Smith and features Robbie McIntosh, Paul Beavis and Simon Johnson. Following "Equilibrium", he and his band relocated to the Tower Arts Centre and with the tape rolling, nailed a cracking rendition of their high-octane live set to produce the storming 'Tower Sessions' record, which was released on Manhaton Records in 2010 and consequently voted 'Best Live Album' in the 2011 Blues Matters Writers Poll.
For the tenth album of his career to date, "Home" (2013), Aynsley has flown the nest of being under contract with anyone but himself. "Home" is the debut release for his own label "Straight Talkin' Records," set up in partnership with his fiancée and manager, Stephanie Wildey in the same year.
Purple Rain
Aynsley Lister Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted one time to see you laughing
I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I only wanted to be some kind of friend (yeah)
Baby, I could never steal you from another
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you underneath the purple rain
Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out for something new
That means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you into the purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
Purple rain, purple rain
If you know what I'm singing about up here
C'mon raise your hand
Purple rain, purple rain
I only want to see you
Only want to see you in the purple rain
The lyrics to Aynsley Lister's song, "Purple Rain," are about a past relationship that ended in sadness and regret. The singer acknowledges that he never intended to hurt or cause any pain to his former lover. Rather, he wanted to see her happy and laughing, just as she did when they were together. The chorus, which repeats the words "purple rain," symbolizes the tears shed over the loss of the relationship. The singer longs to see his former lover bathed in the purple rain, which represents the sadness and regret that has come between them.
The second verse is a continuation of the singer's reflection on the relationship. He admits that he never wanted to be a "weekend lover" and only hoped to be a friend, yet their friendship had to end. Despite this, he still longs to see her underneath the purple rain, indicating his desire to reconcile with her. The final verse is a call to action, urging himself and his former lover to move on from the past and seek new beginnings. He offers to guide her into the purple rain as a symbol of the emotional release that comes with letting go of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
I never meant to cause you any sorrow
It was never my intention to make you feel unhappy
I never meant to cause you any pain
I never intended to hurt you
I only wanted one time to see you laughing
I just wanted to see you happy, even if it was just once
I only want to see you laughing in the purple rain
Seeing you happy in the midst of purple-colored rain is all I desire
Purple rain, purple rain
Repeatedly mentioning the purple rain, creating emphasis and calling attention to it
I only want to see you bathing in the purple rain
Seeing you completely enveloped in the purple rain is all I desire
I never wanted to be your weekend lover
I didn't want a casual or temporary relationship with you
I only wanted to be some kind of friend (yeah)
All I ever wanted was a genuine friendship with you
Baby, I could never steal you from another
I would never try to take you away from someone else
It's such a shame our friendship had to end
It's regrettable that our friendship had to come to an end
Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing
I understand that things are constantly evolving and transforming
It's time we all reach out for something new
It's time for everyone to embrace something different and innovative
That means you too
This applies to you as well
You say you want a leader
You claim that you desire a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
You appear indecisive and uncertain
I think you better close it
I suggest that you stop being so hesitant and hesitant
And let me guide you into the purple rain
Allow me to lead you into a state of pure bliss, symbolized by the purple rain
If you know what I'm singing about up here
If you understand what I am referring to metaphorically
C'mon raise your hand
Show me that you comprehend by raising your hand
I only want to see you
I simply want to see you
Only want to see you in the purple rain
You are only truly happy when immersed in the purple rain, and that is what I want to see
Contributed by Asher G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.