Raitt began playing guitar at an early age, something not a lot of her high school girlfriends did. "I had played a little at school and at camp," she later recalled in a July 2002 interview. "My parents would drag me out to perform for my family, like all parents do, but it was a hobby—nothing more...I think people must wonder how a white girl like me became a blues guitarist. The truth is, I never intended to do this for a living. I grew up...in a Quaker family, and for me being Quaker was a political calling rather than a religious one."
In 1967 Raitt continued her pursuit in that path when she entered Harvard's Radcliffe College as a freshman, majoring in African Studies. "My plan was to travel to Tanzania, where President Julius Nyerere was creating a government based on democracy and socialism," Raitt recalled. "I wanted to help undo the damage that Western colonialism had done to native cultures around the world. Cambridge was a hotbed of this kind of thinking, and I was thrilled."
One day, Raitt was notified by a friend that blues promoter Dick Waterman was giving an interview at WHRB, Harvard's college radio station. An important figure in the blues revival of the 1960s, Waterman was also a resident of Cambridge. Raitt went to see Waterman, and the two soon became friends, "much to the chagrin of my parents, who didn't expect their freshman daughter to be running around with 65-year-old bluesmen," recalled Raitt. "I was amazed by his passion for the music and the integrity with which he managed the musicians."
During Raitt's sophomore year, Waterman relocated to Philadelphia, and a number of local musicians he counted among his friends went with him. Raitt had become a strong part of that community, recalling that "these people had become my friends, my mentors, and though I had every intention of graduating, I decided to take the semester off and move to Philadelphia...It was an opportunity that young white girls just don't get, and as it turns out, an opportunity that changed everything."
Raitt eventually went back to school, but her time performing in Philadelphia had encouraged her to pursue music as a career. When Waterman contacted her and invited her to tour with The Rolling Stones, she made a second trip to the admissions office at Radcliffe and told them, "I'm going to take a leave of absence, but this is only going to last a year." As Raitt would later recall, "Imagine being 20 in 1970—wouldn't you have gone on tour with the Rolling Stones?"
By now, Raitt was also playing both folk as well as rhythm and blues clubs in the Boston area, performing alongside established blues legends like Howlin' Wolf, Sippie Wallace, and Mississippi Fred McDowell, all of whom she met through Waterman. In the fall of 1970, while opening for Fred McDowell at the Gaslight Cafe in New York, a reporter from Newsweek Magazine saw her and began to spread word of her performance. Scouts from major record companies were soon attending her shows to watch her play. She eventually accepted an offer with Warner Bros. who soon released her eponymously titled debut in 1971. The album was warmly received by the music press, many of which praised her skills as an interpreter and as a bottleneck guitarist; at the time, very few women in popular music had strong reputations as guitarists.
While admired by those who saw her perform, and respected by her peers, Raitt gained little public acclaim for her work. Her critical stature continued to grow but record sales remained modest. Her second album, Give It Up, was released in 1972 to universal acclaim, and though many critics still regard it as her best work, it did not change her commercial fortunes. 1973's Takin' My Time was also met with critical acclaim, but these notices were not matched by the sales.
Raitt was beginning to receive greater press coverage, including a 1975 cover story for Rolling Stone Magazine, but with 1974's Streetlights, reviews for her work were becoming increasingly mixed. By now, Raitt was already experimenting with different producers and different styles, and she began to adopt a more mainstream sound that continued through 1975's Home Plate.
In 1976, Raitt made a notable appearance on Warren Zevon's self-titled album with Warren Zevon's friend Jackson Browne and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
1977's Sweet Forgiveness gave Raitt her first commercial breakthrough when it yielded a hit single in her cover of Del Shannon's "Runaway." Recast as a heavy r&b recording based on a rhythmic groove inspired by Al Green, Raitt's version of "Runaway" was disparaged by many critics, but its commercial success prompted a bidding war between Warner Bros. and Columbia Records. "There was this big Columbia – Warner war going on at the time," recalled Raitt in a 1990 interview. "James Taylor had just left Warner Bros. and made a big album for Columbia...And then, Warners signed Paul Simon away from Columbia, and they didn't want me to have a hit record for Columbia — no matter what! So, I renegotiated my contract, and they basically matched Columbia's offer. Frankly the deal was a really big deal."
Warner Bros. held higher expectations for Raitt's next album, 1979's The Glow, but it was released to poor reviews as well as modest sales. Raitt would have one commercial success in 1979 when she helped organize the five MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) concerts at Madison Square Garden. The shows spawned a three-record gold album as well as a Warner Bros. feature film, No Nukes. The shows featured co-founders Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, John Hall, and Raitt as well as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Doobie Brothers, James Taylor, Gil Scott-Heron, and numerous others.
For her next record, 1982's Green Light, Raitt made a conscious attempt to revisit the sound of her earlier records, but to her surprise, many of her peers and members of the press would compare her new sound to the burgeoning New Wave movement. The album received her strongest reviews in years, but her sales did not improve and this would have a severe impact on her relationship with Warner Bros.
In 1983, as Raitt was finishing work on her follow-up album, titled Tongue & Groove, Warner Bros. cleaned house, dropping a number of major artists from their roster. Van Morrison and Arlo Guthrie were two of the most high-profile cases, and the day after mastering was completed on Tongue & Groove, Raitt was notified that she was to be dropped too. The album was shelved indefinitely, and Raitt was left without a label. By now, Raitt was also struggling with alcohol and drug abuse.
Despite her personal and professional problems, Raitt continued to tour and participate in political activism. In 1985, she sang and appeared in the video of "Sun City," the anti-apartheid record written a produced by Steven Van Zandt. Along with her participation in Farm Aid and Amnesty International concerts, Raitt would later travel to Moscow in 1987 as part of the first joint Soviet/American Peace Concert later shown on Showtime television. Also in 1987, Raitt would organize a benefit in Los Angeles, for Countdown '87 to Stop Contra Aid, featuring herself, Don Henley, Herbie Hancock, Holly Near and others.
Two years after dropping her from their label, Warner Bros. notified Raitt of their plans to release Tongue & Groove. "I said it wasn't really fair," recalled Raitt. "I think at this point they felt kind of bad. I mean, I was out there touring on my savings to keep my name up, and my ablility to draw was less and less. So they agreed to let me go in and recut half of it, and that's when it came out as Nine Lives." A critical and commercial disappointment, 1986's Nine Lives would be Raitt's last new recording for Warner Bros.
In late 1987 she joined k.d. lang and Jennifer Warnes as female background vocals for Roy Orbison's television special, Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night. By now, Raitt was clean and sober, having broken her substance abuse — for which she would credit Stevie Ray Vaughan in a Minnesota State Fair concert[1] the night after Vaughan's 1990 death. Following this highly acclaimed broadcast, she began working on new material. During this time, Raitt considered signing with Prince's own label, Paisley Park, but negotiations would ultimately fall through. Instead she began recording a bluesy mix of pop and rock under the production guidance of Don Was at Capitol Records.
Raitt had met Was through Hal Wilner, who was putting together Stay Awake, a tribute album to Disney music for A&M. Was and Wilner both wanted Raitt to sing lead on an adult-contemporary arrangement created by Was for "Baby Mine," the lullaby from Dumbo. Raitt was very pleased with the sessions, and she asked Don to produce her next album.
After more than twenty years of singing and recording popular music, Bonnie Raitt achieved immense success with her 10th album. Released in 1989, Nick of Time went to the top of the U.S. charts and won three Grammy Awards. At the same time, she walked away with a fourth Grammy Award for her duet "In the Mood" with John Lee Hooker on his album "The Healer".
She followed up this success with three more Grammy Awards for her 1991 album, Luck of the Draw, then, in 1994 she added two more Grammy's with her album Longing in Their Hearts. Both of these albums were multiplatinum successes. Raitt's collaboration with Was would amicably come to an end with 1995's live release, Road Tested. Released to solid reviews, it sold well enough to be certified gold.
For her next studio album, Raitt hired Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake as her producers. "I loved working with Don Was but I wanted to give myself and my fans a stretch and do something different," Raitt said. Her work with Froom and Blake was released on Fundamental in 1998.
In March of 2000, Raitt was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Silver Lining was released in 2002 while Souls Alike was released in September of 2005.
Right Down the Line
Bonnie Raitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got that hold over me
As long as I've got your love
You know I'll never leave
I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you, oh baby
Right down the line
I know how much I lean on you
And only you can see
The changes I've been going through
Have left a mark on me
You've been as constant as a northern star
The brightest light that shines
And it's been you oh baby right down the line
I just wanna say this is my way
Of tellin' you everything
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of tellin' you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
'Cause you believed in me through my darkest night
Put somethin' inside of me
You brought me into the light
Threw away all those crazy dreams
I put them all behind
And it was you, oh baby
Right down the line
I just wanna say this is my way of tellin' you everything
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of tellin' you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
If I should doubt myself, if I'm losing ground
I won't turn to someone else
They'd only let me down
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you, oh baby
Right down the line
It's been you, oh baby
Right down the line
It's been you, it's been you
Right down the light oh
In this song, Bonnie Raitt is expressing her love and gratitude for a person who has been a constant source of support and strength for her. She emphasizes how much she needs this person's love and how they have a hold over her, but in a positive way, as she never wants to leave. Raitt then acknowledges the changes in her life that this person has helped her through and compares their influence to that of a constant, guiding star. The chorus repeats the sentiment that it's been this person, "right down the line," who has been her rock and source of pure love and devotion.
In the second verse, Raitt further emphasizes how much this person has helped her through the tough times, saying that only they can truly see the changes she's gone through. She compares the person to a guiding star again, calling them the brightest light that shines. Raitt then goes on to say that this song is her way of expressing everything she's felt but never said before, as well as a way of telling the person how much she loves them now and every day.
Line by Line Meaning
You know that I need your love
I am dependent on your love
You've got that hold over me
You have an emotional control over me
As long as I've got your love
I will not leave you as you are the source of my happiness
You know I'll never leave
I will always be with you
I wanted you to share my life
I desired your presence in my life
I had no doubt in my mind
I was completely sure of my feelings for you
And it's been you, oh baby
You have been the constant in my life
Right down the line
Throughout the journey of our relationship
I know how much I lean on you
I realize that I depend on you
And only you can see
You are the only one who fully understands me
The changes I've been going through
The alterations I have made in my life
Have left a mark on me
Have had a significant impact on me
You've been as constant as a northern star
You have been a steady presence in my life, like the North Star
The brightest light that shines
The most radiant aspect of my life
I just wanna say this is my way
This song is my means of expressing my feelings
Of tellin' you everything
Of conveying all that I feel
I could never say before
That I could not express previously
Yeah this is my way of tellin' you
That this song is my means of expressing my appreciation for you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
My affection for you grows every day
'Cause you believed in me through my darkest night
You supported me through my most trying times
Put somethin' inside of me
You instilled confidence in me
You brought me into the light
You helped me overcome my struggles and find joy again
Threw away all those crazy dreams
I abandoned unrealistic expectations
I put them all behind
I let go of the past
And it was you, oh baby
You were the source of my newfound happiness
If I should doubt myself, if I'm losing ground
If I ever feel unsure or unstable
I won't turn to someone else
I will not seek support elsewhere
They'd only let me down
Others would only disappoint me in comparison to you
It's been you, oh baby
You are my rock
Right down the line
Throughout the entirety of our relationship
It's been you, it's been you
It has always been you
Right down the light
Throughout the brightest and darkest points of our journey together
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Gerald Rafferty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Enrique Aldanondo
"Desde el principio"
Sabes que necesito tu amor,
tienes ese control sobre mí
Tanto que siga teniendo tu amor,
sabes que nunca me iré
Cuando quería que compartieras mi vida,
no tenía ninguna duda en mi mente
Y has sido tu, mujer, desde el principio.
Sé cuánto me apoyo en ti,
sólo tú me puedes ver
Todos los cambios que he echo
haciendo una marca ante mi
Has sido tan constante como una estrella del norte,
la luz más brillante que brilla
Has sido tu, mujer, desde el principio.
Solo quiero decir que este es mi camino
Decirte todo que no pude decirte antes
Sí, este es mi camino.
Decirte que cada día ...
te estoy amando mucho más
Porque creísteis en mí
a través de mi noche más oscura
Has puesto algo mejor dentro de mi,
me trajisteis ante la luz
Tiré todos esos sueños locos,
los puse a todos atrás
Y has sido tu, mujer, desde el principio.
Solo quiero decir que este es mi camino
Decirte todo que no pude decirte antes
Sí, este es mi camino.
Decirte que cada día ...
te estoy amando mucho más
Si tengo que dudar de mi mismo,
si estoy perdiendo terreno
No iré detrás de otra persona,
solamente me decepcionarían
Cuando quería que compartieras mi vida,
no tenía ninguna duda en mi mente
Y has sido tu, mujer, desde el principio.
Sing Your Style Studio
You know I need your love
You've got that hold over me
Long as I've got your love
You know that I'll never leave
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you woman
Right down the line
I know how much I lean on you
Only you can see
The changes that I've been through
Have left a mark on me
You've been as constant as a Northern Star
The brightest light that shines
It's been you woman right down the line
I just wanna say this is my way
Of tellin' you everything
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of tellin' you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
'Cause you believed in me through my darkest night
Put somethin' better inside of me
You brought me into the light
Threw away all those crazy dreams
I put them all behind
And it was you woman
Right down the line
I just wanna say this is my way of tellin' you everything
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of tellin' you
Everything I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of tellin' you
That every day I'm lovin' you so much more
If I should doubt myself, if I'm losing ground
I won't turn to someone else
They'd only let me down
When I wanted you to share my life
I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you woman
Right down the line
Karen Shoop
Personally, I think that they are both great versions. Bonnie always chooses her covers with great care and it always shows. Love the diversity of couples in this video!
Mitch
Absolutely love this and can't stop listening to it. I can't believe it's taken me this long to appreciate this woman's talent, but now I'm going back through her whole catalog. She is one of a kind. And still bringin' it at 62 with just as much passion and emotion as ever.
itsALLartVideos
Way to put some new life in a great old song! Thank you Bonnie! You are a true artist.
Tina Marie F
Thank you Bonnie Rait for 35 year and more of great real music!!! Started listening to Bonnie when I was 16, saw her about 20 times, sang back up for her at Avery Fischer Music hall in NYC, best night of my life - she is one of a kind. Just read that Dave Grohl is a big fan - so happy for her new album's success. I love this woman and her wonderful talent.
Teresa Burlew
I always loved, loved, loved Gerry Rafferty's version of this song but I must say that Bonnie has done this song proud!!!
MakAttack Music
I have listened to this back in my childhood and never thought it should be redone. Guess what....This has exceeded all expectations! WOW! So freakin' good. Bucket list...to be able to jam with a sista since moving here to Florida. That's all!
Claudia Goldberg
Gorgeous song---Gerry is amazing---but I LOVE Bonnie's version! First timing hearing this---just great.
goldy girl
She's great but nobody compares to the genius that was Gerry Rafferty...in my opinion 💥
PageTurning Priestess
This is one of my favorite Greg Rafferty songs and I had no clue Bonnie Raitt did a cover of it. WOW sing it Bonnie! You made my day :)
Tom Ober
@Jennifer 'Sunshine' Villalobos agreed!