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 Place Wrong Time
Bonnie Raitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line
I been in the right trip but I must have used the wrong car
My head was in a bad place and I'm wondering what it's good for
I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time
My head was in a bad place but I'm having such a good time
I been running trying to get hung up in my mind
Just need a little brain salad surgery
Got to cure my insecurity
I been in the wrong place but it must have been the right time
I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong song
I been in the right vein but it seems like the wrong arm
I been in the right world but it seems wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong
Slipping dodging sneaking creeping hiding out down the street
See me life shaking with every ho' I meet
Refried confusion is making itself clear
Wonder which way do I go to get on out of here
I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time
I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line
I'd have took the right road but I must have took a wrong turn
Would've made the right move but I made it at the wrong time
I been on the right road but I must have used the wrong car
My head was in a good place and I wonder what it's bad for
Bonnie Raitt’s “Right Place Wrong Time” is a song about being conflicted, lost, and confused. It is as though the singer knows exactly what she wants but she can’t seem to get it right. The song starts with the line “I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time,” which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is looking back on her life and she realizes that she has been in the right place at the wrong time. She knows that her choices have led her to where she is, but she can’t help but wonder what would have happened if she had taken a different path.
Throughout the song, Bonnie Raitt references the idea of using the wrong line, the wrong car, the wrong song, and the wrong turn. These are all symbolic of the singer’s life choices. She has taken the wrong path and now she is struggling to find her way back. The line “refried confusion is making itself clear” is particularly poignant because it shows that the singer is finally realizing that she is lost, but she doesn’t know how to fix it.
In the end, the song is about the struggle to find oneself. The singer knows that she has the potential to be happy and fulfilled, but she can’t seem to get it right. She is on the right road, but she is using the wrong car. She is in the right place, but it is the wrong time. Bonnie Raitt’s “Right Place Wrong Time” is a universal song that speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost or confused in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time
I have been where I needed to be in life, but it felt like the timing was off.
I'd have said the right thing but I must have used the wrong line
I had the right words in my head, but when I spoke, they weren't what was needed.
I been in the right trip but I must have used the wrong car
I took the right path in life, but I was using the wrong tools for the journey.
My head was in a bad place and I'm wondering what it's good for
I was feeling lost and unsure about what my mind was capable of doing for me.
I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong time
Again, it felt like I was in the right spot but at the wrong time.
My head was in a bad place but I'm having such a good time
Despite my negative thoughts, I'm enjoying myself.
I been running trying to get hung up in my mind
I have been trying to keep myself busy to avoid facing my thoughts and emotions.
Got to give myself a good talking-to this time
I need to have a serious conversation with myself and reflect on where I'm at in life.
Just need a little brain salad surgery
I need help to sort out my thoughts and feelings about my life.
Got to cure my insecurity
I need to work on feeling more confident about myself and my choices.
I been in the wrong place but it must have been the right time
Sometimes, despite feeling like I'm in the wrong place, the timing can be perfect for me to learn and grow from it.
I been in the right place but it must have been the wrong song
I've been in the right situation, but maybe not with the right people or environment for my needs.
I been in the right vein but it seems like the wrong arm
I was doing the right thing, but not in the right way or with the right attitude.
I been in the right world but it seems wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong
Despite being in the right situation or place, everything feels wrong and off-track in my life.
Slipping dodging sneaking creeping hiding out down the street
I am avoiding facing my issues and problems in life by escaping or hiding from them.
See me life shaking with every ho' I meet
My life is unstable and uncertain, and my interactions with others reflect that.
Refried confusion is making itself clear
My confusion and uncertainty is becoming more apparent and affecting my life more deeply.
Wonder which way do I go to get on out of here
I am at a crossroads and don't know which path to take to improve my life.
I'd have took the right road but I must have took a wrong turn
I had the right idea for my life, but ended up making a mistake or taking a detour that led me astray.
Would've made the right move but I made it at the wrong time
I made a choice that would have been right for me, but the timing was off and it didn't work out.
I been on the right road but I must have used the wrong car
I had the right idea for my life, but again, I was using the wrong tools to make it happen.
My head was in a good place and I wonder what it's bad for
My thoughts and emotions are in a positive condition, but I'm not seeing results or improvement in my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MALCOLM REBENNACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dantwomey4215
Outrageous!
@Deadheads_Dookie
Dr Jon Cleary!
@rbud57
Wonderful!!!! but with these two, how could it possibly be anything else?
@user-ef8il9bf1u
Божественно!!!
@jrm082659
What's not lto like. Love this song and this is a great performance of it.
@karenglawrence8123
Wow...Yawl did good. "I take my scarf's off to you". A blessed combination. See what can happen when we let go of our "isums" ,narrow-mindedness,and other "manmade" phobia's; we lucky human beings, have an opportunity to truly enjoy what it really means to be alive. (but hold up);;;;;;;;; '"And That Life"" in housed in a human body. Free to do what ever your mind and the circumstances around you allows you to do. Old B.B. and Bonnie looked up at the sky with their minds. Not with their eyes, because they would have only seen clouds, NOW WHEN YOU LOOK UP WITH YOUR MIND, YOU'LL SEE HIGHER and this song took me to space. Thanks B.&B.B
@MrCollieStewart
I marveled at the fact that this has been edited.
@crwdfwtx
Sporting not one but two deliciously tasty BB solos
@Raven495
I see this track on the "Air America" soundtrack. Where else can I find it?
@MyNameIsChristBringsASword
I found myself in the wrong place at the right time but's all wrong