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.
Shake A Little
Bonnie Raitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sweet brown eyes of the one I love
I can't wait another minute baby
To do the things that we never done
Everybody gets hungry sometimes
Your love is like a kettle on
In the shadow of your father
Guess I get a little sad sometimes
Shake a little for me baby
Take me to the water when my well runs dry
Shake a little for me baby
Just a little now
Just a little now
Everybody gets lonely sometimes
Guess a stranger is a friend in need
In the shadow of this New York skyline
All these stories looking down on me
Everybody feels the water rising
Could go on to her enjoy the ride
Ah when you're dancing for me now baby
I don't feel so small against the tide
Shake a little for me baby
Take me to the water when my well runs dry
Shake a little for me baby
Shake a little for me baby
Take me to the water when my cup runs dry
Shake a little for me baby
Just a little now
Just a little now
Just a little now
The lyrics to Bonnie Raitt's song "Shake A Little" speak of the anticipation and excitement of being with the one she loves. The song opens with the line "In the shadow of your father," which may metaphorically refer to the weight of the person she loves' familial expectations. Despite this, she is eager to fulfill their desires and try new things together.
Raitt sings "Your love is like a kettle on," which could be interpreted as her affection for this person slowly coming to a boil, perhaps even bubbling over with passion. The chorus repeats the phrase "Shake a little for me baby," which could mean physically shaking and dancing together, or emotionally shaking up their lives by taking risks and trying new things. The line "Take me to the water when my well runs dry" suggests that she turns to this person for emotional support when she feels depleted.
The final verse describes the feeling of being overwhelmed by the stresses of city life and feeling small in comparison. However, when she is dancing with the person she loves, she feels empowered and capable of facing the challenges ahead. Overall, the song conveys the desire to escape from routine and monotony, and to find excitement in life by exploring new avenues with a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
In the shadow of your father
Being overshadowed by the image and fame of one's father.
Sweet brown eyes of the one I love
Admiration for the physical features of one's partner.
I can't wait another minute baby
Impatience and eagerness to engage in different experiences with one's partner.
To do the things that we never done
Exploring new and exciting experiences with one's partner.
Everybody gets hungry sometimes
Everyone has certain needs and desires that require fulfillment.
Your love is like a kettle on
Love is like boiling water that needs to be tended to and taken care of.
Guess I get a little sad sometimes
Mood fluctuations are natural and unavoidable in life.
Shake a little for me baby
Dance sensually and seductively to excite and entice your partner.
Take me to the water when my well runs dry
Provide emotional and physical nourishment when one feels depleted and exhausted.
Just a little now
Perform the desired action in a subtle and graceful manner.
Everybody gets lonely sometimes
Everyone experiences moments of isolation and detachment from others.
Guess a stranger is a friend in need
In times of loneliness, even strangers can provide comfort and support.
In the shadow of this New York skyline
Being overwhelmed and intimidated by the grandeur and majesty of a cityscape.
All these stories looking down on me
Feeling insignificant and trivial amidst the towering buildings and bustling crowds of the city.
Everybody feels the water rising
Everyone experiences moments of crisis and instability in their lives.
Could go on to her enjoy the ride
One can either surrender to their problems or choose to overcome them and relish the journey.
Ah when you're dancing for me now baby
Feeling empowered and invigorated by one's partner's sensual performance.
I don't feel so small against the tide
Feeling strengthened and protected by one's partner's love and support during life's challenges.
Take me to the water when my cup runs dry
Provide emotional and physical replenishment when one feels depleted and exhausted.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lapwiz
This is superb musicianship! Bonnie is as true blue blood royalty of a gem carved in 57 facets to the most brilliant shaped diamond ever to grace us with nothing but pure, unadulterated light powerful enough to cut through dense steel of mediocrity. This is the result of a lifetime commitment to absolute devotion to the craft. These are, in my book, musical smits true and true, forged like a flawless katana sword for a very wordy samurai. You just can't fake that! Bonnie and all of her band have it in their bones, it just flows and fly like perfect cherry blossom leaves in a crispy autumn gentle breeze. George Marinelli is in my view, the best and most precise accompanying guitarist I have ever heard in 40 years. 30 years ago I learn the mathematics of accompanying playing from this underrated genius by just observing him play with Bonnie. I mean, he was a gift fallen from heaven to me as a player. This man is a perfectionist and a freaking titan when it comes to timing.
I never heard anyone even mentioning him on any reviews anywhere.
Well, in my book he is just as unique and gifted as Vinnie Colaiuta on the drums or John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, known as Jaco Pastorius on the bass, way beyond the pursuit of perfection. These guys and gals are like physicists or mathematicians, it is in their minds 24/7/365DAY. That is what it takes to play with ease. To confront the 800Lb Gorilla in the room and get a hung from him instead of being devoured by him!
It may sound extreme to you but that is what it takes to become a giant, no Emmys can do that, only true devotion and dedication to mastering a craft, and that goes to any craft of your choice. Bloody fingers and broken fingernails. I was lucky enough to play nylon strings classical guitar, bossa nova and jazz in my tender years back in the 60's. I only started using a pick in the 80's. I still rather do it without it today, like Beck does. Now that is another gigantic story. I had Jeff Beck stuck on my mind for 20 years, I should actually get some royalties from spreading his craft wherever I went in south America when he was completely obscured and overshadowed by prima donnas considered Gods in London like Mr. Crapton, or is it Sir Crapton?
This is a test review for a south american musical mag I'm starting to be released online for free in 6 months in 12 languages.
All your criticisms and contribution are appreciated. I will publish anything I see fit to be worthy of it. I will read everyone of your inputs, suggestions, new artists you are passionate about and why. I am a true believer that art can and will change this world. The only thing that ever changed history was nothing more than a handful of disenchanted and dedicated people willing to fearlessly stare at the 800 GITR and hold their ground!
@lapwiz
+lisdejong Dear Lis, pain is part of life. Life is in fact, nothing but pain according to ancient Buddhist philosophy. Mostly pain we create for ourselves when we are alone and try to figure it it all out without a network of friends willing to listen to our grievances. Then we tend to sink into depression or crawl into isolation into our defensive shell and protect ourselves from pain. Some are fortunate enough to do that on their own. Most are not as fortunate. We all want to boogie all along, but you must boogie out of the pain that is holding you back first. Time heals all wounds. Time with yourself and those that love you. At a certain point you gain the ability to make wise choices about the partners you want in your midst. Negative people do nothing else other than to suck the positive energy of others to continue to exist. It's their nature and once you realise that, the light at the end of the tunnel starts to shine brighter. I don't mean to intrude. I just related with your dilemma and decided to offer my experience with failed relationships and emotional pain.
Well, cry no more darling. You are a beautiful human being and you deserve to be happy. We all deserve to be happy. All we have to do is to learn what makes us happy and not allow anyone into it to fuck it all up. An unattractive woman can have all the sex she wants, with or without strings. A fox like you, to hell with all the losers that hit on you to only break your heart.
Repeat after me; You and I deserve to be happy and fulfilled in our lives. If our partners is the reason why we're unhappy I must get rid of the source of my pain!
I must rid myself from all the garbage I was exposed to while with that person and make myself whole again so I can be happy about myself first. Get rid of all that shit, clean house, I mean get rid anything that will expose to more drama. It's all drama after all, just get rid of it. Forget drama, focus on reality, your reality.
Do whatever makes you happy alone or with those that love you unconditionally.
Once you have established yourself as a together individual, comfortable with yourself alone, you will attract a lot of attention from potential partners. Be yourself and decide what your needs are from a partner. Remember that there are a lot of MGTOW out there waiting to respect you as a person and be respected in return as equals.
Get away from the dating game. It never got you or anybody other than laid a few times before dissapointment. Sex is great, marvelous in fact, paganism was an established Religion before Christianity came along to overthrow it. Pagans used to worship women. In fact, their core belief was that the path to divinity was by the way of intercourse.
Christianity, which was a political fabrication by the falling ottoman empire, that in face of an overwhelming popular pressure, decided to adhere to it as the new religion, however, they got to pick, argue and DECIDE which of the gospel were allowed into the new testament.
After that a split was established into the mix.
The old testament remained the book of the Jewish people. Islam span off of it with two current of belief (shite and shia).Then , and only then Christianity was established as a religion.
Well, this just a writing experiment to see how people respond to it.
Feel free to respond.
Merry christmas and a very, very happy new year.
Thank you!
@tinamarief51
I have loved Bonnie for 40 years and will love her for as long as I live.. she is my heart.. she touches my soul..
@sassulusmagnus
I expect to be blown away by a Bonnie Raitt performance, and this one does not disappoint. Bonnie Raitt's performance here is impossibly, but expectedly, wonderful. The surprise for me here is the other electric guitarist. Holy moly, what tasty lead breaks. And that female percussionist. Unbelievable. What a band.
@dickheadfromhell
There’s no other. Bonnie is the best
@lapwiz
This is superb musicianship! Bonnie is as true blue blood royalty of a gem carved in 57 facets to the most brilliant shaped diamond ever to grace us with nothing but pure, unadulterated light powerful enough to cut through dense steel of mediocrity. This is the result of a lifetime commitment to absolute devotion to the craft. These are, in my book, musical smits true and true, forged like a flawless katana sword for a very wordy samurai. You just can't fake that! Bonnie and all of her band have it in their bones, it just flows and fly like perfect cherry blossom leaves in a crispy autumn gentle breeze. George Marinelli is in my view, the best and most precise accompanying guitarist I have ever heard in 40 years. 30 years ago I learn the mathematics of accompanying playing from this underrated genius by just observing him play with Bonnie. I mean, he was a gift fallen from heaven to me as a player. This man is a perfectionist and a freaking titan when it comes to timing.
I never heard anyone even mentioning him on any reviews anywhere.
Well, in my book he is just as unique and gifted as Vinnie Colaiuta on the drums or John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, known as Jaco Pastorius on the bass, way beyond the pursuit of perfection. These guys and gals are like physicists or mathematicians, it is in their minds 24/7/365DAY. That is what it takes to play with ease. To confront the 800Lb Gorilla in the room and get a hung from him instead of being devoured by him!
It may sound extreme to you but that is what it takes to become a giant, no Emmys can do that, only true devotion and dedication to mastering a craft, and that goes to any craft of your choice. Bloody fingers and broken fingernails. I was lucky enough to play nylon strings classical guitar, bossa nova and jazz in my tender years back in the 60's. I only started using a pick in the 80's. I still rather do it without it today, like Beck does. Now that is another gigantic story. I had Jeff Beck stuck on my mind for 20 years, I should actually get some royalties from spreading his craft wherever I went in south America when he was completely obscured and overshadowed by prima donnas considered Gods in London like Mr. Crapton, or is it Sir Crapton?
This is a test review for a south american musical mag I'm starting to be released online for free in 6 months in 12 languages.
All your criticisms and contribution are appreciated. I will publish anything I see fit to be worthy of it. I will read everyone of your inputs, suggestions, new artists you are passionate about and why. I am a true believer that art can and will change this world. The only thing that ever changed history was nothing more than a handful of disenchanted and dedicated people willing to fearlessly stare at the 800 GITR and hold their ground!
@warnerchandler9826
If the "mag" that you are "starting to be released" is going to be published in English, I suggest you first learn to write English. The first sentence you wrote in this "test review" is worthy of an F grade, let alone the review in its entirety.
My advice to you: enjoy listening to the music, offer your opinions to your mother and friends, and stay off the social media.
@danielmcmeen3167
@@warnerchandler9826 Renato does get carried away, but he does express his love of this music as best he can; it's cool!
@lisdejong
this and every one of hers... i want to boogie to the tunes she is playing. at the same time my heart is stolen by the words and the heart she shares with us. always makes my heart swell and cry... <3
@lapwiz
+lisdejong Dear Lis, pain is part of life. Life is in fact, nothing but pain according to ancient Buddhist philosophy. Mostly pain we create for ourselves when we are alone and try to figure it it all out without a network of friends willing to listen to our grievances. Then we tend to sink into depression or crawl into isolation into our defensive shell and protect ourselves from pain. Some are fortunate enough to do that on their own. Most are not as fortunate. We all want to boogie all along, but you must boogie out of the pain that is holding you back first. Time heals all wounds. Time with yourself and those that love you. At a certain point you gain the ability to make wise choices about the partners you want in your midst. Negative people do nothing else other than to suck the positive energy of others to continue to exist. It's their nature and once you realise that, the light at the end of the tunnel starts to shine brighter. I don't mean to intrude. I just related with your dilemma and decided to offer my experience with failed relationships and emotional pain.
Well, cry no more darling. You are a beautiful human being and you deserve to be happy. We all deserve to be happy. All we have to do is to learn what makes us happy and not allow anyone into it to fuck it all up. An unattractive woman can have all the sex she wants, with or without strings. A fox like you, to hell with all the losers that hit on you to only break your heart.
Repeat after me; You and I deserve to be happy and fulfilled in our lives. If our partners is the reason why we're unhappy I must get rid of the source of my pain!
I must rid myself from all the garbage I was exposed to while with that person and make myself whole again so I can be happy about myself first. Get rid of all that shit, clean house, I mean get rid anything that will expose to more drama. It's all drama after all, just get rid of it. Forget drama, focus on reality, your reality.
Do whatever makes you happy alone or with those that love you unconditionally.
Once you have established yourself as a together individual, comfortable with yourself alone, you will attract a lot of attention from potential partners. Be yourself and decide what your needs are from a partner. Remember that there are a lot of MGTOW out there waiting to respect you as a person and be respected in return as equals.
Get away from the dating game. It never got you or anybody other than laid a few times before dissapointment. Sex is great, marvelous in fact, paganism was an established Religion before Christianity came along to overthrow it. Pagans used to worship women. In fact, their core belief was that the path to divinity was by the way of intercourse.
Christianity, which was a political fabrication by the falling ottoman empire, that in face of an overwhelming popular pressure, decided to adhere to it as the new religion, however, they got to pick, argue and DECIDE which of the gospel were allowed into the new testament.
After that a split was established into the mix.
The old testament remained the book of the Jewish people. Islam span off of it with two current of belief (shite and shia).Then , and only then Christianity was established as a religion.
Well, this just a writing experiment to see how people respond to it.
Feel free to respond.
Merry christmas and a very, very happy new year.
Thank you!
@SandySaunders9142
Renato That was beautiful.
@johnjohnson3709
She has incredible stage presence and talent.