A man of rare poetic honesty, Whitleymaintained a resolute musical integrity throughout his career. His more than a dozen albums range from raw-boned folk-rock to lush electro-blues.
Whitley was born in Houston, Texas. Though relatively unknown to the mainstream, he worked with many top named musicians throughout his career. In 1991, U2/Peter Gabriel producer Daniel Lanois and his protégé, Malcolm Burn, recorded Whitley's debut album Living With the Law (Malcolm Burn also produced 2005's Soft Dangerous Shores). In 2000, Whitley worked with Chris Wood and Billy Martin from the famed trio of Medeski, Martin and Wood, on the Perfect Day album. Others like Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby also appeared on 2001's Rocket House.
Whitley played a unique brand of confessional acoustic and electric blues, mixed with inspired modern rock. His lyrics often contained overt sexual references and sometimes bordered on the surreal. An avid fan of jazz saxophone legend John Coltrane, Whitley was a master of the National / Dobro, made famous by many of the great Mississippi delta blues players of the 1930's. Whitley also appeared in the concert documentary Hellhounds on my Trail - The Afterlife of Robert Johnson, with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir, Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green, jam band Gov't Mule, and blues guitarist Keb' Mo. In addition to recording his original material, Whitley has also guested on albums by Mike Watt, Rob Wasserman, Cassandra Wilson, Dave Pirner (of Soul Asylum) and Shawn Colvin.
"The notable constant has been the quality of craftmanship, and the consistent question of how Whitley's combination of super songs, muscular-but-poetic lyrics, athletic voice and rock-god guitar work hasn't earned him a wider audience." - Detroit Free Press
"The post-Hendrix explosion of whammybar wankers hasn't produced a single axeman who can compare to Chris Whitley. His eerie, bluesy voice and American gothic tunes frequently draw attention from the fact that he picks like a pissed off Doc Watson jacked through a Marshall stack" - RollingStone.com
Health and death
In fall 2005, Chris Whitley cancelled his tour due to health issues. Dan Whitley, his brother, revealed on November 11, 2005 that he was "in a comfortable warm home with hospice care at his disposal". Later that week it was revealed that he was terminally ill with lung cancer. On November 20, 2005, his death (at the age of 45) was announced by Dan Whitley and Chris' daughter, Trixie Whitley.
From A Photograph
Chris Whitley Lyrics
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I already see the ghosts
Everywhere I go
She don't know that
I don't mind
If angry she'll be fine
But if she cry, please don't let me know
Well I seen her with her piece today
Never missed you more
Seeing you that way
The phantom around my bed
Now I'm sleeping with the dead
Baby's got a gun, I'm bound to go
Gods above and underground
While the ghosts go back and forth
Through town
They wander around outside
They don't know there's nowhere to hide
Baby got a gun, I'm bound the go
Gone, gone, gone
The lyrics of Chris Whitley’s song from “From A Photograph” explore the thoughts and emotions of the singer, who has seen the person he loves holding a gun, and is haunted by the ghosts of his past. The opening lines “baby got a gun, how’s she to know? I already see the ghosts, everywhere I go” illustrate the singer’s anxiety and fear of the unknown as he observes someone he cares for holding a weapon. He then notes that the person with the gun doesn’t know that he isn’t bothered by her temperament when she is angry, but he prefers not to witness her cry.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on his past and how he misses the person he was in love with, but he is also haunted by his past. He describes a ghost hovering around his bed and admits to sleeping with the dead, which appears to be a reference to his inability to move on from his past traumas. The final line “gone, gone, gone” can be interpreted in multiple ways. It could signify his departure from the past, the loss of the love of his life, or even his own death.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby got a gun, how's she to know?
The singer wonders how the girl with the gun can understand the long-lasting impact of her actions.
I already see the ghosts
The singer is haunted by his past and is consistently reminded by it, hence the presence of a spirit in the room.
Everywhere I go
The nostalgia and the memories of the past torments the singer at all times.
She don't know that
The girl with the gun is unaware of the artist's troubled past.
I don't mind
Although the presence of the girl with the gun aggravates the artist, he has grown vaguely numb to it.
If angry she'll be fine
The singer is willing to handle the girl's anger, even if it gets heated.
But if she cry, please don't let me know
The singer can't handle it if the girl starts to cry since he cannot handle strong emotions that remind him of his past.
Well I seen her with her piece today
The artist saw the girl with her gun recently, which brought back memories of his past.
Never missed you more
The artist misses someone greatly because of the girl's presence with the gun.
Seeing you that way
The artist is reminded of his past due to seeing the girl with her gun.
The phantom around my bed
The singer is reminded of a spirit he saw around his bed in the past due to the girl's presence with the gun.
Now I'm sleeping with the dead
The artist feels like he is also dead because of his past, and the girls' presence with the gun only emphasizes those feelings.
Baby's got a gun, I'm bound to go
The singer feels like he cannot handle the girl's presence with a gun in their vicinity and is compelled to leave.
Gods above and underground
The singer is surrounded by higher powers that he fears, and they add on to his fears.
While the ghosts go back and forth
The singer is tormented by his past and has ghosts that constantly taunt him.
Through town
The artist experiences the memory of his past through the city he is living in.
They wander around outside
The artist can see the ghosts wander outside and around their residence.
They don't know there's nowhere to hide
The ghosts have nowhere to conceal themselves and persistently haunt the singer.
Gone, gone, gone
The singer realizes that the only thing he can do to get away from his past is to leave the place behind him permanently.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS WHITLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind