At age 16, Doyle Bramhall II toured with Jimmie Vaughan's band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, as second guitarist. In 1992 Doyle formed Arc Angels with Charlie Sexton and Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section of bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton (also known as Double Trouble). Doyle became Eric Clapton's second guitarist in 2004 after Andy Fairweather-Low backed out of the tour. He left Clapton's band in 2009 to reform Arc Angels.
"Doyle Bramhall II was raised in a home filled with the blues and rock and roll sounds that are indigenous to his birthplace - Austin, Texas. His father, Doyle Bramhall Senior, was the drummer for blues legend Lightning Hopkins and a regular collaborator with Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
When Doyle was 16 years old, he toured as second guitarist with Jimmy Vaughan's band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Shortly thereafter he and fellow Texan, Charlie Sexton, co-founded the rock band Arc Angels. Doyle and Charlie enlisted the rhythm section from Stevie Ray Vaughan's backing band, Double Trouble, to complete the lineup. The group enjoyed critical acclaim and commercial success.
Following the release of "Jellycream," Doyle's 1999 RCA debut recording, he received phone calls from both Roger Waters and Eric Clapton. Doyle ended up joining Roger Waters for a summer tour while Clapton, along with fellow blues great B.B. King, chose two of Doyle's songs - "Marry You" and "I Wanna Be" - for their collaborative recording entitled "Riding With The King." Upon completion of the "Riding..." project, Doyle, his wife - Susannah Melvoin, and Clapton co-wrote and performed "Superman Inside" for Clapton's album, "Reptile." Doyle's playing is also heavily featured on the album.
The latest offering from Doyle Bramhall II, entitled - "Welcome" - is the purest sampling of Doyle's talents to date. Doyle entered the studio with Smokestack, the band he put together a couple of years ago, and co-producers Benmont Tench and Jim Scott to record the 12 - song set. Joining Doyle in Smokestack is J.J. Johnson on drums and bassist Chris Bruce. Susannah Melvoin contributed background vocals, Benmont Tench pulled keyboard duty and Craig Ross played second guitar.
The album, "Welcome" showcases the diversity of Bramhall's talent; from his songwriting to his intense, soulful vocals and virtuoso guitar playing. Doyle's gravity explosion can be readily heard on such tracks as the driving "Green Light Girl" and the uptempo "Soul Shaker." His dedication to the blues can be felt on tracks like "Life," "So You Want It To Rain" and "Send Some Love."
Doyle and his band are set to open for Eric Clapton on the first leg of a worldwide tour this year".
Official Site
Smokestack
Doyle Bramhall II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
way down south
I left home
early on
All I had
To show me the way
The sound of music
from the street every day
Too many people
Not enough shelter
The poor getting weaker
The rich getting stronger
I've seen everything
I needed to see
I got my mind made up
To give it all away
Workin' man
Way down south
Red headed woman back at the house
All that love
Couldn't hold back
Cause bells were ringing
sky turned black
Too many people
Not enough shelter
The poor getting weaker
The rich getting stronger
I've seen everything
I needed to see
I got my mind made up
To give it all away
Smokestack
Too many people
Not enough shelter
The poor getting weaker
The rich getting stronger
I've seen everything
I needed to see
I got my mind made up
To give it all away
Smokestack
The lyrics of Doyle Bramhall II & Smokestack's song "Smokestack" reflect the harsh reality of life in the southern United States. The songwriter was born "way down south" and left home early to make his own way, with only the sound of music from the streets to guide him. The song describes the struggle and the often tragic circumstances faced by people living in the region, including poverty, lack of shelter, and a growing divide between the rich and poor.
The chorus emphasizes the frustration and disillusionment felt by the songwriter with the state of the world. "Too many people, NOT enough shelter" speaks to the scarcity of resources, while "the poor getting weaker, the rich getting stronger" highlights the growing inequality in society. Despite witnessing these harsh realities, the songwriter still has hope for change. He has "seen everything" he needed to see and has "got [his] mind made up to give it all away," suggesting a desire to give back and make a positive impact.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born
I came into being
way down south
in a location in the southern region of a place
I left home
I departed from my place of residence
early on
at a young age
All I had
my possessions
To show me the way
to guide and direct me
The sound of music
the auditory stimuli produced by instrumentation, vocals or mechanically reproduced sounds
from the street every day
coming from the road regularly
Too many people
an excessive number of individuals
Not enough shelter
an insufficient number of places for protection or refuge
The poor getting weaker
individuals with little to no wealth or resources becoming increasingly powerless
The rich getting stronger
individuals with great wealth and resources gaining even more power
I've seen everything
I have witnessed everything possible
I needed to see
I required knowledge through sight
I got my mind made up
I am determined
To give it all away
to relinquish all possessions
Workin' man
a man employed in manual labor
Way down south
in a location in the southern region of a place
Red headed woman back at the house
a female with red-colored hair located in the dwelling
All that love
the emotions of affection and devotion
Couldn't hold back
were unstoppable and impossible to suppress
Cause bells were ringing
because bells were sounding
sky turned black
the atmosphere transformed into a dark hue
Smokestack
a vertical structure used to expel exhaust gases
Contributed by Jeremiah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RaVen DaWn
Mexico been so good to me, gave me surgery when Obama was humpin' his llama, sorry 'bout the humor, so I offer this for you...
...
Se Encuentra Solamente Mi Corazón
(Lies Only My Heart)
Entre la luz y la osuridad...
Entre la fey y el pecado...
Se encuentra solamente mi Corazon…
Entre la fe y la duda ...
Entre las estrellas y la tierra ...
Se encuentra sólo a mi espíritu ...
¿Qué mundo es este ...
sale de nuestro amor fuera
bajo la lluvia de fuego
mientras que la fragancia de su
perfume en mis labios?
Entre mis dudas
y mis deseos deliberados para saciar ...
Entre mis incómodo avances
y mi instinto de la cuarta distancia ...
Se encuentra sólo a mi historia...
Entre el circo y la tienda
avivamiento ...
Entre la calma y la tormenta tan feroz ...
Se encuentra solamente mi alma
en el balance...
Qué mundo es este
sale de nuestro amor fuera
en el calor sofocante
mientras que el frío de su
encanto fresco tan aguda
como nuestro bromas ingeniosas?
Entre la guerra que rabia
y el silencio de la paz ...
Entre la agonía y la enfermedad ...
El éxtasis y la promesa prometió retenido ...
no hay más que nuestro propio
camino del destino aceptado…
Qué mundo es este
sale de nuestro amor fuera
en la tormenta de hielo congelado
mientras que el calor de su
piel en la mía
todavía irradia?
Se encuentra sólo a mi corazón, entre
quietud y la erupción; la lava
bombas, subido en mi pulso ...
Se encuentra sólo a mi corazón, entre
tales temporadas de tormentas severas;
cabezas del trueno
nube carbonizado castillos perpetua ...
Se encuentra sólo a mi corazón, entre
la fe y la duda, la eterna batalla ...
Se encuentra sólo a mi corazón, entre
las estrellas y la tierra, vasta mi amor
hay universo puede limitar.
Se encuentra sólo a mi corazón, entre
la caprichosa vida errante, sin embargo, todos
tengo que he conocido, y que
lo que su tacto, mi refugio llama ...
oh mi amor, mi hermoso amor,
Se encuentra sólo a mi corazón, entre
el blues de hielo en la madrugada, previa
la deriva iceberg de fusión y ...
mi amor por ti es cierto y, sin embargo, entre las
el horizonte sin fin de aullidos y desierto; sí
casa en la antorcha de cálido abrazo, aunque
envuelto en grandes extensiones; la odisea de
siempre Nunca es demasiado lejos, entre
tiempo de llamadas como las mareas en rollo para llevar, entre
esta vida y la otra para nosotros; este romance épico, entre el nuevo y el amor
a los perdidos;
Oh Darling, se encuentra sólo a mi corazón ...
Está situado a solo mi corazón.
~volando~
by RaVen DaWn
Reaper
Dude is a legend
Thomas Reed
I've always been a big fan of Doyle Bramhall II since before his days with The Arc Angels. Kudos to the rhythm section on this tune. Awesome
YogaArmy
Yep LOVE Doyle's tone yep it's very Robin Trower here ~ he is such a diverse player, artist, singer and musician. He's someone I am Always excited to see what he does next.
Glenn Joslyn
One of my favorite songs to Listen to.. Over & Over.. Really Great Music!
owlcu
This drummer makes the beat so thick yet somehow graceful, like hitting a butterfly with a sledgehammer.
John Zun
Doyle continues to amaze.The album is fantastic.
Karen Holliday
Love Doyle's voice and sound. Like many, it would be nice to have Arc Angels re-unite, write more, and do concerts. They are that good.
ELI 777
DOYLE IS AN EXCELLENT MUSICIAN. 💜
Joey Selder
I been a fan since his Arc Angels days. Dude is amazing.
Rocco Macri
I hear a lot of Hendrix influences here. One FANTASTIC player Doyle is…!!!