Remembered by many these days as a founding member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin Bishop has also tasted pop success with his 1976 smash hit “Fooled Around and Fell In Love.” Bishop’s long and varied career has included other musical stops along the way as well, from deep down gutbucket blues played in smoky South Side Chicago taverns, to raucous roadhouse R&B, to rollicking good time rock & roll. And at every stage along the way, he’s imbued all of his music with deep passion, a uniquely creative spirit, and more than a little bit of sly humor.
Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Elvin Bishop didn’t have much exposure to live music as a youngster. But his family had a radio, and in between the pop schmaltz and the C&W that ruled the airwaves in the 1950s, that radio could sometimes catch the legendary R&B programming beamed throughout the southern part of the U.S. at night by Nashville radio station WLAC. That station introduced Bishop to the classic records of Jimmy Reed, Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and once his ears had been hooked, there was no turning back for young Elvin. He soon got his first guitar and on his own began scratching out the basic outlines of the blues, R&B and rock & roll that had captured his imagination.
By the time he was preparing to go to college in the late 1950s, Bishop had earned a National Merit Scholarship, allowing him to go to almost any school he chose – and there was only one choice on Elvin’s mind, the prestigious University of Chicago, which just happened to be located on Chicago’s South side, ground zero for much of the urban blues Elvin had been studying only from a distance. He arrived in Chicago in 1959, and before long crossed paths with a kindred spirit in Paul Butterfield. Together, they explored the ghetto blues clubs in the black neighborhoods surrounding the university campus at a time when blues giants like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Otis Rush, Magic Sam and Howlin’ Wolf could be found playing in neighborhood joints on a weeknight. Elvin soaked it all up, gaining impromptu lessons and invaluable stage time in front of discerning audiences, and forging a fluid yet powerful guitar style of his own.
By 1963, Bishop and Butterfield were ready to graduate – not necessarily from the university, but certainly from their apprenticeship under Chicago’s blues elders. Recruiting Howlin’ Wolf’s former rhythm section of Sam Lay on drums and Jerome Arnold on bass, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was born. In 1965, after adding Mike Bloomfield and Mark Naftalin to the lineup, their revolutionary debut LP was released, kicking open the door for virtually all the young white blues bands that followed.
Bishop remained in the fold for three albums with the Butterfield band, including their innovative “East-West” release (on which Bishop and Bloomfield’s intertwining guitars helped set the stage for the Allman Brothers Band among many others who followed), before venturing out on his own. Elvin released four well-received albums on Epic Records in the early ‘70s, before joining Capricorn Records for a couple of LPs and experiencing his biggest pop success, the national hit “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” from his 1976 LP “Struttin’ My Stuff”.
As popular musical trends evolved, the recording projects tapered off, but road work kept Elvin busy through the ‘80s, and by the time he hooked up with Alligator in 1988, he was returning to his bluesy roots. And that fertile territory has been his focus ever since.
Delta Groove Productions president Randy Chortkoff has been a fan and follower of Elvin’s music through all the many phases of his career, beginning with Butterfield Blues Band in the mid 1960s, so when the opportunity arose to bring Elvin into the Delta Groove fold, Chortkoff jumped at the opportunity. The result was Elvin’s Grammy nominated 2008 CD “The Blues Rolls On”, a project supported by an all-star cast of blues royalty featuring B.B. King, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, George Thorogood , James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Tommy Castro, John Németh, Angela Strehli, plus many more.
Elvin’s brand new release “Red Dog Speaks”, his second on Delta Groove Music, is the exciting next step in his blues journey. Right out of the gate, Bishop leaves no doubt where his heart is, cleverly introducing his long-time cohort - a 1959 Gibson ES-345 that lovingly answers to the name of “Red Dog”, with a gritty slow blues calculated to set the pace for what’s to come. Along the way he smoothly steers the way from strutting blues and R&B, to a good dose of good-time rock & roll, and even an occasional detour through doo-wop, zydeco and gospel. Elvin has made plenty of talented friends over the years, and many of them jumped at the chance to help out including John Nemeth, Buckwheat Zydeco, Roy Gaines, Tommy Castro, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Kid Andersen who all make guest appearances. And all of it adds up to an amalgam that can only be called “Elvin Bishop music.”
Bishop's official website is at http://www.elvinbishopmusic.com/
Silent Night
Elvin Bishop Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav′nly hosts sing Allelluia
Christ the savior is born, Christ the savior is born.
With the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King
Christ the Saviour is here, Jesus the Saviour is here!
Silent night, holy night. Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
Elvin Bishop's rendition of Silent Night is a beautiful and captivating representation of the original Christmas carol. The song opens with the famous lines "Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright," which set the tranquil and peaceful tone for the rest of the track. The calm and serene atmosphere is reinforced by the gentle strumming of the guitar, played in true Bishop style. The lyrics continue, describing the scene of the birth of Christ, with the virgin Mary cradling her holy infant son. The phrase "holy infant so tender and mild" reflects the love and care Mary has for her newborn, and the reverence which surrounds his arrival.
The second verse describes the reaction of the shepherds upon seeing the arrival of Christ. The use of the word "quake" depicts the overwhelming emotion and awe felt by these simple yet devoted individuals. The arrival of the saviour is greeted with "glories stream[ing] from heaven afar" as even the angels sing "Alleluia," in praise of this miraculous event. This verse encapsulates the joy and excitement of the arrival of Jesus, who will go on to change the course of history.
The final verse brings focus to the star that shone on the night Christ was born. As "with the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King," Bishop invites the listener to join in the celebration of the physical presence of the Son of God among us. The song concludes with another reminder of just what a momentous occasion the arrival of Jesus was, as the lyrics describe the "dawn of redeeming grace" that came with his birth.
Line by Line Meaning
Silent night, holy night, all is calm all Is bright
The night is peaceful and serene because of the holy event taking place- the birth of Jesus, which illuminates the world with its brightness
Round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is depicted holding her child in her arms- an innocent and tender baby who will grow up to be a savior of the world.
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
May Jesus and his mother sleep in ultimate tranquility without any disturbance or worry.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight
The shepherds who witness the birth of Jesus are trembling with awe and reverence, realizing that they are in the presence of something divine.
Glories stream from heaven afar, Heav′nly hosts sing Alleluia
The angels in heaven are rejoicing and singing praises for the birth of Jesus, reflecting the glory and magnitude of the momentous event.
Christ the savior is born, Christ the savior is born.
The lyrics reiterate the message that Christ has been born and he will bring salvation and redemption to the world.
Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light
The star shines bright, guiding the wise men towards the birthplace of Jesus, with its light symbolizing the importance of the event that is taking place.
With the angels let us sing Alleluia to our King
The lyrics invite us to join the angels in singing praises and rejoicing for the birth of the King of the world, Jesus Christ.
Christ the Saviour is here, Jesus the Saviour is here!
Christ's birth heralds the arrival of a savior who will bring peace and hope to the world, marking the beginning of a new era of redemption and salvation.
Silent night, holy night. Son of God, love's pure light
The birth of Jesus is seen as a pure and divine act of love, marking the arrival of the Son of God who will bring hope and salvation to humankind.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace
The overall mood of the song is captured in this line, with the image of Jesus emanating radiant beams from his face- a symbol of the dawn of a new era of salvation and grace.
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth, Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.
The lyrics reiterate the message that Jesus is the Lord, and that his birth is a significant moment in the history of humankind, marking the beginning of a new era of salvation, hope, and redemption.
Writer(s): Earle H. Hagen, Gruber Mohr
Contributed by Parker S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bill Slais
on Give It Up
I wrote "Give It Up" with Mickey Thomas and no site has the lyrics, apparently...so...here are the lyrics Mick and I wrote..
...I wanna lay out....I wanna stay out....Don't wanna change my ways...
...I do some drinkin' .....I do some thinkin' .....of what's goin' thru my head these days......
...So if you try to find...some kind of peace of mind...you've got to give as well as take...(oh yeh)
...If you can help it....don't be so selfish (double oh yeh)....
...There's a price you gotta pay (mid-terms??..lol)...YEH (his vocal)
CHORUS
...Everybody's gotta give it up.....repeat....Everybody's go to give it up....
..Everybody's got to give it up sometimes...
BRIDGE
Everybody.....Everybody.....in the world... If you find that...special girl (Kari Lake??..lol)
Don't be blinded....Have a good time...You might find out you could learn a lot.....(hmmm)
GUITAR SOLO
You wanna hold on.....to your freedom....you know you can't keep it all your life...(hmm)
So hears my lesson....forget your PRIDE, son..
...You got to make a sacrifice ....(oh yeh)
Everybody's got to give it up....everybody's got to give it up...
Everybody's got to give it up sometimes (even when Red Tsumani's are predicted...lol)
2nd Bridge (words repeated)
RIDE OUT....Everybody's got to give it up....Everybody's got to give it up sometimes....(even in mid-terms..lol)
Bill Slais
on Give It Up
First off.....Elvin did NOT write "Give It Up" ....Mickey (Thomas) and I wrote the song and the lyrics and I own 100 per cent of publishing and have never been paid a dime for writing it with Mick or a nickel for the publishing... and, even worse, it was re-published on the live album ....and then bought and re-re-published on CD...
Just wanted you to know... at 75 and with Vietnam bladder cancer... I gave up on ever getting paid .....it happened a again on another CD release of a Bay Area guitarist on which I wrote 3 songs and give him half writer's though he didn't write a not... I just love the music business....don't you?