Blues guitar phenom Eric Gales was born and raised in Memphis, learning to … Read Full Bio ↴Blues guitar phenom Eric Gales was born and raised in Memphis, learning to play at age four from older brothers Eugene and Manuel in imitation of their upside-down, left-handed style (a tradition actually passed down from their grandfather, Dempsey Garrett Sr., who was known to jam with the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf). Winning his first blues contest at 11, four years later Eric signed to Elektra to issue his 1991 debut LP, recorded with Eugene on bass; Picture of a Thousand Faces followed in 1993. Manuel (who previously performed under the alias Little Jimmy King) reunited with his siblings for 1995's Left Hand Band, credited to the Gales Brothers.

A newly matured Gales returned in spring 2001 to release his debut for MCA, That's What I Am. Often billed as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix, Gales, an adequate singer at best but a dynamite guitarist, suffered for the comparison. With Gales always influenced by Hendrix and the power trio format, his next albums, 2006's Crystal Vision and 2007's Psychedelic Underground, both released by Blues Bureau Records, seemed like facsimile Hendrix albums, right down to the album art. His next two releases from Blues Bureau, 2008's The Story of My Life and 2009's Layin' Down the Blues, found the Hendrix influence muted somewhat, but Gales, a breathtaking guitarist at times, still seemed to be looking for a way out of the Hendrix shadow and into his own voice. Gales returned in 2010 with Relentless, a collection of 13 originals, and followed it with the passionate Transformation a year later in 2011.

Eric Gales is a very talented Blues-Rock guitarist and vocalist from Memphis, Tennessee, USA. His music is a fusion of Hard-Rock, Blues and Funk. Eric Gales has released nine studio albums so far, his latest being "Relentless".

Discography

2011 Transformation
2010 Relentless
2009 Layin' Down the Blues (compilation)
2008 The Story of My Life
2007 Psychedelic Underground
2006 Crystal Vision
2001 That's What I Am
1995 Left Hand Brand
1993 Picture of a Thousand Faces
1993 Eric Gales
1991 The Eric Gales Band

1019
Eric Gales Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I made my grand entrance, in year 1974
The dirty south called Memphis, about 6.45 or so... AM
My momma laying there beside me,
With the King James version in hand
(My lord)
Kneeled down by the bedside, and gave thanks to the holy man
(Thank you sir)

They say I was a long time coming
But they welcomed me to the scene
My momma looked at the doctor and said
"Give me my baby so I can take him to uh..."

1019
Take you back with me to 1019
(That's where it all started y'all)

Little child four brothers raised up in the church just upon the hill
And my daddy working for the man
trying to make a living in an eighteen deal
Always brought home the bacon so we
never had to go without some food to eat
So tired when he got home he could barely stand up on his feet
And every now and then
I lay down and have a dream
I close my eyes and it takes me,
Back to... 1019

It takes me back to 1019
Yeah, uh
It takes me back to 1019
It takes me back to 1019
Uh,
Yeah, check it out y'all uh

And every now and then
I lay down and have a dream
I close my eyes and it takes me,
Back to...

1019
1019, yeah aw

Now I come to my music,
I was hooked before I was four
Grabbed my big brothers guitars
Every time they walked out the door
(They didn't know it huh)
But now my mother, two brothers going to heaven
I can still clearly see their face
And every time I play my music,
I can feel their warm embrace

And every now and then
I lay down and have a dream
I close my eyes and it takes me,
Back to...

1019
It takes me back to 1019
It takes me back to 1019

It takes me back to 1019
Uh

Overall Meaning

The song “1019” by Eric Gales is a reflective piece that delves into his personal history. It starts with Gales describing his own birth in Memphis, Tennessee in 1974. He was born to a religious family, and his mother was reading the King James version of the Bible when he was born. She then proceeded to thank the doctor and the holy man that helped bring him into the world. The reference to a "holy man" could mean either the doctor or a spiritual figure like a pastor, emphasizing the significance of his early Christian upbringing. Gales then shifts the focus to his childhood, describing his father who worked hard to provide for their family, even when he was exhausted.

The title of the song, “1019”, is the address of the house he grew up in, where he and his four brothers were raised in a church on the hill. The house was an important part of Gales’s childhood and holds a special place in his heart, serving as a symbol of his roots and where it all began. Gales also talks about his love for music and how it gives him comfort, especially in light of the loss of his mother and two brothers. The phrase "It takes me back to 1019" is repeated throughout the song, symbolizing the power of music to evoke memories and transport him back to his past.

Line by Line Meaning

I made my grand entrance, in year 1974
I was born in the year 1974

The dirty south called Memphis, about 6.45 or so... AM
I was born in the city of Memphis in the southern region of the US during early hours of morning

My momma laying there beside me, With the King James version in hand (My lord)
My mother was lying beside me with a copy of the King James Bible in her hand

Kneeled down by the bedside, and gave thanks to the holy man (Thank you sir)
My mother knelt down beside the bed and thanked God for my birth

They say I was a long time coming But they welcomed me to the scene
I was welcomed despite being born later than expected

My momma looked at the doctor and said "Give me my baby so I can take him to uh..." 1019
My mother asked the doctor to hand me over so she could take me to 1019 - the place where she would raise me

Little child four brothers raised up in the church just upon the hill And my daddy working for the man trying to make a living in an eighteen deal
I grew up in a family of five with four brothers, raised in a church located nearby, while my father worked hard to make a living in his business

Always brought home the bacon so we never had to go without some food to eat So tired when he got home he could barely stand up on his feet
My father always provided for us and made sure we never went hungry, but he was often so tired after work that he could barely stand

And every now and then I lay down and have a dream I close my eyes and it takes me, Back to... 1019
Occasionally, I dream of my childhood home and the memories associated with growing up there

Now I come to my music, I was hooked before I was four Grabbed my big brothers guitars Every time they walked out the door (They didn't know it huh)
I developed a love for music at a very young age, and would often play with my brothers' guitars without them knowing

But now my mother, two brothers going to heaven I can still clearly see their face And every time I play my music, I can feel their warm embrace
My mother and two of my brothers have passed away, but I still see them in my memories and feel their presence when I play music

Contributed by Sophia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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