(2) Very few musical artists achieve a true signature style -- one that makes comparisons to other musicians impossible. But Texas guitarist Eric Johnson arguably comes as close to this echelon as any musician from the past quarter-century. Like fellow Lone Star State guitarists Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnson blends the rock style of Jimi Hendrix and the blues power of Albert King. Yet Johnson's wide array of additional influences (from the Beatles and Jeff Beck to jazz and Chet Atkins) makes for a guitar sound as unique as his fingerprints.
"When I first heard Eric," Winter recalled, "he was only 16, and I remember wishing that I could have played like that at that age." Former Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter said, "If Jimi Hendrix had gone on to study with Howard Roberts for about eight years, you'd have what this kid strikes me as." The Austin prodigy appeared on the cover of Guitar Player magazine while working with Texas jazz/fusion band the Electromagnets and as a session player (Cat Stevens, Carole King, Christopher Cross), and a 1984 performance on the TV show Austin City Limits set his recording career in motion.
Johnson's 1986 debut album, Tones, certainly proved that the hype was warranted. Playing with the ace rhythm section of bassist Roscoe Beck and drummer Tommy Taylor, Johnson mixed blazing instrumentals ("Zap," "Victory") with Beatles-influenced vocal tunes like "Emerald Eyes" and "Bristol Shore." Johnson used the same half-and-half format on the 1990 follow-up, Ah Via Musicom, but a trio of the album's tunes surprisingly made him the first artist to have three instrumentals from the same album to chart in the Top Ten in any format (with "Cliffs of Dover" earning Johnson a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental).
But, if Johnson had a perceived weakness, it was the perfectionism that caused four years to pass between recordings. Even in concert, he would painstakingly tune his guitar between songs, by ear, for minutes on end. With the success of Ah Via Musicom, the guitarist admitted to feeling pressure to raise the bar again. But Johnson's studio nitpicking delayed Venus Isle until 1996, and the disappointing CD contained fewer instrumentals and sounded forced.
A stint on the 1997 G3 tour with fellow headlining guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and its resulting live release, breathed new life into Johnson and sparked the idea of a live album. Overhauling his band for the 2000 CD Live and Beyond, Johnson brought in bassist Chris Maresh and drummer Bill Maddox, and concentrated on more of a blues feel. The guitarist still blended instrumentals with his vocal tunes ("Shape I'm In," "Last House on the Block"), but perhaps realized that his thin voice was too one-dimensional for guttural blues or R&B. Guest vocalist Malford Milligan ignites "Don't Cha Know" and "Once a Part of Me," helping Johnson's blazing debut on Vai's Favored Nations label and reestablishing the versatile virtuoso's status for the 21st century. As Vai himself testified, "Eric has more colorful tone in his fingers than Van Gogh had on his palette."
Souvenir, an album available only through Johnson's website, appeared in 2002, followed by CD and DVD versions of New West's Live from Austin, TX and Bloom, the second album for Vai's Favored Nations imprint, in 2005. Johnson returned in 2010 with Up Close, a studio album that slightly emphasized the guitarist's Texas roots. A collaboration with jazz guitarist Mike Stern, Eclectic, appeared in 2014. ~ Bill Meredith
Fatdaddy
Eric Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fat daddy, bring it home to me
Fat daddy, bring it home to me
Yes I’m blue and cold, and in misery
I’ve been a-walkin’ around all day, lookin’ for ya baby
I’ve been walkin’ ‘round all day, lookin’ for you, sweet thing
I walked the streets ‘til my feet got sore
Cried and cried, I can’t cry no more
2
Fat daddy, you’ve been gone so long
Fat daddy, you’ve been gone so long
Yes I found out, that I done you wrong
I’ve been a-walkin’ around all day, lookin’ for ya baby
I’ve been walkin’ ‘round all day, lookin’ for you, sweet thing
I got men who are younger, and handsome too
But they just don’t move me like you do
Fat daddy, please come back to me
(bridge)
I need your lovin’ every night
I need your arms to hold me tight
You’re fat and forty and over the hill
But you’re my meat and I love ya still
Fat daddy, bring it home to me
Cuz I’m blue and cold, and in misery
BREAK:
Say Long John claims to be your pal
But he been tryin’ to steal your gal
Told Long John to his face:
(There) ain’t no man (who) can take your place
Fat daddy, bring it home to me
Cuz I’m blue and cold, and in misery!
The lyrics to Eric Johnson's "Fatdaddy" tell the story of a woman pining for her lover, the titular Fat Daddy. In the first verse, the woman expresses her loneliness and desperation for Fat Daddy to come home to her. She has been wandering the streets all day, unable to find any solace until she can be reunited with him. The tone of the lyrics is mournful, with the woman feeling both "blue and cold" and "in misery." She is clearly devoted to Fat Daddy and in need of his love and comfort.
The second verse reveals that Fat Daddy has been gone for some time and the woman has come to the realization that she has done him wrong. She has been searching for him all day, walking and hoping to find him. The woman admits that there are other men who are younger and more attractive, but she still loves Fat Daddy and wants him to come back to her. The bridge of the song reinforces the woman's need for Fat Daddy, expressing how she needs his love every night and his arms to hold her tight. The song ends with the woman declaring that no man can replace Fat Daddy in her heart and begging for him to bring it home to her.
Overall, "Fatdaddy" is a song about love and devotion. The woman in the lyrics is in love with Fat Daddy and is willing to put aside any issues they may have had in the past to be with him again. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the emotions behind them are intense and raw.
Line by Line Meaning
Fat daddy, bring it home to me
The singer is desperately begging for their lover, who they call 'Fat Daddy', to come home and be with them.
Yes I’m blue and cold, and in misery
The singer is feeling sad and lonely without Fat Daddy by their side.
I’ve been a-walkin’ around all day, lookin’ for ya baby
The singer has been searching for Fat Daddy all day because they need him so badly.
I walked the streets ‘til my feet got sore
The artist has been walking around so much looking for Fat Daddy that their feet hurt from all the walking.
Cried and cried, I can’t cry no more
The artist has cried so much over Fat Daddy's absence that they have run out of tears.
Fat daddy, you’ve been gone so long
The singer is lamenting that Fat Daddy has been away from home for a long time.
Yes I found out, that I done you wrong
The singer acknowledges that they have made a mistake and regrets hurting Fat Daddy.
I got men who are younger, and handsome too
The artist admits that they have other suitors who are younger and more attractive than Fat Daddy.
But they just don’t move me like you do
Despite these other suitors, the artist still only has strong feelings for Fat Daddy.
I need your lovin’ every night
The artist desires Fat Daddy's affection and intimacy on a regular basis.
Fat and forty and over the hill
Despite Fat Daddy's age, weight, and possibly declining health, the singer still loves him.
But you’re my meat and I love ya still
The artist endearingly refers to Fat Daddy as their 'meat' and expresses their continued love for him.
Say Long John claims to be your pal
Another man, Long John, asserts himself as a friend of Fat Daddy's.
But he been tryin’ to steal your gal
The singer accuses Long John of attempting to take Fat Daddy's significant other, likely the singer.
(There) ain’t no man (who) can take your place
The singer reassures Fat Daddy that no other man can replace him in their heart.
Contributed by Joseph J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gcolnr
Not only can he play fast, he can change shirts in the middle of a solo without missing a beat.... :-) One of the all time great players.
@MagnarNordal
Quicker than Lucky Luke!
@jamesquitadamo1917
And a guitar switch out. Did Oliver Stone produce this video?
@The_Unqualified
Martin G and guitars
@CesarClouds
Lol
@kevinmurphy65
I look at my hands and fingers and simply ask "WHY CANNOT YOU DO THIS?" Just freakin awesome.
@texasrebelsoul1102
LOL
@slotfreak7094
The guy is quite the talent on a global scale. I saw EJ in a joint with three hundred hundred other people in a place with a 250 apacity. I could have sneezed and infected him. He played thousands of notes in an hour, all of them in a beautiful array of patterns. Damn it was cool, hot, and astounding.
@randyjones5176
Technically proficient and melodic- amazing
@Claytone-Records
Randy Jones, And now he is giving mini lessons on YouTube every week during the Covid crunch.