(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
I'm Finding You
Eric Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One way leading to your light
Sooner or later don't you know
Sooner or later I'm finding you
Oh I'm finding you
What am I supposed to do right now?
Till I'm finding you...
For this silhouette of mine
Soon when I find you, I will see
Yes, when I find you, waiting for me.
Oh I'm finding you
What am I supposed to do right now?
Till I'm finding you.
Highway stretch into the night
One way leading to your light
Sooner or later, don't you know
Sooner or later, I'm finding you.
Oh I'm finding you.
Now I know what I will do right now
Ill be finding you.
Sooner or later don't you know
Sooner or later I will find you
The lyrics to Eric Johnson's song "I'm Finding You" suggest a journey towards a destination, with the highways stretching into the night and leading to a light that signifies the mystery of the person the singer is searching for. The repeated refrain of "Sooner or later, I'm finding you" indicates a determination to reach this goal, even if the singer doesn't know exactly what to do in the moment. The silhouette mentioned in the second verse suggests an incomplete understanding of this person, but the singer is confident that they will see them fully once they are found.
The use of highways as a metaphor for a journey towards a person or goal is common in popular music, but the way that Johnson repeats the refrain of "Sooner or later" gives the song a sense of inevitability and persistence. The uncertainty in the second verse is balanced out by the confidence in the chorus, which creates a compelling emotional arc for the song. Ultimately, the lyrics of "I'm Finding You" suggest a journey of discovery and connection that is well worth the effort.
Line by Line Meaning
Highways stretch into the night
The highways lead into the night, like an uncertain journey into the dark unknown.
One way leading to your light
There is only one path that leads towards the illuminating light ahead.
Sooner or later don't you know
It is inevitable that at some point in time, one will cross paths with the light.
Sooner or later I'm finding you
Eventually, I will find my way towards the light.
Oh I'm finding you
I am on a mission to find the light that shines so bright.
What am I supposed to do right now?
What should I do at this moment in time to get closer to the light?
Till I'm finding you...
Until I reach my destination, I must continue forward.
You've got mystery inside
Within the light lies unknown possibilities and secrets waiting to be discovered.
For this silhouette of mine
I am seeking answers, trying to find a place in the shadows.
Soon when I find you, I will see
Once I find the light, all will become clearer.
Yes, when I find you, waiting for me.
There is a sense of destiny that guides me towards the light.
Now I know what I will do right now
I am aware of my next step to reach my ultimate goal.
Ill be finding you.
I will do all I can to reach the light.
Sooner or later I will find you
Eventually, my journey will lead me towards the light.
Contributed by Natalie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MMMarvelous
I played with singer/bassist Rob Alexander for 2 months in late 1992. I owned a restaurant/bar here in Montgomery, AL then and was the leader/keyboardist of the house band and hired him when my bassist quit. He played a 6-string bass (I think it was an Alembic) and would sometimes do solo songs on it, just him on vocal and his bass, made it sound almost like an electric piano. Incredible singer & player, got a degree in Jazz at Auburn. He could hit any note, sang "Jane" by Jefferson Starship & pegged the big high note right after the solo. He later played with Hank Jr of all people & is now a Christian singer/musician & affiliated with a megachurch in the NE Orlando area. One of the most talented guys I ever saw in a bar band or played with. Here's a nice proferssional live video I found of him - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsmrmEVvpYY
Stratocat222
@MMMarvelous thank you so much for the reply and for sharing this. I didn't recognize him! I always wondered what happened to him. Thanks MM.
MMMarvelous
@Stratocat222 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsmrmEVvpYY --- that is him performing at his church in Florida, and it looks as good as any live video recorded anywhere with multiple cameras.
Stratocat222
Wondered what happened to him?He has a beautiful voice. I would love to know what projects he has done since he played with Eric.
TomTrix99
Discovered this song on spotify, and thought "Damn, Eric Johnson had on hell of a voice in 84" see that wasnt the case, but a damn good performance by both guys anyways though!
Will Gibson
TomTrix99 thats exactly what i did
Bobby Harlan
one of the most versatile guitarists ever has a totally different sound with his beautifull finger picking techniques a ND with his lightning fast pentatonic solos sets him apart from the rest awesome just freakin awesome I truly recognize him as the best and has been mine for many years me i me a confiden player 53 yrs but I truly admire what he does and how he does it keep on rocking ERIC lifetime fan here
m a confident player 53 yrs but I truly look up to this man the artist
fav for many yrs
Mauricio Cortes
It's such a beautiful song, amazing... I love it.
zaccyo
god DAMN, he sang that well!
doctorwholittle
I miss Rob Alexander! He and Steve Meador were the best rhythm section EJ ever had.