King's mother, Ella May King, and her brother, who both played the guitar, began teaching him to play at the age of six. He liked and imitated the music of Lightnin' Sam Hopkins and saxophonist Louis Jordan. He moved with his family from Texas to the southside of Chicago in 1950. There, at age 16 he used to sneak in to local clubs, where he heard blues music performed by the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Howlin Wolf took him under his wing (or paw), and Freddie also began jamming with Muddy Waters' sidemen, who included Eddie Taylor, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Lockwood Jr. and Little Walter.
By 1952 he had started gigged at night and working days in a steel mill (by then he had married a Texas girl, Jessie Burnett). He got occasional work as a sideman on recording sessions. Two bands that he played with during this period were the Sonny Cooper Band, and Early Payton's Blues Cats. He formed the first band of his own, the Every Hour Blues Boys, with guitarist Jimmy Lee Robinson and drummer Sonny Scott.
In 1953 he made some recordings for Parrot. In 1956 he recorded "Country Boy", a duet with Margaret Whitfield, and "That's What You Think", an uptempo blues. This was for a local label, El-Bee. Robert Lockwood Jr. appeared as a sideman on guitar.
In 1959 he met Sonny Thompson, a pianist who worked for the King/Fedreal label. In 1960, he himself signed with that label; while there he often shared songwriting credits, and participated in marathon recording sessions, with Thompson. On August 26, 1960, he recorded "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" and "Hide Away", which were to become two of his most popular tunes. His debut release for the label was "You've Got To Love Her with Feeling". His second release on King/Federal was "I Love the Woman". "Hide Away" was used as the B side for this disk; that tune, a 12-bar mid-tempo shuffle in E with an infectious theme in the head section, and a memorable stop-time break that featured some robust-sounding work on the bass strings, was destined to become one of his signiature numbers. It was an adaptation of a tune by Hound Dog Taylor. It was named "Hide Away" after a popular bar in Chicago. Strictly an instrumental -- guitar with rhythm section -- it delighted everyone by crossing over and reaching #29 on the pop chart. It was later covered by Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Canadian guitarist Jeff Healy, and likely a majority of the bar blues bands on Planet Earth. After the success of "Hide Away", the label, which was presided over by one Syd Nathan, got Freddie and Sonny Thompson to work on making more instrumentals. This they did, producing over 30 of them during the next five years. The following is a partial list: "The Stumble," "Low Tide," "Wash Out," "Sidetracked", "San-Ho-Zay," "Heads Up," "Onion Rings," and "The Sad Nite Owl". Freddie became popular with a young white audience, in Britain as well as the United States, and his playing was a major influence on the upcoming breed of rock guitarists. During this period he was touring frequently along with the big R&B acts of the day such as Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, James Brown. His band included his brother Benny Turner on bass; and Tyrone Davis, who would later become known in his own right, was the driver and valet.
On the personal side, Freddie was fond, perhaps overly fond, of the Chicago night life. His official website refers to him "Gambling til dawn in the backroom of Mike's cleaners." His wife, now with six children, decided to move back to Texas. Once there, she called Syd Nathan and demanded that he send her some of the royalty money due to her husband. To his credit, he sent her two thousand dollars, with which she made the down payment on a house. Realising that the family were definitely not coming back to Chicago, Freddie, in the spring of 1963, himself moved back to Texas to rejoin them.
His contract with King/Federal expired in 1966. That same year, while making a series of appearances on an R&B program called "The!!!Beat", he was noticed by Atlantic Records front man King Curtis, and in 1968 he signed with the Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion Records. He released two records for them (see Recordings), both of which showcased his vocal talents. They were not overwhelming commercial successes; however, his first overseas tour, in 1968, was a resounding triumph, being extended from one month to three. He was "amazed by his popularity in England."1
In 1969 he hired a young member of the "counter culture", Jack Calmes, to be his manager. Calmes got him booked at the 1969 Texas Pop Festival, alongside Led Zeppelin and others; and got him signed to Leon Russell's new label, Shelter Records. Shelter records was based in Oklahoma, and featured blues/rock performers such as Linda Ronstadt and Joe Cocker. The company treated Freddie as an important artist, flying him to Chicago to the former Chess studios for th recording of his first album, and giving him a supporting cast of top-calibre session musicians -- including Russell, a rock pianist.
As were many of the top bluesmen of his generation, he was now playing what he affectionately called the "Fillmore circuit", playing alongside the big rock acts of the day for a young, mainly white, audience. As a result of his touring with Eric Clapton, the two became good friends -- Clapton held him in very high esteem -- and following his term at Shelter Records, Freddie signed with the label Clapton was recording for, RSO. His first album there, Burglar, was produced by Clapton, and had him playing on several tracks.
He continued to tour heavily. He died in Dallas in 1976 from a heart attack and complications arising from bleeding ulcers and pancreatitis. He was just 42 years of age.
I'm Tore Down
Freddie King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
Well, I went to the river
My baby showed up and said
'I will tell you when'
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
I love you baby
With all my heart an' soul
A love like mine will never grow old
I love you in the mornin'
And in the evenin', too
But ev'rytime you leave me
I get mad with you
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
I love you, baby with all my might
A love like mine is out of sight
I'll lie for you if you want me to
I really don't believe your love is true
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
A-well I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
The song "I'm Tore Down" is a blues riff-driven track with introspective lyrics that poignantly express love loss and the feelings of being crushed. The opening lines, "I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground," set the tone for the song and emphasize the singer's emotional emptiness. The line, "When my baby can't be found," suggests that the singer is suffering from loneliness in the absence of his lover.
The second verse of the song reveals that the singer has gone to the river to commit suicide, a common theme in blues music. However, the singer's lover appears and assures him that she will help him through his trouble. The third verse reiterates the singer's love for his partner, but also shows his frustration with her leaving him, leading him to feel "mad" with her. The final verse of "I'm Tore Down" exposes the singer's lack of trust towards his lover, despite his deep love for her.
The lyrics of "I'm Tore Down" reflect the futility and pain of love. The way King's voice is rough and rugged, and the simplicity of the music, perfectly capture the sentiment behind the lyrics. The combination of the soulful lyrics, intense guitar playing, and King's delivery create a powerful and emotional listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm tore down
I feel defeated and broken
I'm almost level with the ground
I'm so low that I'm almost on the ground
Well, I feel like this
This is what I go through
When my baby can't be found
When my lover is not around
Well, I went to the river
I tried to escape my sadness
To jump in
By committing suicide
My baby showed up and said
My lover appeared and intervened
'I will tell you when'
'I'll let you know when I'm back'
I love you baby
I have deep affection for my lover
With all my heart an' soul
I love her completely
A love like mine will never grow old
I'll always be in love with her
I love you in the mornin'
I love her all day long
And in the evenin', too
My affection for her is 24/7
But ev'rytime you leave me
Whenever she's gone
I get mad with you
I feel angry and frustrated
I love you, baby with all my might
I love her with all my strength
A love like mine is out of sight
My love for her is beyond measure
I'll lie for you if you want me to
I'm willing to do anything for you
I really don't believe your love is true
I have doubts about her love for me
A-well I'm tore down
I'm still feeling broken
I'm almost level with the ground
I'm still very low
Well, I feel like this
This is what I go through
When my baby can't be found
When my lover is not around
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sonny Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kosi's catharsis
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
Well, I went to the river
To jump in
My baby showed up and said
'I will tell you when'
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
I love you baby
With all my heart an' soul
A love like mine will never grow old
I love you in the mornin'
And in the evenin', too
But ev'rytime you leave me
I get mad with you
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
I love you, baby with all my might
A love like mine is out of sight
I'll lie for you if you want me to
I really don't believe your love is true
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
A-well I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I'm tore down
I'm almost level with the ground
Well, I feel like this
When my baby can't be found
Liya Monakhova
I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
Well, I feel like this when my baby can't be found.
I went to the river to jump in.
My baby showed up and said, "I will tell you when."
Well, I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
Well, I feel like this when my baby can't be found.
I love you babe with all my heart and soul;
Love like mine will never grow old.
Love you in the morning and in the evening too.
Every time you leave me I get mad with you.
I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
Well, I feel like this when my baby can't be found.
I love you baby with all my might;
Love like mine is out of sight.
I'll lie for you if you want me to.
I really don't believe that your love is true.
I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
Well, I'm tore down, I'm almost level with the ground.
Well, I feel like this when my baby can't be found.
petergorm
He was a giant. Musically and physically! Also I love the setup, including the girls in the front. What a master of the guitar he was.
Psycho Sally
I agree. This man seemed to pour himself into the music.
pretorious700
Dancers are killing it!!!
Rick Mansur
How good is this? I can't believe this. A very young Freddie King.
Jeff Sartain
This video is priceless since it is a snapshot in time. Viva the memory and music of Freddie King!
leshtricity
damn, they don't make em like this anymore. what a shame that music like this is almost forgotten.
Sluggo5112
As good as it gets!
Mark Dowling
Freddie King is just bad ass and this is him at his prime I just loved Freddie King
Mark J
"Of all the people I've played with, the most stimulating in an onstage situation was Freddie King. He could be pretty mean but subtle with it. He'd make you feel at home and then tear you to pieces... He taught me just about everything I needed to know... when and when not to make a stand... when and when not to show your hand. . . and most important of all... how to make love to a guitar." – Eric Clapton
AR-Sith F.Austin
Mark Joel perfection? We only pray it isn't so... But sounds so GREAT doing it to it.