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.
Let The Good Times Roll
Freddie King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's in my heart, and why I love you so
I love you baby like a miner loves gold
Come on sugar, let the good times roll, hey!
So many people live in make believe
They keep a lot a going up their sleeves
But my love baby is no kind that folds
(Let the good times roll)
Ah baby, come on and let daddy fill your soul
Baby, let the good times roll
Hey!
A love is nice if it's understood
It's even nicer when you're feelin' good
You got me flippin' like flag on a pole
Come on sugar, let the good times roll
Hey! Yeah! Let the good times roll!
Feel me baby! Come on, good times roll!
Come on and let me fill your soul
Hey, let the good times roll
The lyrics to Freddie King's "Let The Good Times Roll" appear to be a testament to the joyful and carefree nature of a blossoming relationship. The singer exults in his feelings for his lover, insisting that others cannot understand the depth and sincerity of his emotions, yet he hopes that his partner will indulge him and join in on the celebrations of their love. King compares his affection to a miner savoring gold or a banner waving proud in the wind, emphasizing the completeness and intensity of his devotion. He also laments the many people who put on sham appearances of happiness in order to please others, but insists that his own love is genuine and unwavering, and that he hopes his lover will join him in living life to the fullest.
In essence, the lyrics of "Let The Good Times Roll" exude the feeling of youthful exuberance and an unbridled, exultant passion for life and love. There is a strong sense of revelry and playfulness throughout the song, as though the world is a playground and the singer and his lover are determined to make the most of every second they have together. By invoking images of gold, banners, and flags, the song celebrates the enduring quality of love and the power of youthful vitality to overcome all obstacles. Overall, "Let The Good Times Roll" is a reminder that life is beautiful and that shared love, joy, and happiness are the greatest treasures we can possess.
Line by Line Meaning
People talkin' but they just don't know
Many people may talk, but they don't have knowledge of my heart.
What's in my heart, and why I love you so
They don't understand what's in my heart and why I love you.
I love you baby like a miner loves gold
I love you like a miner cares for gold found deep in the earth.
Come on sugar, let the good times roll, hey!
Let's have a great time together, oh yeah!
So many people live in make believe
Numerous people live in a fantasy land, not in reality.
They keep a lot a going up their sleeves
They hold so much hidden behind the curtain.
But my love baby is no kind that folds
My love isn't of the type that fades away.
Come On Baby, let the good times roll
Let's have some fabulous fun time, baby.
(Let the good times roll)
Damn, just roll with it, baby!
Ah baby, come on and let daddy fill your soul
Baby, let me bring joy to your life.
Baby, let the good times roll
Come on, baby, let's just have fun.
Hey!
Yeah, let's go!
A love is nice if it's understood
Love is great if both hearts are in sync.
It's even nicer when you're feelin' good
It's even better when you feel great.
You got me flippin' like flag on a pole
You make my heart race like a flag flipping in the wind.
Come on sugar, let the good times roll
Let's enjoy our lives, honey.
Hey! Yeah! Let the good times roll!
Hell yeah, let's just roll with it!
Feel me baby! Come on, good times roll!
Feel my love, baby, let's have a great time!
Come on and let me fill your soul
Let me bring happiness into your life.
Hey, let the good times roll
Let's just have an awesome time together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JON LEVINE, MARTIN JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
blues dogg music /rediker
this version is awesome!!!
Todd Keller
Thanks for posting....I love me some Freddie King
infamous
whenever i listen this ....... i feel nostalgic but it's classic. i think flo rida did a awesome job in his single "let it roll"
slik willy
Agreed. Albert was my fave outta the three. As a dyed in the wool JW fan I'm always interested in listening to that which formed his style. Quite frankly, I think Freddie and Albert really impacted the early rockers as much as blues players. (of course r&r is just the blues at a different tempo anyhoo.
blues dogg music /rediker
LIKE MUDDY SAID "the blues had a baby and they named it rock and roll"
ssurfcity
Freddie & Albert WERE Blues musicians.
slik willy
@ssurfcity no doubt but Freddie was a rocker as well as Leon Russell knew full well.
blues dogg music /rediker
@ssurfcity the truest statement ive ever heard!!
babydaddy
My favorite of the three kings by far. Freddy had some Sting
BjavaBbotBme
So many fine uploads on your channel! Thanks ;)