Jimmie Vaughan's style was influenced by Freddie King who gave him personal advice. Also two other blues guitarists, Albert King and B. B. King, were important influences. Johnny "Guitar" Watson was another important early influence (Jimmie says that he and his younger brother Stevie studied Johnny "Guitar" Watson more than any other single guitarist).
Jimmie Vaughan developed his own personal style that is easily recognized. He formed the band The Fabulous Thunderbirds with singer and harpist Kim Wilson, bassist Keith Fergusson, and drummer Mike Buck. (The initial Fabulous Thunderbirds members were all proteges of Austin, Texas blues club owner, Clifford Antone.) The band's first four albums, released between 1979 and 1983, are ranked among the most important 'white blues' recordings. Sadly, since those early albums did not sell well, the band was left out without a recording contract for a couple of years (during the times when Jimmie's younger brother achieved popular success).
The Fabulous Thunderbirds got a new contract in 1986 and made several albums that featured more commercial pop-music sound and production styles. Jimmie left the band in 1989 and made a "duo album" called Family Style with his younger brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Before the album was released, Stevie died in a helicopter crash in Wisconsin on August 27, 1990. The album was released a few days after the tragic accident (the listed artist on the album was "Vaughan Brothers"). The album was light blues-influenced rock with Jimmie singing on several tracks.
Vaughan released his first solo album Strange Pleasure in 1994. The album contained a song "Six Strings Down" that was dedicated to the memory of his brother. He has continued his solo career since then. Vaughan's solo albums contain mostly blues-rock material that he writes himself.
In 2001, Vaughan paid an installment on his (and the Fabulous Thunderbirds') huge debt to harmonica swamp blues when he contributed guitar to the Lazy Lester album Blues Stop Knockin'.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Texas Flood
Jimmie Vaughan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All of the telephone lines are down
Well there's floodin' down in Texas
All of the telephone lines are down
And I've been tryin' to call my baby
Lord and I can't get a single sound
Well dark clouds are rollin' in
Well dark clouds are rollin' in
Man I'm standin' out in the rain
Yeah flood water keep a rollin'
Man it's about to drive poor me insane
Well I'm leavin' you baby
Lord and I'm goin' back home to stay
Well I'm leavin' you baby
Lord and I'm goin' back home to stay
Well back home are no floods or tornadoes
Baby and the sun shines every day
Jimmie Vaughan's song Texas Flood is a blues classic that describes a flooded Texas where all the telephone lines are down, and the singer is unable to get through to his lover. The song starts by painting a picture of the devastation and chaos brought about by the flood. The singer is in despair because he can't call his lover, and the profound silence is deafening. He is frustrated and helpless in trying to connect with the person he loves.
The second verse introduces a sense of impending doom, with dark clouds looming in the sky, and the singer standing out in the rain. The flood's relentless flow only adds to the misery, driving the singer to the brink of insanity. In the final verse, the singer feels he has had enough and decides to leave his lover behind, returning to the safety and sunshine of his home that is free from tornadoes and floods.
Overall, Texas Flood is a powerful and evocative song that uses a natural disaster to portray a sense of isolation and loss. It is a song that speaks to the deep human desire for connection and how that can be taken away by forces beyond our control.
Line by Line Meaning
Well there's floodin' down in Texas
There is severe flooding happening in Texas.
All of the telephone lines are down
The communication network is not working due to the flood.
And I've been tryin' to call my baby
The singer is trying to call his lover.
Lord and I can't get a single sound
The phone is not working due to the flood.
Well dark clouds are rollin' in
The weather is getting worse with dark clouds coming in.
Man I'm standin' out in the rain
The singer is standing in the rain.
Yeah flood water keep a rollin'
The floodwater is flowing continuously.
Man it's about to drive poor me insane
The situation is making the artist feel frustrated and helpless.
Well I'm leavin' you baby
The artist has decided to leave his lover.
Lord and I'm goin' back home to stay
The artist is going back to his hometown to settle down.
Well back home are no floods or tornadoes
The singer's hometown does not have any natural disasters like floods or tornadoes.
Baby and the sun shines every day
The weather in his hometown is always sunny.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH W. SCOTT, LARRY DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind