Jimmy Rogers was born James A. Lane in Ruleville, Mississippi, and was raised in Memphis. Rogers learned the harmonica alongside his childhood friend Snooky Pryor, and as a teenager took up the guitar and played professionally in East St. Louis, Illinois (where he played with Junior Lockwood), before moving to Chicago in the mid-1940s after serving in the military. By 1946 he'd made his first record as a harmonica player and singer for the local Harlem label, although his name was not included on the label — the record was issued under the names "Memphis Slim and his Houserockers".
Rogers joined Waters the next year, with whom he helped shape the sound of the nascent Chicago Blues style. Although he had several successful releases of his own on Chess Records beginning in 1950 with "That's Alright", he stayed in Waters' band until leaving the band for a solo career in 1954. In the mid 1950s he enjoyed several successful record releases, most notably "Walking By Myself", but as the '50s drew to a close and interest in the blues waned, he gradually withdrew from the music business.
By the 1960s he was working mainly outside of music, until 1971 when fashions made him a reasonable draw in Europe, and he was able to record again, including a 1977 session with Waters. By 1982, Rogers was again a solo artist.
He continued touring and recording albums until his death in 1997, in Chicago.
Jimmy Rogers (1984) - (Compilation album of some pre-1960 songs)
Ludella (1990)
Jimmy Rogers with Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters (1991) - Live
Feelin' Good with special guest Rod Piazza (1994) Blind Pig
Sloppy Drunk (1998) - (Compact disc re-issue of original album released in December 1973)
Blue Bird (1994) - Analogue Productions Originals
Blues Blues Blues (1999)
The Complete Chess Recordings(1997)
You're the One
Jimmy Rogers Lyrics
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You are the one who really gave me a buzz
I didnt think I could last much longer
But that shows you just how wrong I was
You are my all-day study, baby
You are my midnight dream
You know I loves you, baby
You are the one who really gave me a buzz
I didnt think I could last much longer
But that shows you just how wrong I was
Now as I tuned in on my radio to try to get
The latest news
They made me feel so bad
The went and played the lonesome blues
You are the one who really gave me a buzz
I didnt think I could last much longer
But that shows you just how wrong I was
The lyrics of Jimmy Rodgers's "You're the One" reveal the singer's adoration for someone who gave them a "buzz," or a sense of excitement and joy. The singer acknowledges that they had doubted their ability to continue on, suggesting that this person's presence provided them with a newfound vitality. This sentiment is further emphasized in the lyrics that liken the person to an all-day study and a midnight dream, indicating that they are someone the singer constantly thinks about and desires. The song has a simple yet catchy melody and an upbeat tempo that accentuates the joyful sentiments expressed in the lyrics.
The line "They made me feel so bad, they went and played the lonesome blues" suggests that the singer had been feeling down, but the idea of the person they love made them feel better. The use of the phrase "the lonesome blues" also reflects the origin of the song in the blues genre. Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of unbridled joy that comes from finding someone who brings happiness and excitement into one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
You are the one who really gave me a buzz
You are the one who has made me happy and excited in life
I didn’t think I could last much longer
I thought I would never find happiness and contentment in my life
But that shows you just how wrong I was
You have proved me wrong by giving me happiness and contentment in my life, which I never thought was possible
You are my all-day study, baby
You are the one I think about all the time, throughout the day
You are my midnight dream
You are the one I dream about at night, and my dreams are filled with happiness and contentment because of you
You know I loves you, baby
You know that I love you, and I will always love you
Better than anyone I've ever seen
You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I cannot imagine my life without you
Now as I tuned in on my radio to try to get the latest news
As I was trying to keep up with what was happening in the world
They made me feel so bad
The news made me feel sad and depressed
The went and played the lonesome blues
The radio station played music that made me feel even more sad and lonely
Writer(s): J.a. Lane, Jimmy Rogers
Contributed by David B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.