Bonamassa was born in Utica, New York. He started playing guitar at age four, encouraged by his father, who was an avid music fan and exposed him to British blues rock records by Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, greatly inspiring him. At 11 years old Joe was mentored and trained by American guitar legend, Danny Gatton. When he was 12 years old, he had his own band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, which gigged around western New York and Pennsylvania, including cities such as Scranton and Buffalo, but only on weekends since Joe had school on weekdays. Bonamassa played a crimson 1972 Fender Stratocaster he called "Rosie", which his father had bought in Utica, New York.
When he was 12 years old, Bonamassa opened for B.B. King. In the last 13 years Bonamassa has put out 15 solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which 11 have reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. Bonamassa has played alongside such artists as Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Blondie Chaplin, Foreigner, Buddy Guy, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, Solomon Hicks,and Derek Trucks among others.[4] His career highlights include performances at the Royal Albert Hall and has had three Grammy Award nominations in 2013, for his collaboration album with Beth Hart "Seesaw", in 2016 for the album "Live at the Greek Theatre" and 2022 for the album "Royal Tea". In addition to his music career, Joe Bonamassa runs a nonprofit organisation called the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, whose mission is to further music education by funding scholarships and providing music education resources to schools in need. in 2020, he added an extension to the foundation. Called Fuelling Musicians, it provides $1500 cheques to struggling musicians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
in 2021, he broke his own record for having more #1 Billboard blues albums than anyone in history. The album "Time Clocks" clocked up his 25th #1 album.
He is also known for his enormous collection of vintage guitars and related gear.
Different Shades Of Blue
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gettin' away with murder, livin' a lucky life
All good things finally come to an end
Hit ya like a train if you try to beat it
Everybody knows that she broke your heart
Everybody knows that it's tearing you apart
The row you've been sailin' on sprung a leak
You won't admit, but it's startin' to make you weep
When you got nothing left to lose
Might sound good, but I'm not sure that's true
You carry the pain around and that's what sees you through
The different shades of blue
Tell by the way you hang your head
The way you cast your eyes and things you haven't said
You've gathered past ten years written on your face
Your whole damn life's been one big race
Everybody goes there whether they want to or not
Everybody starts to hold on to what they got
And start to settle in with the long hall
Real life baby, oh, you can't have it all
When you got nothing left to lose
Might sound good, but I'm not sure that's true
You carry the pain around and that's what sees you through
The different shades of blue
When you got nothing left to lose
Might sound good, but I'm not sure that's true
You carry the pain around and that's what sees you through
The different shades of blue
The lyrics of Joe Bonamassa's "Different Shades of Blue" are about the pain and struggles in life. The song begins with the singer acknowledging the good fortune and luck he has had in his life so far, but he realizes that it might not last forever. He describes the feeling of being hit by a train when good things come to an end. This could represent the feeling of sudden loss or change in life. The next lines talk about heartbreak and the aftermath of a shattered relationship. The singer admits to hiding his pain and remaining strong through "different shades of blue."
In the next verse, the singer notices the pain and the struggles that the people around him are going through but acknowledges that everyone has to go through it in their lifetime. He talks about settling down and accepting the long haul of real life. The song concludes with the chorus repeating the idea of the various shades of blue that represent the pain and struggles carried by people in their lives.
Overall, the song conveys the message that everyone has their struggles, and it's essential to acknowledge and come to terms with them. Rather than being afraid of the painful parts of life, one can embrace them as an inevitable part of the journey.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun's been shinin' down on me day and night
Things have been going well for me without any major issues or problems.
Gettin' away with murder, livin' a lucky life
I've been fortunate to avoid any consequences for my actions and have had a lot of good luck in life.
All good things finally come to an end
Eventually, everything good in life comes to an end and things will change.
Hit ya like a train if you try to beat it
If you try to resist or fight against the changes that are happening in life, it will feel overwhelming and like you've been hit by a train.
Everybody knows that she broke your heart
It's common knowledge that someone you cared about has caused you emotional pain and heartbreak.
Everybody knows that it's tearing you apart
Everyone can see that the heartbreak is affecting you deeply and causing you a lot of pain.
The row you've been sailin' on sprung a leak
The path you've been following in life has hit a snag or obstacle and is no longer smooth sailing.
You won't admit, but it's startin' to make you weep
You may not be willing to admit it, but the difficulties you're facing are beginning to affect you emotionally and causing you to cry.
When you got nothing left to lose
When you're at your lowest point in life and have lost everything, you may not have much left to lose.
Might sound good, but I'm not sure that's true
Even though the idea of having nothing left to lose sounds freeing, it may not actually be a positive thing for you.
You carry the pain around and that's what sees you through
You're carrying emotional pain with you, which is helping you endure and get through difficult times.
The different shades of blue
The various shades of blue represent the different emotions and experiences that come with carrying emotional pain and facing difficulties in life.
Tell by the way you hang your head
Your body language and facial expressions show that you're feeling down and defeated.
The way you cast your eyes and things you haven't said
Your eyes and the things you're not saying also reveal that you're struggling and dealing with a lot of emotional pain.
You've gathered past ten years written on your face
The way you look and carry yourself reflects the experiences and struggles you've faced over the past ten years.
Your whole damn life's been one big race
You've been rushing through life and always trying to get ahead, which has put a lot of pressure on you and caused stress.
Everybody goes there whether they want to or not
Everyone will end up facing difficult times and experiencing emotional pain, whether they prepared for it or not.
Everybody starts to hold on to what they got
When facing tough times, people tend to hold onto what they have left and try to make the best of the situation.
And start to settle in with the long hall
People learn to endure and settle in for the long haul when life gets tough.
Real life baby, oh, you can't have it all
In real life, it's impossible to have everything you want and things won't always go your way.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOE BONAMASSA, JAMES HOUSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ryanrobertson7480
My mother was killed by step dad, and my brother lost a battle with heroin. I found you sir. And haven't let go. I love the blues now, and Sir I love you for letting me get through this with your music
@MrAlbatros2
It is so sad to read this. Everything best to you. Keep on listening to this wonderful music
@sheilabarron5532
Ryan keep Good Memories of your Mama and Brother too I'm So Sorry I hope ya have people to share your days with Take it Easy The Blues are a Comfort God Bless Ya ✌❤
@ctfloresplaylistflores335
Sorry it's every were , keep everyone in prayer
@darthvader6847
Timothy McCaskey can you read? Read that again
@judithmcdonald2838
Keep listening
@TheRattleSnake93
One of the best guitarists in our days, with a modest lovely personality, need more people like him, very very good song
@deathies123
This song is Blues perfection. I can feel Joe's spirit as a musician in it. Thank you for the all beautiful music Joe!
@tomrone4314
I've been listening to the Blues for 45 years. Joe Bonamassa has developed into the best I've ever heard. This album is gonna be fantastic!
@davidhassall7252
The guy is a breath of fresh air for us ageing rockers.......long live Bonamassa.