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.
Lonesome Road Blues
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I have is my guitar and you
I turned thirty one years old today
All you gave me was that store bought blues
And I know how that lonesome
Lonesome road blues can be
Like a devil race car baby
I long for those days of simple times
Day's when guitar strings a cost a dime
I'm the only one for you there is
Help me down baby , hell that is yeah
And I know how that lonesome
Lonesome road blues can be
Like a devil race car baby
Lonesome road comfort me
Mmm mmmmm
I sold my soul for a pack of cigarettes yeah!
Mississippi is where I think my best
My string is crazy , I keep her sane
After me baby there's no one to blame
And I know how that lonesome
Lonesome road blues can be
Like a devil race car baby
Lonesome road comfort me
Like a devil race car baby
These ol' blues comfort me yeah
The lyrics to Joe Bonamassa's "Lonesome Road Blues" are about a man who is tired of his partner's constant heartache and only has his guitar as a constant companion. The song starts by the singer telling his partner that he doesn't need their constant heartache; all he has is his guitar and them. He then reveals that he has just turned 31 years old, but all his partner gave him was the "store-bought blues." This refers to the feeling of sadness or loneliness that is easily bought or found in a store.
The singer then talks about how he understands the struggles of the lonesome road blues, which is a reference to the feeling of loneliness or sadness that comes from being on the road alone. He compares it to a devil race car, which could refer to the fast-paced and dangerous lifestyle of a musician on tour. The line "Lonesome road comfort me" implies that he finds comfort in this feeling of loneliness because it is constant and familiar.
The next verse describes how the singer longs for simpler times, when guitar strings cost only a dime. He states that he is the only one for his partner, and although they may bring him down, he still wants them around. The singer then talks about how playing his guitar keeps him sane, and he has sold his soul for a pack of cigarettes. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the comfort the singer finds in the lonesome road blues.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need your constant heartache
I don't need you to constantly make me sad and miserable.
All I have is my guitar and you
My guitar is my only companion besides you.
I turned thirty one years old today
Today is my thirty-first birthday.
All you gave me was that store bought blues
All you gave me was those generic blues that everyone has heard before.
And I know how that lonesome
I am well aware of how lonely
Lonesome road blues can be
the blues can make one feel isolated and alone.
Like a devil race car baby
Fast and exhilarating, like a race car driven by the devil.
Lonesome road comfort me
The feeling of loneliness that comes with the blues is comforting to me.
I long for those days of simple times
I miss the days when life was simpler.
Day's when guitar strings a cost a dime
In those days, guitar strings were much cheaper.
I'm the only one for you there is
I am the only one you need in your life.
Help me down baby , hell that is yeah
Please take care of me, my dear.
I sold my soul for a pack of cigarettes yeah!
I made a deal with the devil for a pack of cigarettes.
Mississippi is where I think my best
I feel most at home and creative in Mississippi.
My string is crazy , I keep her sane
My guitar string may be unpredictable, but I am its calming influence.
After me baby there's no one to blame
If anything goes wrong after I'm gone, there's no one to blame but fate.
Like a devil race car baby
Fast and exhilarating, like a race car driven by the devil.
Lonesome road comfort me
The feeling of loneliness that comes with the blues is comforting to me.
Like a devil race car baby
Fast and exhilarating, like a race car driven by the devil.
These ol' blues comfort me yeah
These old blues bring me comfort.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOE BONAMASSA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alejandro Angeles
Joe is the personification of every guitar geek's dream. Godly skills and tons of beautiful guitars...
AdGG
It blows my mind how people can call him overrated. Joe's playing is 🔥
joe carolan
this song convinced me he is not over rated.
Musicman Mark
Anyone who says Joe is overrated does not play guitar !!
Perboir Moreira Filho
In my opinion, one of the greatest guitar players of all time. And he will be only 40 years old on May 8th, 2017. So, we can wait for more, much more.....
Marcello Jatosti
Powerful! Good voice. Clever and elegant solos. Tops!
The riff reminds me vaguely of Cream's "Crossroads"
James Glenn
Lord,how I love this tune!
The Truth Is In There
An absolute genius and a true living legend! In all the live performances I have watched of Joe I have never once heard him hit a 'bum' note or play something that sounded 'off'. There aren't many guitarists or musicians you can say that about, but he really is one of the greatest - EVER.
Mike gilford
He is perfection , the greatest guitarist I have ever heard
He is the GOAT 🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
LiamX
@Mike gilford Yes sir you are right! The greatest to have ever lived. I saw him live. It changed my life. He is a magician on the guitar. Pure emotion and energy. Once in a lifetime stuff!