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.
Pain & Sorrow
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never let her down a day in my life
Tree's all around me
As I see the time pass me by
Never trade you for the world
Never do the things I used to
I guess it's not good enough
This I see
Life it hits me
Comes faster now day by day
Places that I've been
Are not the place I wanna be
Never trade you for the world
Never do the things I used to
I guess it's not good enough
This I see
And I'll remember happier times
Friday comes and goes
I guess I won't talk to you anymore
So many things unsaid
So many things I wanna say
Never trade you for the world
Never do the things I used to
I guess it's not good enough
This I see
But I'll remember happier times
And Now remember happier times
The lyrics of Joe Bonamassa's song "Happier Times" present a melancholic and nostalgic reflection of the singer's life as he contemplates his current state of being. He describes how his surroundings, like the trees around him, serve as a reminder of how time has passed him by. He acknowledges his faults and how he is not the man he used to be, but he insists that he would never trade his love interest for the world. Despite the situation's hopelessness, he holds onto the fond memories of his past and clings to the hope that he will experience "happier times" once again.
Joe Bonamassa's lyrics to "Happier Times" showcases his impressive songwriting skills as he paints a vivid picture of his emotions with a few simple yet powerful lines. The song's message speaks to the universal experience of growing older and not being able to recapture the past. It is about accepting one's faults and realizing that time marches forward, whether we like it or not. It also highlights the strength and endurance of true love, which can withstand the test of time and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The shape that I'm in
The current state of my life and being
Never let her down a day in my life
I have always been faithful and reliable to my loved one
Tree's all around me
I am surrounded by nature and its beauty
As I see the time pass me by
I am aware of how quickly time is passing me by
Never trade you for the world
I would never give up my love for anything in the world
Never do the things I used to
I have changed my ways and no longer engage in certain activities
I guess it's not good enough This I see
Despite my efforts, it still may not be enough to satisfy others or myself
But I'll remember happier times
I will hold onto memories of better days
Life it hits me
Life can be challenging and unexpected
Comes faster now day by day
Time flies and each day seems to go by quicker than the last
Places that I've been
The experiences and moments I have lived through
Are not the place I wanna be
I am not content with my current situation or surroundings
Friday comes and goes
Time passes quickly and routines can become repetitive
I guess I won't talk to you anymore
It seems as though communication with a loved one has been lost
So many things unsaid
There are things left unspoken between myself and others
So many things I wanna say
I still have so much to express and share with others
And Now remember happier times
Despite my current struggles, I am choosing to focus on the positive experiences of my past
Lyrics © Alfred
Written by: ERIC PRESSLEY, JOE BONAMASSA, RICHARD FELDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
marta sanimill
LOVE it. And love how respectful his audience/ fans were not to yell out and scream during his performance.
Gary Diller
Good' lord way out' there
M. Lou
Haunting song! Great sound!
If I were Joe's mom and dad, I'd be so proud of what a great musician Joe is, proud of how good-looking he is, proud of how well he's done! You, Joe's mom and dad, did good...very good!!! We, his fans, love your son too!
Gary Clark
The tightest well controlled artist I have ever have had the pleasure listing to.
M&E Dad
Dig it. Joe is a phenomenal talent. 😎🤟
Michael Lynch
Listening to this for the first time in years, Joe made it so uniquely epic and haunting that night , stunning sound from that guitar 😎 this is indeed the real fans favourite live song
Deep Zepp
I love Joe in the power trio thing. Let's the Groove, guitar and vocals shine.
정밀
Wow! Awesome sound!!
Vadiman Go!
Это то, что я хотел услышать сейчас! Вы все красавчики! Слежу за тобой, Joe. @sochirecords
Diane Wood
It feels super great to say... I found another way and I hope all of you do too. Happy 2020! 🌻 Thanks for sharing... I’m loving the different sounds! ❤️ it!