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.
Prisoner
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics
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But you're the only one I trust to show me the way
I always hear your voice
And in my dreams I hear you calling
Out my name
What is it about you?
Some kind of light shines from your face
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes,
I've been taken
I've been hypnotized
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes
Oh I've been taken
I've been hypnotized
Well eyes say everything
You want to keep me here forever, and I can't escape
One minute's so sincere,
Then you completely turn against me
And I'm afraid
And you don't have to say you love me,
'Cause if you want me now, I'll stay
And I can't turn away
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes
I've been taken,
Taken by surprise
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes
Oh I've been taken
I've been hypnotized
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes
I've been taken,
I've been hypnotized
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes
Oh I've been taken
I've been hypnotized
I'm like a prisoner
I'm like a prisoner
I'm like a prisoner
Captured in your eyes
Oh I've been taken,
I've been hypnotized yes
The lyrics of Joe Bonamassa's song "Prisoner" express the feeling of being captivated by someone to the point where it feels like being held captive, unable to escape their influence. The singer admires and trusts the person they address in the song, and sees them as a guiding light. Despite this admiration, they are also afraid of the effects of this person's power over them.
The lines "Some kind of light shines from your face / And I can't turn away" express the idea that the magnetism of this person is due to their inner light or aura, and the singer is completely under their spell. The lines "You want to keep me here forever, and I can't escape / One minute's so sincere, / Then you completely turn against me / And I'm afraid" reveal the confusion and sense of instability that comes with being so dependent on someone so inconsistent.
Overall, the song portrays the agony of being enslaved by love and passion without knowing how to escape from it. The singer is almost in awe of this person's hold over them, but at the same time, they feel trapped and uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never been wrong
I always trust my intuition and gut feeling
But you're the only one I trust to show me the way
Despite being always right, I rely on you to guide me because I believe in you
I always hear your voice
Your presence is constantly on my mind, and I hear your voice even when you're not around
And in my dreams I hear you calling
Your influence on me extends to my subconscious, and I dream of you calling out to me
Out my name
Your calling out my name in my dreams shows a deep personal connection between us
What is it about you?
I'm amazed and curious about your unique and captivating qualities
Some kind of light shines from your face
Your appearance emits an aura of positivity and warmth that is visually striking
And I can't turn away
Your presence and influence is too strong for me to ignore, and I'm drawn to you
I'm like a prisoner
Being affected by you is overwhelming and controlling, like being in captivity
Captured in your eyes
Your gaze holds power over me, and I cannot escape its hold
I've been taken
Your influence over me is undeniable and has already taken effect
I've been hypnotized
Your control over me is like being in a trance, where my thoughts and actions are influenced by you
You want to keep me here forever, and I can't escape
You have a desire to keep me close and not let me go, and I feel trapped by your desires
One minute's so sincere, Then you completely turn against me
Your behavior towards me is unpredictable and sometimes contradictory, leaving me unsure of where I stand
And I'm afraid
Your inconsistency and power over me trigger feelings of fear and vulnerability within me
And you don't have to say you love me, 'cause if you want me now, I'll stay
Your desire for me is enough to make me stay with you, even if you don't explicitly express love towards me
Taken by surprise
Your influence over me catches me off guard and leaves me in a state of shock and surprise
Oh I've been taken
Your hold on me is strong, and I have succumbed to your influence
I'm like a prisoner
Your power over me is like being in captivity, where my freedom and thoughts are limited by you
Captured in your eyes
Your eyes hold a deep power over me, leaving me unable to resist its hold
I've been taken
Your influence over me is undeniable, and I feel like I have been captured by you
I've been hypnotized
Your control over me is like being in a trance, where my thoughts and actions are influenced by you
Oh I've been taken
Your hold on me is powerful, and I have fallen under your spell
I'm like a prisoner
Being influenced by you is like being locked up, where I am under your control
Captured in your eyes
Your gaze is powerful and leaves me feeling like I have no control over my own thoughts and actions
Oh I've been taken
Your presence and influence over me have consumed me completely
I've been hypnotized
Your power over me is like being under a spell, leaving me without any control over myself
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN DESAUTELS, KAREN LAWRENCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind