He frequently works as a guest musician for other bands. He has known to have performed with Dave Matthews Band, Karl Denson, and even with the Hungarian Ambassador to the United States.
Popper also played on Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the Spin Doctors' most successful album. His harmonica music can be heard in the feature film Blues Brothers 2000 (in which Blues Traveler appears). His harmonica was also featured on "What Would You Say", the second track on the Dave Matthews Band album, Under the Table and Dreaming.
John Popper was obese for most of the band's history. After undergoing angioplasty surgery in July 1999, he continued to have health problems having weighed near 400 lbs. In 2000, he underwent gastric bypass surgery, which led to a dramatic weight reduction.
He is an outspoken supporter of the Libertarian Party .
Open Letter
John Popper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it shall be done
Because you need a disciple
And I am one
And I believe
Because I do
Before I learned a thing
A disciple's role is hard because
Though he may never know for sure
He gives his faith and risks the danger
But then he's not alone anymore
But tell me please
I am down upon my knees
When they assign you rules
Is this wisdom made for fools
You're with me when I start to play
I will gladly pray if you preferred
If given the sacred word
Till then I'll keep loving you in the way
I do when I see your face in her
Then I know for sure
For every miracle that you have made me
She's the one that makes them real
I have to love what is beyond me
I'll never learn as much as I feel
But for a time I can understand
When she and I
I am at your command
You're with me when I start to play
I will gladly pray if you preferred
If given the sacred word
Till then I'll keep loving you in the way
I do when I see your face in her
Then I know for sure
By every faith that I've invested
By every lightning bolt and scar
By every name that you've been contested
You are the sum of what we are
When she's with me
We both can see
And the world is love
I can't drink in enough
You're with me when I start to play
I will gladly pray if you preferred
You give me the sacred word
Till then I'll keep loving you in the way
I do when I see your face in her
Then I know for sure
You're with me when I start to play
I will gladly ahhhh
You give me the sacred word
Till then I'll keep loving you in the way
I do when I see your face in her
Then I know for sure
Tell me you have again
She's a miracle
Amen
The lyrics to John Popper's song "Open Letter" are steeped in religious overtones and nuance. The song talks about the relationship between a disciple and their chosen deity, and how that relationship influences the disciple. The first stanza talks about the power dynamic between the deity and the disciple, with the deity being the one who assigns rules and the disciple obeying. It is a classic example of a religious relationship, where the deity is considered the ultimate authority, and the disciple submits to their will.
The second verse is more introspective and reflective, discussing the disciple's own faith and how it was innate before they learned more about religion. The disciple is aware of the risks of putting their faith in someone who is unseen, but they believe that it is worth it because otherwise, they feel alone. The chorus talks about how the disciple feels when they are with their "deity," whether they're playing music or just seeing the deity in someone else's face. The disciple can feel the presence of their deity, and they know that they are not alone.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to faith and spirituality. It shows the power of belief and how it can influence one's life. At the same time, it acknowledges the struggles and risks that come with having faith in something intangible. The song encourages people to believe in something greater than themselves and to find comfort in that belief.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me your will
Tell me what you want
And it shall be done
I'll do it for you
Because you need a disciple
You need a follower
And I am one
That's what I am
And I believe
I have faith
Because I do
I just do
Before I learned a thing
Even before I knew anything
I knew you
I knew who you were
A disciple's role is hard because
Being a follower is tough because
Though he may never know for sure
You might never be certain
He gives his faith and risks the danger
You put your faith on the line and risk
But then he's not alone anymore
But at least you're not alone
But tell me please
But can you tell me
I am down upon my knees
I'm literally kneeling down
When they assign you rules
When you're given instructions
Is this wisdom made for fools
Is this meant to be followed by everyone
You're with me when I start to play
I feel you're around when I'm playing music
I will gladly pray if you preferred
I'll pray if that's what you want
If given the sacred word
If I'm given your word
Till then I'll keep loving you in the way
Until then, I'll keep loving you my way
I do when I see your face in her
I know it's you when I see her face
Then I know for sure
And that's when I'm sure
For every miracle that you have made me
For every miracle you've made happen for me
She's the one that makes them real
She's the one who brings them to life
I have to love what is beyond me
I have to love what I can't understand
I'll never learn as much as I feel
I'll never fully understand what I feel
But for a time I can understand
But sometimes I feel like I do understand
When she and I
When she's with me
I am at your command
I feel like I'm doing what you want
By every faith that I've invested
By all my beliefs and trust
By every lightning bolt and scar
By all the pain and hurt I've been through
By every name that you've been contested
By all the names you've been called
You are the sum of what we are
You are everything we are
When she's with me
When she's by my side
We both can see
We both understand
And the world is love
And the world becomes love
I can't drink in enough
I can't get enough
I will gladly ahhhh
I will gladly...
Tell me you have again
Tell me again that you have
She's a miracle
She's a miracle
Amen
Amen
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CRUGIE RICCIO, JOHN C. POPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind