John Watson, Jr. was born February 3, 1935 in Houston, Texas. His father John Sr. was a pianist, and taught his son the instrument. But young Watson was immediately attracted to the sound of the guitar, in particular the electric guitar as practiced by the "axe men" of Texas: T-Bone Walker and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown.
His grandfather, a preacher, was also musical. "My grandfather used to sing while he'd play guitar in church, man," Watson reflected many years later. When Johnny was 11, his grandfather offered to give him a guitar if, and only if, the boy didn't play any of the "devil's music"--blues. Watson agreed, but "that was the first thing I did." A musical prodigy, Watson played with Texas bluesmen Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland.
His parents separated in 1950, when he was 15. His mother moved to Los Angeles, and took Johnny with her.
In his new city, Watson won several local talent shows. This led to his employment, while still a teenager, with Jump blues style bands such as Chuck Higgins' Mellotones and Amos Milburn. He worked as a vocalist, pianist, and guitarist.
He quickly made a name for himself in the African-American juke joints of the West Coast, where he was billed as "Young John Watson" until 1954. That year, he saw the Sterling Hayden film "Johnny Guitar," and a new handle was born.
He affected a swaggering, yet humorous personality, indulging a taste for flashy clothes and wild showmanship on stage. His attack resulted in him often needing to change the strings on his guitar once or twice a show, because he "stressified on them" so much, as he put it.
His seminal blues album "Gangster of Love" was recorded in 1953 or 54, and first released on Keen Records (where Sam Cooke was another artist) in 1957. It was not especially heralded at the time--the title song in particular was too fast, too raw, and too witty, especially compared to the likes of the then-kingpins of blues Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Watson's ferocious "Space Guitar" of 1954 pioneered guitar feedback and reverb. (He played it without a pick.) Watson would later influence a subsequent generation of white pop musicians, especially guitarists, who struggled to master the Jimi Hendrix-like complexity of Watson's technique.
Johnny Guitar Watson died of a heart attack on May 17, 1996 while on stage in Japan.
Looking Back
Johnny "Guitar" Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A pretty girl did I meet
She's looking all so sweet
Just Angel from her head to her feet
I was looking back to see
If she was looking back to see
If I was looking back at her
She wore such a beautiful smile
She must have been a beautiful child
Man she was all so neat
Just an Angel from her head to her feet
I was looking back to see
If she was looking back to see
If I was looking back at her
Her hair was curly shining black
Her shoes and bag were just of lack
She wore the very best of clothes
And also black and shiny nylon hose
I was looking back to see
If she was looking back to see
If I was looking back at her
I was looking back
She was looking back
I was looking back at her
I was looking back to see
If she was looking back to see
If I was looking back at her
In "Looking Back" by Johnny "Guitar" Watson, the singer walks down the street and comes across a pretty girl who catches his eye. He is immediately struck by her beauty and notes that she looks like an angel from head to toe. As he continues to walk, he looks back to see if she is also looking back at him. He describes the girl as having curly black hair, being well-dressed with shiny nylon hose, and wearing a beautiful smile. The song repeats the singer's desire to look back and see if the girl is doing the same, creating a sense of longing and the possibility of a missed connection.
The song's lyrics are reminiscent of the doo-wop genre of the late 1950s and early 1960s, in which a male singer would often sing about his admiration for a beautiful girl. In this case, Johnny "Guitar" Watson adds his signature guitar licks to create a unique sound that blends R&B, blues, and rock and roll. "Looking Back" could be seen as a tribute to this era of music, which was still popular when the song was released in 1961. The song also contains a bit of playful humor, as Watson describes the girl's clothing with the phrase "just of lack," which likely means the bag and shoes looked expensive and high-quality.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was walking down the street
While I was strolling around the area
A pretty girl did I meet
I crossed paths with a beautiful lady
She's looking all so sweet
She appeared very charming and delightful
Just Angel from her head to her feet
She looked heavenly from top to bottom
I was looking back to see
I turned my head to glance behind me
If she was looking back to see
To check if she had turned her head to look back at me
If I was looking back at her
To confirm if I had also turned my head to look back at her
She wore such a beautiful smile
Her facial expression displayed a gorgeous grin
She must have been a beautiful child
She probably looked pretty since she was a kid
Man she was all so neat
She was very tidy and well-presented
Just an Angel from her head to her feet
From her head to her feet, she resembled an angel
Her hair was curly shining black
Her curls looked dark and glossy
Her shoes and bag were just of lack
Her shoes and bag were plain
She wore the very best of clothes
She dressed in the finest garments
And also black and shiny nylon hose
She had black and lustrous nylon stockings on
I was looking back
I turned my head again
She was looking back
She also turned her head to look back
I was looking back at her
I had my attention back on her and was checking her out
I was looking back to see
I glanced back once more to observe her
If she was looking back to see
To see if she too was attempting to sneak a peek at me
If I was looking back at her
I wondered if I was being as inconspicuous as I assumed
Writer(s): Johnny Guitar Watson
Contributed by Anthony H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ogdendugler
So great! Thanks for sharing.
LadLabel
Johnny is great!! John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers version brought me here
Ian ballantyne
This is great. Dr. Feelgood's version brought me here.
Ian ballantyne
@Andrew Conicello No worries. Hopefully you won't be disappointed. It's excellent.
Andrew Conicello
Thanks for the info. I'm gonna check out their version.
Chris Coughlin
Tough to beat Mayall's take on this - with the Green God himself.
RIP Greeny.
https://youtu.be/j94TIZBj2Vk
Ken Adams
I like it!
Adrienne Walker
Rocks! 😎
Sven Bornemark
Sweet!! <3
dil Currie
Peter Green brought me here... This is awesome.