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's 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 Sam Cooke's Keen Records 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 Hendrix-like complexity of Watson's technique.
He toured and recorded with good friend Larry Williams, as well as Little Richard, Don & Dewey, The Olympics, and Johnny Otis. He also played with Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert and George Duke. But as the fortunes of blues declined and the era of soul music ascended in the 1960s, Watson in his inimicable style transformed himself from a southern blues singer with a pompadour into an urban soul singer with a pimp hat. He went all out--gold teeth, broad-brimmed hats, fly suits, designer shades, and bling made him one of the most colorful figures in the West Coast funk circle.
He modified his music accordingly. LPs like "Ain't That a Bitch" and "Real Mother For Ya" were landmark recordings in 70's funk. (Watson appeared on the cover of "Real Mother For Ya" sitting in a soapbox Rolls-Royce pushed by his mother.) "Telephone Bill" (on "Love Jones," 1980) featured complex, rapid-fire lyrics that foreshadowed rap music. His subsequent LPs employed "the computer sound," and popularized it.
In his exhaustively researched book "Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke" (2005), Peter Guralnick claims that Watson was an actual pimp, as well as a performer! However, Watson felt "ambivalent" about macking girls, even though it paid better than music.
The shooting death of his friend Larry Williams in 1980 and other personal setbacks led to Watson briefly withdrawing from the spotlight in the Eighties. "I got caught up with the wrong people doing the wrong things," he was quoted as saying by the New York Times. Nevertheless, a series of summer appearances in France resulted in his becoming known there as the "Godfather of Funk."
The release of his album "Bow Wow" in 1994 brought Watson more visibility and chart success than he had ever known. The album received a Grammy nomination, and retrospective releases of his work showered him with critical acclaim.
In a 1994 interview with David Ritz for liner notes to "The Funk Anthology," Watson was asked if his 1980 song "Telephone Bill" anticipated rap music. "Anticipated?" Watson replied. "I damn well invented it!... And I wasn't the only one. Talking rhyming lyrics to a groove is something you'd hear in the clubs everywhere from Macon to Memphis. Man, talking has always been the name of the game. When I sing, I'm talking in melody. When I play, I'm talking with my guitar. I may be talking trash, baby, but I'm talking."
In 1995, he was given a Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation in a presentation and performance ceremony at the Hollywood Palladium.
His international bookings soared. Back home, his music was sampled by Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige. He sometimes would enter the studio with rappers, at their request. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre borrowed P-Funk's adaptation of Watson's catchphrase "Bow Wow Wow yippi-yo yippi-yay" for Snoop's hit "What's My Name."
"Johnny was always aware of what was going on around him," recalled Susan Maier Watson (later to become the musician's wife) in an interview printed in the liner notes to the Collectables album "The Very Best of Johnny 'Guitar' Watson." "He was proud that he could change with the times and not get stuck in the past."
Watson died on stage May 17, 1996, while on tour in Yokohama, Japan. His remains were brought home for internment at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
I Want To Ta-Ta You Baby
Johnny 'Guitar' Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We fell in love so fast
Anyone could tell
This kind o' love has gotta last, last
Ta ta you, baby, thank you
I wanna ta ta you, baby, thank you, yeah
For bein' mine, mine, mine, mine
Oh you're mine
Remembering when I first saw you, baby
How I wished, I wished that you were mine
You know what I did
Had a little talk with the man upstairs, I said
I said Lord, won't you please make her mine
Ta ta you, baby, oh, thank you
I wanna ta ta you, baby, thank you
I wanna ta ta you, baby, thank you
For bein' mine, mine, mine, oh mine
Ain't no girl in the whole round world
For me, but you, you, it's you
Don't you understand, baby
I'm gonna be a man, baby
My love, my love is so true
It's true, it's true, so true, so true, baby
Ow, get me a guitar
Oh ta ta, baby
Ta ta you, I thank you, baby
I wanna ta ta you, oh oh oh oh, baby, thank you, baby
I wanna ta ta you, I got to thank you, baby
For bein' mine, mine, mine, mine
I'm so glad you're mine, baby, mine
You're mine
Ta ta you, ta ta you, ta ta you, ta ta you, baby
I wanna ta ta you, I got to thank you, thank you, thank you
I wanna ta ta you, oh, it's so nice having you, baby, yes it is
For bein' mine, you're mine, you're mine
Mine, you're mine, mine, mine
Ta ta you, oh oh oh, baby
I wanna ta ta you, I just wanna thank you, baby
Thank you, baby
The song "I Want To Ta-Ta You Baby" by Johnny 'Guitar' Watson is a love song filled with gratitude and appreciation for his partner. He sings about his love and how grateful he is for having her in his life. The song begins with him reminiscing about the first time he saw her and how quickly they fell in love. The kind of love they share, as he sings, has to last. He expresses his gratitude for her and the fact that she is his. He tells her repeatedly that he wants to "ta-ta" her, which can be interpreted as a desire to show her affection or love.
The lyrics then delve deeper into the love that the singer feels for his partner. He talks about how he wished for her to be his from the first time he laid eyes on her. He even prayed to the Lord to make her his. There isn't any girl in the world for him but her, and his love is true. He is so glad that she is his, and he can't stop thanking her for being his.
Line by Line Meaning
Thinkin' 'bout the first time I saw you baby, ha yeah
Remembering the moment when I first laid my eyes on you, my dear
We fell in love so fast
Our love blossomed in the blink of an eye
Anyone could tell
It was evident to everyone around us
This kind o' love has gotta last, last
This sort of love is meant to last forever and ever
Ta ta you, baby, thank you
I desire to express my gratitude to you, my love
I wanna ta ta you, baby, thank you, yeah
I want to repeatedly thank you for being in my life, my love
I wanna ta ta you, baby, I got to thank you
I can't resist thanking you and being grateful for having you in my life, my love
For bein' mine, mine, mine, mine
Being the one meant for me, you belong to me, my love
Oh you're mine
You belong to me, my love
Remembering when I first saw you, baby
I fondly remember the first time I saw you, my dear
How I wished, I wished that you were mine
I constantly wished that you were mine, my love
You know what I did
You understand what I did, my love
Had a little talk with the man upstairs, I said
I spoke to the almighty and expressed my desire to have you by my side, my love
I said Lord, won't you please make her mine
I begged the lord to set his eyes on my wishes and make you mine, my love
Ain't no girl in the whole round world
There is no girl in this entire world
For me, but you, you, it's you
Other than you, it's no one else for me, my love
Don't you understand, baby
Don't you see, my love?
I'm gonna be a man, baby
I am going to become a man, my love
My love, my love is so true
My love for you is genuine and true, my love
It's true, it's true, so true, so true, baby
It's the absolute truth, my love
Ow, get me a guitar
I want to get my guitar
Oh ta ta, baby
Oh, my love, ta ta
I'm so glad you're mine, baby, mine
I'm so happy that you belong to me, my love
Ta ta you, ta ta you, ta ta you, ta ta you, baby
Ta ta, my love
I wanna ta ta you, I got to thank you, thank you, thank you
I want to thank you forever and ever, my love
I wanna ta ta you, oh, it's so nice having you, baby, yes it is
I want to express how lovely it is to have you, my love
For bein' mine, you're mine, you're mine
For belonging to me, you're mine, you're mine
Mine, you're mine, mine, mine
You belong to me, and only me, mine, you're mine, mine, mine
Ta ta you, oh oh oh, baby
Ta ta, my love
I wanna ta ta you, I just wanna thank you, baby
I want to thank you for everything, my love
Thank you, baby
Thank you, my love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHNNY "GUITAR" WATSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nachobusiness2050
Im a 22 year old mexican but since i could remember ive always loved black soul, r&b, you know? Growing up in southern Arkansas you cant get away from it but it's seriously something magical about black music like this. Its breathing art that you can hear
@plwhite40
Texarkana side of the game
@shadowmixx
You are indeed a true music lover. it's good to see how great R&B and Soul music is enjoyed by different races and cultures. Paz
@ayndowney9401
Yes, let this penetrate into your life and Enjoy the timing as well as the Message 😊😅🎉😂❤
@facesbyl3510
3:32 the musicianship is sublime. I’m a 69 baby and love this type of music! As a club owner, we play this song and it echos through the speakers and touches every age group in the building and we’re in 2023!!!!! Says a lot about true music/musicianship!!!
@ayndowney9401
Keep playing this magical piece of expression 😊😅🎉😂😂 This makes the World ❣️🌍 BETTER!
@user-st6nt4ou6f
Where's your club? LOL just kidding😊
@bigbass421
I'm a lifelong bassist..now 70 years old. This, is what it means to GROOVE! To play a ballad like this, and make it funky, requires superior musicianship. Every player on this track, just nails it. In the pocket all the way through, no speeding up, or dragging- the time-feel is just killer. AND, a not-simple at all arrangement...and Johnny Guitar Watson... just perfect. THIS is why I play music.
@MrBnnashton
JGW played all instruments except drums and horns. Even more impressive.
@shadowmixx
As a one-man band/producer, I too enjoy the groove of this classic. Cheers!