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.
Superman Lover
Johnny 'Guitar' Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But beyond is lover
Is it a bird, is it a plane?
It's the superman lover
I'm stronger than a locomotive, yeah
That old saying is true
But I can't understand sometimes, babe
Listen
I can leap tall buildings in a single bound
When it come to getting over you, baby
Well, I can't get off the ground
But they call me the Superman lover, yeah
They'd call me the Superman lover, yeah
But something's wrong, something's wrong with me, it's you
Something's wrong, yeah, yes, it is
Faster than a speeding bullet
I've out flown a few, yes, I have
But I must be flying awful slow sometime, babe
I can't keep up with you
I got X-ray vision
And I can see, see through steel too babe
I know there's something wrong with me
'Cos I can't see through you
But they call me the Superman lover, yeah
They'd call me the Superman lover, yeah
But something's wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong
There's something wrong with me, yes, it is
Look, look up in the sky
Come on look, look, look
And you'll see me flying by
Why don't you just look, look
And if you do, come on and look, look
I'm flying straight to you
They call me the Superman lover, yeah
They'd call me the Superman lover, yeah
But something's wrong, something's wrong with me, it's you
Look, look up in the sky
Come on look, look, look
And you'll see me flying by
Why don't you just look, look
And if you do, come on and look, look
I'm flying straight to you
They call me the Superman lover, yeah
They'd call me the Superman lover, yeah
But something's wrong, something's wrong with me, it's you
Something wrong, oh, yes, it is
Is it a bird, is it a plane?
What did you discover?
It's the superman, madam
The lyrics to Johnny 'Guitar' Watson's song Superman Lover seem to present a metaphor that compares love to the superhero Superman. The first verse asks the question, "Is it a bird, is it a plane?," which is a reference to the famous opening line of the Superman television series. It then goes on to say that beyond the man with these attributes is a lover. The chorus declares that the singer is the "Superman Lover," suggesting that he possesses superhuman qualities in his love for his partner. He even refers to having X-ray vision, which he can use to see through steel but not through the heart of the woman he loves.
The following verse mentions other aspects of Superman's superhuman abilities, such as his ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound and to fly faster than a speeding bullet. However, it also highlights the singer's weakness for his love interest, suggesting that despite his strength and power, he cannot resist her. This theme of being powerful and weak at the same time runs throughout the song, with the Superman metaphor being used to underscore the singer's emotional vulnerability.
Overall, the song seems to be a declaration of love that uses the Superman metaphor to evoke a sense of awe and admiration. The singer describes himself as the ultimate superhero, but at the same time, acknowledges his own emotional limitations when it comes to his partner. The chorus repeats the phrase "But something's wrong, something's wrong with me, it's you," which suggests that his love for this woman is so overwhelming that it has upended his entire sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
Is it a bird, is it a plane?
What is it that's coming towards me?
But beyond is lover
But it turns out to be my lover
Is it a bird, is it a plane?
Once again, what is it that's coming towards me?
It's the superman lover
It's my lover, known as the Superman lover
I'm stronger than a locomotive, yeah
I am powerful, as the old saying goes
That old saying is true
Yes, the old saying about my strength is correct
But I can't understand sometimes, babe
But I don't understand why, sometimes, I am so weak for you
Why I'm so weak for you
Why do I feel so powerless around you?
Listen
Pay attention to what I'm about to say
I can leap tall buildings in a single bound
I am capable of superhuman feats
When it come to getting over you, baby
But when it comes to moving on from you
Well, I can't get off the ground
I'm completely stuck
But they call me the Superman lover, yeah
But I am known as the Superman lover
They'd call me the Superman lover, yeah
People refer to me as the Superman lover
But something's wrong, something's wrong with me, it's you
But there's something not right, and it's because of you
Something's wrong, yeah, yes, it is
Something is definitely wrong
Faster than a speeding bullet
I can move incredibly quickly
I've out flown a few, yes, I have
I've even outrun some speeding bullets
But I must be flying awful slow sometime, babe
But sometimes it seems like I'm moving in slow motion, compared to you
I can't keep up with you
I can't seem to match your pace
I got X-ray vision
I have the ability to see through things
And I can see, see through steel too babe
I can even see through steel
I know there's something wrong with me
I'm aware that something is not right
'Cos I can't see through you
Because I can't seem to understand you
Look, look up in the sky
Hey, take a look up at the sky
Come on look, look, look
I'm urging you to really focus on this
And you'll see me flying by
You'll see me flying past you
Why don't you just look, look
Why don't you pay attention to what's happening?
And if you do, come on and look, look
And if you do see me, look closely
I'm flying straight to you
Because I'm heading straight to you
Something wrong, oh, yes, it is
Something is definitely wrong
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON, RENALDO REY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind