American blues singer from New Orle… Read Full Bio ↴January 5, 1932 - September 14, 1998
American blues singer from New Orleans, Louisiana. He was known as "The Tan Canary" for the amazing range of his singing voice and his gospel influenced style. He began his career singing gospel, but crossed over to secular music in 1959 and scored a national hit with the single "I Won't Cry." That was followed by a string of regional hits in the 1960s which included "Release Me" and "Reconsider Me."
In the 1980s and 1990s Adams recorded several award-winning albums for Rounder Records. He died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1998 after a long battle with cancer
(2) Renowned around his Crescent City home base as "the Tan Canary" for his extraordinary set of soulfully soaring pipes, veteran R&B vocalist Johnny Adams tackled an exceptionally wide variety of material for Rounder in his later years; elegantly rendered tribute albums to legendary songwriters Doc Pomus and Percy Mayfield preceded forays into mellow, jazzier pastures. But then, Adams was never particularly into the parade-beat grooves that traditionally define the New Orleans R&B sound, preferring to deliver sophisticated soul ballads draped in strings.
Adams sang gospel professionally before crossing over to the secular world in 1959. Songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie -- the woman responsible for cleaning up the bawdy lyrics of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" enough for worldwide consumption -- convinced her neighbor, Adams, to sing her tasty ballad "I Won't Cry." The track, produced by a teenaged Mac Rebennack, was released on Joe Ruffino's Ric logo, and Adams was on his way. He waxed some outstanding follow-ups for Ric, notably "A Losing Battle" (the Rebennack-penned gem proved Adams' first national R&B hit in 1962) and "Life Is a Struggle."
After a prolonged dry spell, Adams resurfaced in 1968 with an impassioned R&B revival of Jimmy Heap's country standard "Release Me" for Shelby Singleton's SSS imprint that blossomed into a national hit. Even more arresting was Adams' magnificent 1969 country-soul classic "Reconsider Me," his lone leap into the R&B Top Ten; in it, he swoops effortlessly up to a death-defying falsetto range to drive his anguished message home with fervor.
Despite several worthy SSS follow-ups ("I Can't Be All Bad" was another sizable seller), Adams never traversed those lofty commercial heights again (particularly disappointing was a short stay at Atlantic). But he found a new extended recording life at Rounder; his 1984 set, From the Heart, proved to the world that this Tan Canary could still chirp like a champ. With producer Scott Billington, he recorded some nine albums for the label prior to his cancer-related death on September 14, 1998. ~ Bill Dahl, Rovi
Good Morning Heartache
Johnny Adams Lyrics
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Good morning heartache, thought we said goodbye last night
I turned and tossed until it seemed you had gone
But here you are with the dawn
Wish I'd forget you, but you're here to stay
It seems I met you when my love went away
Now everyday I start by saying to you
Stop haunting me now
Can't chase you no how
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight through Sunday blues
Good morning heartache, here we go again
Good morning heartache, you're the one who knew me when
Might as well get used to you hanging around
Good morning heartache, sit down
Stop haunting me now
Can't chase you no how
Just leave me alone
I've got those Monday blues
Straight through Sunday blues
Good morning heartache, here we go again
Good morning heartache, you're the one who knew me when
Might as well get used to you hanging around
Good morning heartache, sit down
The lyrics of Johnny Adams's "Good Morning Heartache" depict a feeling of despair and sorrow that is difficult to shake off. The singer greets his old "friend" heartache in the morning which he thought he had gotten rid of the previous night. He expresses that he wished he could forget heartache, but it appears that it is here to stay. It is suggested that heartache came into the singer's life when he lost his love, and now he starts each day by acknowledging its presence. The chorus implies that the heartache is a persistent ghost that refuses to leave him alone. The singer acknowledges the futility of chasing the heartache away and resigns himself to it, accepting it as a part of his life.
The song "Good Morning Heartache" has been performed by a number of artists, including Billie Holliday, Etta James, Diana Ross, and Natalie Cole. The song's haunting melody has been praised for its ability to make the listener feel the singer's pain. The lyrics also capture heartache so poignantly that it has become a classic in the blues and jazz genres. It is a song that speaks to the human experience of grief and loss, and its longevity is a reflection of that universal appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning heartache, you old gloomy sight
Addressing the feeling of heartbreak, which seems always to remain present, and how it almost offers a consistent presence in one's life.
Good morning heartache, thought we said goodbye last night
Although it feels like the pain of heartbreak has subsided, heartache still lingers; it seemingly never leaves.
I turned and tossed until it seemed you had gone / But here you are with the dawn
Trying to come to terms with heartbreak, yet, it's always there present & right in front of you.
Wish I'd forget you, but you're here to stay
Although forgetting the feeling of heartache would be such a relief, it's perpetual.
It seems I met you when my love went away
Heartbreak becomes heightened after a breakup, as it becomes a constant in one's life.
Now everyday I start by saying to you / Good morning heartache, what's new
Greeting the feeling of heartbreak, as it's become a constant presence in their life and asking it what's new because it never leaves.
Stop haunting me now / Can't chase you no how / Just leave me alone / I've got those Monday blues / Straight through Sunday blues
An overwhelming and hopeless sensation of heartbreak's constant reminder and it leaves the singer feeling like they cannot shake it away.
Good morning heartache, you're the one who knew me when / Might as well get used to you hanging around / Good morning heartache, sit down
Acknowledging that the feeling of heartbreak will always be present and there is no point fighting it anymore.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ervin Drake, Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham Padellan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@williamweiss6128
Only found out about him several years ago. My goodness, what a voice.
@bakermantube
Johnny Adams deserves much more attention. His music is so great!
@murph5438
The great much overlooked Johnny Adams --- one of the great vocalists ever RIP
@tamiestewartshaman
May be my most fave album ever! Had the privilege of going to his Jazz Funeral in New Orleans. God/dess blee Johnny Adams!
@terryarnold9154
This is a wonderful interpretation of the Billie Holiday classic, his beautiful voice handles the lyric in a way that makes you feel all of the world weariness and hurt that comes your way after a relationship ends. Was so lucky to see Johnny in the UK when this CD was released. I enjoyed his performance so much that i went to see him again two days later!! There is a quality in his voice that is so special and his delivery of a song is nothing short of masterful. Thanks for posting...
@PeterTschirky
hello from switzerland, that's a really great song, I love the Music by Johnny Adams. Thank you Peter Tschirky
@LJH70122
As much as I like Johnny's soul and R&B stuff , I love him as a Jazz singer.
@charlesdespres
To me, one of the best ever.
@ferdinandglapion6720
Shaik Wali, I am afraid you'd be wrong about that tenor sax. I know for a fact that the late great Ralph H. Johnson, from New Orleans is playing tenor sax on that song because he's my father. -Ferdinand Johnson
@MrReko39
Ralph Johnson did play the tenor sax on this song. i have to agree with Ferdinand