Like many other successful musicians from Chicago, he studied music at DuSable High School under Walter Dyett. Griffin, was reputed to be the 'World's Fastest Saxophonist' in the jazz idiom, though as he aged, and as the jazz audience declined, this accolade all but disappeared.
In the 1940s and 1950s he worked in Lionel Hampton's and Joe Morris's bands, in the Jazz Messengers, and in the Thelonious Monk Quartet. From 1960 to 1962 Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Griffin led their own group. Having felt he had achieved much in the USA, his pinnacle on record arguably the 1957 Blowin' session on the Blue Note label with fellow tenor John Coltrane, he moved to Europe. He lived in France in 1963, moving to the Netherlands in 1978, and he still continued to record and tour until his death in 2008.
Good Morning Heartache
Johnny Griffin 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 song Good Morning Heartache, as performed by Johnny Griffin, is a melancholic ballad about a person who wakes up to the realization that their heartache has returned. The singer starts by addressing their heartache as though it were an unwelcome visitor who has overstayed its welcome. They express their frustration by saying they had hoped to leave the heartache behind, but apparently, it's here to stay.
The song delves into the weariness felt by a person who has been weighed down by heartbreak for so long that it feels like it’s always been there. Despite the singer's desire to forget about their heartache, they find that it's still around, haunting them. The song suggests that the singer cannot go about their day without acknowledging the presence of their heartache, and hence must offer it a greeting. The song speaks to the universal feeling of being unable to get over someone or something that has brought us great pain, even though we know that we should move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning heartache, you old gloomy sight
Addressing the feeling of sadness right after waking up in the morning.
Good morning heartache, thought we said goodbye last night
The feeling of sadness was thought to have gone away, but has returned.
I turned and tossed until it seemed you had gone
Attempted to overcome and let go of the lingering sadness.
But here you are with the dawn
The sadness has returned with a new day.
Wish I'd forget you, but you're here to stay
The desire to forget the sad feeling but recognizing it’s persistence.
It seems I met you when my love went away
Connected the feeling of sadness with loss or separation.
Now everyday I start by saying to you
The recognition and acceptance that this sad feeling will be present each day.
Good morning heartache, what's new
Acknowledging the persistence of the feeling with a sense of resignation.
Stop haunting me now
Expressing the hope that the feeling would go away.
Can't chase you no how
Acknowledging the persistence of the feeling.
Just leave me alone
Expressing the wish for a break from the feeling.
I've got those Monday blues
Referencing the feeling of sadness and lack of motivation at the start of the week.
Straight through Sunday blues
Referencing a persistent feeling that doesn’t go away over time.
Good morning heartache, here we go again
Acknowledging the persistence of the feeling each day and each morning.
Good morning heartache, you're the one who knew me when
Attributing the feeling of sadness as a long-time presence in one's life.
Might as well get used to you hanging around
Realizing that the feeling will likely continue to persist and accepting it.
Good morning heartache, sit down
Acknowledging the feeling, but attempting to lessen its prominence in one's life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ervin Drake, Dan Fisher, Irene Higginbotham Padellan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind