He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, covers of old-time Rock n' roll songs, and some original material, all of them in his own unique style. Rivers's greatest success came in the mid and late 1960s with a string of hit songs (including "Seventh Son," "Poor Side of Town" and "Secret Agent Man") but he has continued to record and perform to the present.
In 1960, Rivers met fellow Louisianan, James Burton, the guitar player for Ricky Nelson. Burton later recommended one of Rivers's songs to Nelson, who went on to record it. In 1961, Rivers went to Los Angeles to meet Nelson, and ended up relocating there, working as a song writer and studio musician. In 1963, Rivers's big break came when he temporarily filled in for a jazz combo at Bill Gazzari's night club; the temporary gig became long-term due to positive customer response.
In 1964, Elmer Valentine then gave Rivers a one-year contract to open his new club, Whisky a Go Go, on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The Whisky opened three days before The Beatles released "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the British Invasion knocked almost every American artist off the top of the charts. But Rivers was so popular, producer Lou Adler decided to issue Johnny Rivers Live At The Whiskey A Go Go. The live album reached #12 on the charts and the single "Memphis" (a Chuck Berry cover) reached #2. Rivers made the successful transition from nightclub entertainer to chart-busting pop singer and had created the Go Go sound, part of a scene which included Go-Go dancers.
Into 1965, Rivers continued to record mostly live, Go Go style records including "Maybellene" (another Berry cover), which he followed "Mountain of Love", "Midnight Special", "Seventh Son" (written by Willie Dixon) e "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (with Pete Seeger's), all of which were hits.
Rivers wanted to try something different and adopted a more idiosyncratic approach as from 1966. Characterized by his smooth, soulful voice, he produced hit portrayals as "Poor Side Of Town", which would be his biggest hit ever and his only number one record. Into another hit was "Secret Agent Man", the theme from Secret Agent television series (written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri). He also started own record company, Soul City Records, where he won a Grammy Award as the producer of the 5th Dimension, which eventually recorded "Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In" and "Wedding Bell Blues", two number one hits on Rivers' label. Johnny is also credited with giving songwriter Jimmy Webb a major break when they recorded Webb's song "Up, Up, and Away". James Hendricks, one of the artists of that signed with Soul City, wrote "Summer Rain", a song that Rivers recorded and turned a hit.
Johnny Rivers continued to record more hits, including "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "The Tracks of My Tears" (cover of The Miracles), both top 10 in 1967. In 1968, Rivers released what many fans consider his best album, Realization, a number five album on the LP charts. The album was evocative of the psychedelic influences of the time and marked a subtle change in his musical direction, with more thoughtful types of songs, included such ballads as "Going Back to Big Sur".
In the 1970s, Rivers continued to record more songs and albums which were a success with music critics, but did not sell as well as some of his earlier hits. One of these albums, "L.A. Reggae" in 1972, reached the LP charts as a result of the top 10 "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu" (a cover of Huey Smith & the Clowns). Anothers hits that time were "Blue Suede Shoes" (a cover of Carl Perkins), in 1973, which would reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Help Me Rhonda", in 1975 - a cover of The Beach Boys on which Brian Wilson helped with backup vocals. His last entry on the charts was "Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancing)", a top ten hit in 1977.
1980's until nowadays
Rivers continued recording into the '80's, although his recording career wound down somewhat. In spite of his music hasn't reached the best seller charts for quite a while, Rivers is still touring, doing 50 to 60 shows a year, increasingly returning to the blues that inspired him initially.
In 1998], Rivers reactivated his Soul City imprint and released Last Train to Memphis, his first new studio album in 15 years.
In early 2000, Johnny recorded with Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, and Paul McCartney on a tribute album dedicated to Buddy Holly's backup band, "The Crickets".
In all, Rivers had 9 top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 in the top 40 from 1964 to 1977. In total, he has sold well over 25 million records.
Oh Lonesome Me
Johnny Rivers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody is going out and having fun
I'm just a fool for sitting home and having none
I can't get over how she set me free
Oh, lonesome me.
.....................
...........................
Oh, lonesome me.
I'll bet she's not like me
She's out and fancy free
Flirting with the boys with all her charms.
And, brother, don't you know ?
But I still love her so
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms.
There must be some way that I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I can't get over how she set me free
Oh, lonesome me.
I'll bet she's not like me
She's out and fancy free
Flirting with the boys with all her charms.
And, brother, don't you know ?
But I still love her so
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms.
There must be some way that I can lose these lonesome blues
Forget about the past, find someone new
I've thought of everything from A to Z
Oh, lonesome me
Yeah, lonesome me
Oh, lonesome me
Oh, lonesome me.
The lyrics of the song "Oh Lonesome Me" by Johnny Rivers tell the story of a man who is heartbroken and alone after a breakup. He sees other people having fun and enjoying themselves while he is left behind, feeling lonely and miserable. He laments how his former lover, who set him free, is out and about, enjoying her life while he is still stuck in his misery. He wonders if there is any way for him to forget about the past and find someone new, but he just can't seem to shake off his lonesome blues. Despite all of this, he still loves his ex-lover and would welcome her back into his arms if she were to return.
The lyrics of "Oh Lonesome Me" are poignant and relatable, as they capture the painful emotions that follow a breakup. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, as it conveys the man's sense of isolation and his envy of those who are able to move on from their past relationships. The second stanza reveals his lingering love for his former partner, despite the fact that she has moved on, and his desire for her to come back to him. The third stanza shows his struggle to find a way out of his lonesome state, and his recognition that he needs to let go of the past in order to move forward.
Overall, "Oh Lonesome Me" is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with audiences today. Its simple yet powerful lyrics and catchy melody have secured its place in the American songbook.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody is going out and having fun
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves outside while I'm stuck at home feeling lonely.
I'm just a fool for sitting home and having none
I feel foolish for choosing to stay home and be alone instead of going out and socializing like everyone else.
I can't get over how she set me free
I'm still struggling to come to terms with the fact that my past relationship has ended and that I'm no longer together with my ex.
Oh, lonesome me.
I feel very lonely and isolated.
I'll bet she's not like me
I doubt that my ex is currently feeling the same kind of loneliness and isolation that I am experiencing right now.
She's out and fancy free
I imagine that my ex is currently enjoying her newfound freedom and doing whatever she wants without worrying about being in a relationship.
Flirting with the boys with all her charms.
I suspect that my ex is currently engaging in flirtatious behaviour with other men and using her attractive qualities to lure them in.
And, brother, don't you know?
I'm expressing my thoughts and feelings to someone I trust and can confide in.
But I still love her so
Despite our breakup, I still have strong feelings of love for my ex and wish that we could be together again.
I'd welcome her right back here in my arms.
I would gladly accept my ex back into my life and resume our romantic relationship if she expressed that same desire.
There must be some way that I can lose these lonesome blues
I'm hoping to find a solution to alleviate my feelings of loneliness and sadness and move on from my breakup.
Forget about the past and find somebody new
I'm considering the possibility of starting a new romantic relationship with someone else and moving forward from my past relationship.
I've thought of everything from A to Z
I've considered every possible option and solution to my current problems.
Oh, lonesome me
I'm still feeling very lonely and isolated.
Yeah, lonesome me
I'm still feeling very lonely and isolated.
Oh, lonesome me
I'm still feeling very lonely and isolated.
Oh, lonesome me.
I'm still feeling very lonely and isolated.
Contributed by Emily W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.