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.
You Can Have Her
Johnny Rivers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, you can have her, I don't want her
She didn't love me anyway
She only wanted someone to play with
But all I wanted was love to stay
Well, you get stuck with the wrong woman
Just dig a hole and jump right in it
And pull the ground right over you
Well, you can have her, I don't want her
She didn't love me anyway
She only wanted, someone to play with
But all I wanted was love to stay
The girl I love, she, up and left me
She ran away with my best friend
Comes home at night just for an hour
When day light comes she's gone again
Well, you can have her, I don't want her
She didn't love me anyway
She only wanted, someone to play with
But all I wanted was love to stay
Life without love is mighty empty
But confession's good for the soul
I'd rather have love that I can cling to
Than have the world and all of it's gold
Well, you can have her, I don't want her
She didn't love me anyway
She only wanted, someone to play with
But all I wanted was love to stay
Well, you can have her, I don't want her
She didn't love me anyway
She only wanted, someone to play with
But all I wanted was love to stay
The lyrics of Johnny Rivers' song "You Can Have Her" convey a story of heartbreak and the singer's decision to let go of a relationship that lacked true love. The opening lines, "Well, you can have her, I don't want her / She didn't love me anyway," express the singer's detachment and acceptance of the fact that their partner never truly loved them. This realization prompts the singer to distance themselves emotionally from the situation.
The next few lines further illustrate the singer's feelings of being deceived and used. The partner was only looking for someone to play with, while the singer desired a lasting and genuine love. The imagery of digging a hole and jumping into it, pulling the ground over oneself, symbolizes the singer's desire to bury the pain and move on from the relationship.
The second verse reveals that not only did the singer's partner not love them, but they also left them for the singer's best friend. The partner's fleeting presence in the singer's life is highlighted as they only come home for a short hour at night before disappearing again when daylight comes. This emphasizes the singer's feeling of emptiness and abandonment.
In the final verse, the lyrics touch upon the theme of self-reflection and finding solace in confessing one's feelings. The singer acknowledges that life without love is empty, but they would rather have true love to hold onto than worldly possessions and wealth. This highlights the singer's understanding that material things cannot replace the significance of genuine love.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of resignation and introspection as the singer recognizes the lack of love in their relationship and chooses to let go. They realize that their partner was only using them for amusement and that love, rather than superficial connections, is what they truly desire.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you can have her, I don't want her
I am willingly giving up the woman I was involved with because I no longer have any desire to be with her.
She didn't love me anyway
Her feelings towards me were never genuine or affectionate.
She only wanted someone to play with
Her intentions were solely to find someone to have fun and entertain herself with.
But all I wanted was love to stay
However, all I truly desired was a lasting and affectionate love.
Well, you get stuck with the wrong woman
When you end up being in a relationship with the wrong woman, it becomes a troublesome situation.
There's only one thing that you can do
In such a predicament, there's only one course of action available.
Just dig a hole and jump right in it
Metaphorically speaking, one should metaphorically bury themselves in despair and sadness.
And pull the ground right over you
To completely shield oneself from the pain, one must metaphorically bury themselves deep within the ground.
The girl I love, she, up and left me
The woman I truly cared for suddenly and without warning abandoned me.
She ran away with my best friend
She betrayed me by eloping with my closest companion.
Comes home at night just for an hour
She only returns home briefly in the nighttime, staying for only an hour.
When day light comes she's gone again
Once daylight arrives, she disappears again from my life.
Life without love is mighty empty
Living a life without love feels incredibly hollow and devoid of meaning.
But confession's good for the soul
However, admitting one's true feelings and experiences is cathartic and beneficial for the spirit.
I'd rather have love that I can cling to
Personally, I would prefer to have a love that I can hold onto and rely on.
Than have the world and all of its gold
Having immense wealth and material possessions means nothing to me compared to having a genuine and fulfilling love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@luismontecinos9916
Well, you can have her, I don't want her,
She didn't love me anyway.
She only wanted someone to play with
But all I wanted was love to stay.
Well, you get stuck with the wrong woman
There's only one thing that you can do:
Just dig a hole and jump right in it,
And pull the ground right over you.
Well, you can have her (you can have her)
I don't want her ( I don't want her),
She didn't love me (didn't love me ) anyway (anyway).
She only wanted (only wanted) someone to play with (one to lay with)
But all I wanted (all I wanted) was love to stay (was love to stay).
The girl I love, she, up and left me,
She ran away with my best friend.
Comes home at night just for an hour
When day light comes she's gone again.
Well, you can have her (you can have her)
I don't…
Source: public domain
@7550375503
No other artist can match the raw energy of a live performance.
@gamblinggator3177
GG allin
@johnlouisgood109
Couldn't agree more. He was a real talent.
@chuckg2016
His signature style that came around only once, has never been replicated, and likely never will be.
Rock on, Johnny R!
@teresoca41igcombr
ELE É DEMAIS, MESMO, ADORO.
@teresoca41igcombr
sensacional, como sempre.....
@richardschaefer4807
Great take on a great song....Keep on rockin' Johnny!
@cicak.5593
Canção vibrante entusiasmante contagiante fora de série adoro!
@bradhuntington8152
Gotta love those drum accents, what a drummer!
@michaelmarshall55
His best vocal - EVER ????!!!