Johnny Winter, along with his brother Edgar Winter, were nurtured at an early age by their parents in musical pursuits. Both he and his brother, who were born with albinism, began performing at an early age. When he was ten-years old, Winter appeared on a local children's show, playing ukelele and singing Everly Brothers songs with his brother.
His recording career began at the age of fifteen, when his band Johnny and the Jammers released "School Day Blues" on a Houston record label. During this same period, he was able to see performances by classic blues artists such as Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and Bobby Bland. In the early days Winter would sometimes sit in with Roy Head and The Traits when they performed in the Beaumont, Texas area, and in 1967, Winter recorded a single with The Traits: "Tramp" backed with "Parchman Farm" (Universal Records 30496). In 1968, he released his first album The Progressive Blues Experiment, on Austin's Sonobeat Records.
Winter caught his biggest break in December 1968, when Mike Bloomfield, whom he met and jammed with in Chicago, invited him to sing and play a song during a Bloomfield and Al Kooper concert at the Fillmore East in New York. As it happened, representatives of Columbia Records (which had released the Top Ten Bloomfield/Kooper Super Session album) were at the concert. Winter played and sang B.B. King's "It's My Own Fault" to loud applause and, within a few days, was signed to reportedly what was then the largest advance in the history of the recording industry–$600,000.
Winter's first Columbia album, Johnny Winter was recorded and released in 1969. It featured the same backing musicians with whom he recorded The Progressive Blues Experiment, bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Uncle John Turner, plus Edgar Winter on keyboards and saxophone, and (for his "Mean Mistreater") blues legends Willie Dixon on upright bass and Big Walter Horton on harmonica. The album featured a few selections that became Winter signature songs, including his composition "Dallas" (an acoustic blues, on which Winter played a steel-bodied, resonator guitar), John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's "Good Morning Little School Girl", and B.B. King's "Be Careful With A Fool".
The album's success coincided with Imperial Records picking up The Progressive Blues Experiment for wider release. The same year, the Winter trio toured and performed at several rock festivals, including Woodstock. With brother Edgar added as a full member of the group, Winter also recorded his second album, Second Winter in Nashville in 1969. The two-record album, which only had three recorded sides (the fourth was blank), introduced a couple more staples of Winter's concerts, including Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited".
In 1984, Winter began recording for several labels, including Alligator Records and Point Blank Records, where he has focused on blues-oriented material. He continues to perform live, including festivals throughout North America and Europe. Winter has headlined such prestigious events as the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, Swedish Rock Fest, Warren Haynes X-mas jam, and Europe’s Rockpalast. He also performed with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan on the 40th anniversary of their debut. In 2007 and 2010, Winter performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festivals. Two guitar instructional DVDs have been produced by Cherry Lane Music and the Hal Leonard Corporation. The Gibson Guitar Company released the signature Johnny Winter Firebird guitar in a ceremony in Nashville with Slash presenting.
In 2004, Winter received a Grammy nomination for his I’m a Bluesman album. Backing him are guitarist Paul Nelson, bassist Scott Spray, and drummer Vito Liuzzi. Beginning in 2007, a series of live Winter albums titled the Live Bootleg Series and a live DVD have all entered the Top 10 Billboard Blues charts. In 2009, The Woodstock Experience album was released, which includes eight songs that Winter performed at the 1969 festival. Johnny Winter is signed to Megaforce Records, who will release a new studio album titled Roots on September 27, 2011. It will include Winter's interpretation of eleven early blues and rock 'n' roll classics and feature several guest artists.
Winter produced three Grammy Award-winning albums by Muddy Waters, Hard Again (1977), I'm Ready (1978), and Muddy "Mississippi" Waters – Live (1979). Several Winter albums were also nominated for Grammy Awards. In 1980, Winter was on the cover of the first issue of Guitar World and in 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame.
Ain
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the sun was beginning to shine
Two riders were approachin?
But they were no friends of mine.
Called out for Hanna
And I kept here close to my side
Whistled for old Thunder
CHORUS:
I give you everything I had babe
Ain?t that kindness
I give you the good with the bad babe
Ain?t that kindness
Don?t cha know I give you my love when say babe
Ain?t that kindness
Hmmm ya know a man ain?t nothing without his gun
Ya know a man ain?t nothing without his gun
2nd Verse:
Took to the road 6 night and days
Only then did we think it was safe
Heard the sound of 2 men approachin?
But they did not hesitate
Hanna she was cryin?
But she wouldn?t let go of my leg
Thunder he was tired
Been a thinkin? of a better day
Repeat Chorus:
3rd Verse:
Two shots fired and two figures fell
There was blood flowin? over the ground
Two men dead in the noon day sun
And they never ever made a sound
Hanna she never forgave me
And I think I know the reason why
When I called out for Thunder
The horse he up and died.
Repeat Chorus:
The song "Ain't That A Kindness" by Johnny Winter paints a picture of a man who must protect his lover, Hanna, from two approaching riders who mean harm. The first verse sets the scene of a rainy day that transitions into sunshine. However, the peaceful moment ends when the singer realizes that the two riders approaching are not his friends. He calls out to Hanna, who he keeps close to his side, and whistles for his horse, Thunder, to ride away to safety. The chorus emphasizes the theme of kindness, where the man sings about giving everything he had, both good and bad, and his love to Hanna. The final line of the chorus, "Ya know a man ain't nothing without his gun," reveals that the singer believes that it is necessary to use violence to protect himself and those he loves.
In the second verse, the man and Hanna travel for six nights and days until they feel safe. They hear the sound of two men approaching, causing Hanna to cry, while Thunder is tired and thinking of a better day. The violence the singer feared finally erupts in the third verse, where two shots are fired, and two figures fall. The two men are dead in the noonday sun, without making a sound. The singer's actions, however, cause Hanna never to forgive him, and when he calls out for Thunder, the horse dies. The song touches on the complexities of kindness, where even protecting loved ones from harm can have unintended consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
It had rained for 3 days straight
It had been pouring with rain for three consecutive days
But the sun was beginning to shine
Finally, the sun was starting to come out
Two riders were approachin?
Two unknown horseback riders were heading in my direction
But they were no friends of mine.
I did not know them and was wary of their intentions
Called out for Hanna
I shouted for my wife, Hanna
And I kept here close to my side
I kept her right next to me to protect her
Whistled for old Thunder
I called for my trusted horse, Thunder
And my horse he was ready to ride
He was all set for whatever lay ahead
CHORUS:
The refrain of the song
I give you everything I had babe
I gave my all to you, my dear
Ain?t that kindness
Isn't that the epitome of kindness?
I give you the good with the bad babe
I provided you with both the good and the bad
Ain?t that kindness
Wouldn't you say that's a truly kind gesture?
Don?t cha know I give you my love when say babe
You must know I love you unequivocally, right?
Ain?t that kindness
Isn't that what real kindness is all about?
Hmmm ya know a man ain?t nothing without his gun
A man's gun is his source of power and control
Ya know a man ain?t nothing without his gun
If he doesn't have a gun, he's powerless
Took to the road 6 night and days
We drove on the road for six nights and days
Only then did we think it was safe
We believed it was only safe to stop once we'd traveled for that long
Heard the sound of 2 men approachin?
We heard two men coming towards us
But they did not hesitate
They came right at us without any delay
Hanna she was cryin?
Hanna was in tears
But she wouldn?t let go of my leg
She refused to release her grip on my leg
Thunder he was tired
Thunder was exhausted
Been a thinkin? of a better day
He’d been daydreaming of a brighter future
Repeat Chorus:
The same refrain is repeated
Two shots fired and two figures fell
Gunshots rang out, and two people fell to the ground
There was blood flowin? over the ground
Blood was seeping onto the ground
Two men dead in the noon day sun
Both men had died in the bright sun
And they never ever made a sound
They never uttered a peep
Hanna she never forgave me
Hanna never pardoned me
And I think I know the reason why
And I think I have an idea why not
When I called out for Thunder
When I cried out for Thunder
The horse he up and died.
The horse suddenly died on me
Repeat Chorus:
The refrain is restated for the final time
Lyrics © ACORN PUBLISHING
Written by: MARLIESE KLINGMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind