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.
Broke Down Engine
Johnny Winter Lyrics
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Feel like a broken down engine mama, Lord my driving wheel
Got me all tied up and lonesome, you know exactly how it makes a good man feel
I've been shooting craps and gambling, mama I believe I done got broke
Been shooting craps and gambling, woman I believe I done got broke
Had a poor mean forty four, man I'm already closing so
Went down to my praying ground, Lord I fell down on my knees
I ain't trying for no religion, won't you bring me back my good gal please
If you just send me my baby, won't have to worry and cry no more
If you just send up my baby man, Lord I won't have to worry and cry no more
Don't have to bring to my house, Lord won't you leave her up at my door
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song Broke Down Engine convey a sense of weariness and frustration. The singer feels like a broken down engine, with his driving wheel keeping him all tied up and lonesome. He laments that he has been shooting craps and gambling and has now gone broke. He had a poor mean forty-four, which he interprets to mean a gun or possibly a reference to a particularly difficult time in his life. Despite going down to his praying ground and falling on his knees, he is not seeking religion. Instead, he asks for his good gal to be returned to him. He states that if she can be sent to him, he won't have to worry and cry anymore.
The lyrics of Broke Down Engine are representative of the blues genre in which Johnny Winter is often associated. The lyrics are a reflection of his experiences and emotions. For example, "shooting craps and gambling" reflects a common pastime in the African American communities, and the refrain "broke down engine" echoes the hardships of rural life. This song, in particular, showcases Winter's impressive guitar-playing and growling vocals, both of which have been instrumental in establishing him as a blues legend.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel like a broke down engine mama, Lord my driving wheel
I feel exhausted and drained, just like a broken engine, and my driving force has been lost.
Got me all tied up and lonesome, you know exactly how it makes a good man feel
I'm feeling trapped and alone, and it's affecting me mentally and emotionally, even though I'm a decent person.
Been shooting craps and gambling, woman I believe I done got broke
I've been recklessly betting and gambling, and now I think I've lost all my money.
Had a poor mean forty four, man I'm already closing so
I had a .44 caliber pistol, but I'm about to lose it to the lender because I can't pay back the debt.
Went down to my praying ground, Lord I fell down on my knees
I went to a place of worship and got down on my knees in a gesture of submission or pleading.
I ain't trying for no religion, won't you bring me back my good gal please
I'm not looking to become religious or spiritual, I just want my girlfriend back.
If you just send me my baby, won't have to worry and cry no more
If I can just be reunited with my girlfriend, I won't have to agonize or weep anymore.
Don't have to bring to my house, Lord won't you leave her up at my door
You don't have to accompany her all the way to my house, just drop her off nearby and she can find me on her own.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: WILLIE MCTELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind