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.
Come on in My Kitchen
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got her from my best friend
That joker got lucky
Stole her back again
'Cause itÂ's goinÂ' to be raininÂ' outdoors
Baby, now
Woman gets in trouble
Everybody throws her down
Lookin' for good friends
You know they can't be found
Better come on in my kitchen
'Cause itÂ's goinÂ' to be raininÂ' outdoors
Yeah, rain, fall on down, now
Oh, you better come on inside now, yeah
The time in comin'
Well, I know it must be so
Oh, you can't beat the winter, babe
Just drive on slow
You better come on in my kitchen
'Cause, itÂ's goinÂ' to be raininÂ' outdoors
Woh, you know it is
The song "Come on in My Kitchen" by Johnny Winter is a blues song that uses metaphors to convey emotions and a deeper meaning. The song metaphorically speaks of a heartbroken man who has lost his lover to his best friend. The woman he loves has been taken away from him, and he is left standing in the rain, feeling lost and alone. The rain is used as a symbol for his tears and the pain that he is feeling. The chorus of the song urges the listener to "come on in my kitchen" because it is raining outside, which suggests that the man is willing to share his misery with someone who understands what he is going through.
The song also touches on the way society treats women who are going through tough times. The lyrics suggest that women who find themselves in trouble are often shunned by society and have a hard time finding a good friend who will support them. The man in the song is urging his lover to come to him because he understands her struggles and is willing to support her through them.
Overall, the song "Come on in My Kitchen" is a powerful and emotional blues song that speaks to the heart of many who have experienced heartbreak and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman that I'm lovin'
Referring to a woman that the singer has affection for
Got her from my best friend
The woman was previously in a relationship with the singer's best friend
That joker got lucky
The singer's best friend was fortunate to have had a relationship with the woman
Stole her back again
The best friend regained the woman's affection, effectively ending the singer's relationship with her
You better come on in my kitchen
Inviting the woman to seek refuge with him from the inevitable storm brewing outside their homes
'Cause it's goin' to be rainin' outdoors
The imminent storm symbolizes the emotional turmoil that will follow the woman's breakup
Woman gets in trouble
The woman falls into a difficult situation
Everybody throws her down
Others abandon and judge the woman in her time of need
Looking for good friends
The woman searches for genuine companionship and support
You know they can't be found
She realizes that true friends may be hard to find in this situation
Yeah, rain, fall on down, now
Underscoring the theme of turmoil and struggle through the metaphor of a storm
Oh, you better come on inside now, yeah
Reiterating the invitation for the woman to seek shelter from the storm with the singer
The time in comin'
Hinting at an inevitable event or outcome
Well, I know it must be so
The singer is convinced that this event will come to pass
Oh, you can't beat the winter, babe
Connecting the struggle of the storm with the harshness of winter weather
Just drive on slow
Encouraging the woman to tread carefully despite the tough times
Woh, you know it is
Re-emphasizing the fact that the storm is coming and the woman should take refuge in the singer's home
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ROBERT JOHNSON, WOODY PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind