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.
Evil On My Mind
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I think about that woman, I got evil on my mind
It brings teardrops to my eyes and sends chills out down my spine
It sends chills out down my spine, when I watch this woman walk
Sends chills out down my spine, when I watch that woman walk
And she smiles right in your face and lies ev'ry times she talks
They say your enemies can't hurt you, if you keep track on your friends
They say your enemies can't hurt you, if you keep track on your friend
I say you know what your woman, that's the one who threw you in
The song Evil On My Mind by Johnny Winter is a blues song that revolves around the intense emotions a man experiences when thinking about his woman. Despite the desire and love he feels for her, he is plagued with dark thoughts and feelings of betrayal. The repetition of the line "When I think about my baby, I got evil on my mind" is significant in establishing the intense emotions and inner turmoil that the man is experiencing. He is torn between his love for his woman and the pain that she has caused him.
The lyrics also convey a sense of distrust towards women, with the line "And she smiles right in your face and lies ev'ry times she talks" painting a picture of a manipulative and deceptive woman who is not to be trusted. This creates a sense of tension and a feeling of being trapped in a toxic relationship. The man realizes that he is powerless against the hold that this woman has on him, and is forced to confront his intense emotions.
Overall, Evil On My Mind is a powerful blues song that delves into the complexities of love, betrayal, and the inner turmoil that comes with it. It conveys a sense of hopelessness while still retaining a raw and intense emotion that is characteristic of the blues genre.
Line by Line Meaning
When I think about my baby, I got evil on my mind
Whenever I think about my lover, my thoughts run dark and sinister.
When I think about that woman, I got evil on my mind
When I reminisce about that lady, crooked ideas cross my mind.
It brings teardrops to my eyes and sends chills out down my spine
It causes me to cry and shiver uncontrollably.
Sends chills out down my spine, when I watch that woman walk
I get so nervous and excited when I see that lady move.
And she smiles right in your face and lies ev'ry times she talks
She puts on a happy face and fibs when she converses with others.
They say your enemies can't hurt you, if you keep track on your friend
People say keeping tabs on your companions safeguards you from your foes.
I say you know what your woman, that's the one who threw you in
In my opinion, it's your lover who betrays you the most.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY WINTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind