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.
Goin
Johnny Winter Lyrics
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I've had my fun, people, if I don't get well no more
My heath is fallin' on me
Yes, and I'm going down slow
I want you to write my mother and tell her the shape I'm in
Oh please write my mother, tell her the shape I'm in
I want you tell her to pray for me, people
On that next train south, mother
You can look for my clothes on
On that next train south, mother
You can look for my clothes on
Yes, I had my fun, mother, this is all in prayers
Yes, I had my fun, people, mother, this is all in prayers
Yes, if you don't see this old body, mother
You know I'm gone out of this world somewhere
The song "Goin' Down Slow" by Johnny Winter is a blues classic that portrays a man coming to the end of his life. The opening lyrics "I've had my fun if I don't get well no more" suggest that the singer has indulged in a life of excess and is now suffering the consequences of his actions. The repetition of the line "My heath is fallin' on me" emphasizes the inevitability of the man's decline. The use of the phrase "going down slow" reflects the theme of slow decline throughout the song, suggesting that the singer is aware of his impending fate but is powerless to stop it.
In the second verse, the singer asks someone to write his mother to tell her about the condition he's in. He wants her to pray for him and forgive him for his sins. This verse emphasizes the need for redemption and the desire for the singer to make amends for his past actions.
The final verse suggests that the singer is ready to die and has made peace with his fate. He tells his mother to look for his clothes on the next train south, indicating that he won't be returning home. The line "Yes, I had my fun, people, mother, this is all in prayers" suggests that the singer is at peace with the decisions he has made in his life, and is now accepting the consequences of his actions.
Overall, "Goin' Down Slow" is a powerful portrayal of a man coming to terms with his mortality, and the consequences of a life of excess. The lyrics convey a sense of resignation and acceptance, emphasizing the inevitability of death and the need for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I've had my fun if I don't get well no more
I have enjoyed my life so far, and if my health doesn't improve, it's alright as I have no regrets.
My heath is falling on me, Yes, and I'm going down slow
I am gradually deteriorating, and my condition is causing me to die slowly and inevitably.
I want you to write my mother and tell her the shape I'm in
Please let my mother know about my current situation and health status.
Oh please write my mother, tell her the shape I'm in
I request you to inform my mother about my health status through a written letter.
I want you to tell her to pray for me, people
Please convey the message to pray for me to your acquaintances as I am in a dire condition.
Well, to forgive for my sins
Ask everyone to forgive me for the wrongs that I have done and provide me with their blessings.
On that next train south, mother, You can look for my clothes on
At my event of demise, please search for my belongings onboard the train heading southward.
Yes, I had my fun, mother, this is all in prayers
I have enjoyed my life to the fullest, and people are praying for me at this stage.
Yes, if you don't see this old body, mother, you know I'm gone out of this world somewhere
If you cannot find my mortal physique, know that it has passed away, and my soul is in another realm.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY WINTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind