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.
Hey You
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah you
Hey you
Yeah you
Hey
You
Who me?
Who me?
Yeah you
Me?
You
Hey you
Yeah you
Hey
You
Hey You
Excuse me I thought you were somebody else
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song "Hey You" are simple and repetitive, but still manage to convey a powerful message of human connection and miscommunication. The song starts with the singer addressing someone with the words "Hey you," as if trying to get their attention. The person responds in confusion with "Who me?" and the singer confirms, "Yeah you." This back and forth repeats with the singer trying to connect with the person and the person questioning who the singer is talking to. In the end, the singer apologizes, saying "Excuse me, I thought you were somebody else."
This song can be interpreted in many different ways. On one hand, it could be seen as a commentary on how we often fail to truly see and connect with other people in busy, crowded environments. The repetition of the question "Who me?" could be seen as a symbol of how many of us feel invisible and overlooked in larger society. However, the singer's determination to connect and the apologetic tone at the end suggest that the song is also about trying to bridge those gaps and forge meaningful human connections, even if it's difficult.
Overall, the song is a meditation on the complexity of human interaction and the importance of being truly present and engaged with the people around us, even when it's challenging.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you
Attention! I need to talk to you
Yeah you
I mean you, the person standing right in front of me
Hey you
I need to speak to you again
Yeah you
Yes, I'm referring to you once more
Hey
Pardon me, but I still need to talk to you
You
I'm directing my attention towards you
Who me?
Are you addressing me?
Yeah you
Yes, I mean you
Who me?
I'm not sure if you're talking to me, can you clarify?
Yeah you
Yes, I mean you again
Me?
Are you really talking to me right now?
You
Yes, I'm addressing you specifically
Hey you
I need to talk to you urgently
Yeah you
Yes, once again, I mean you
Hey
I still need to say something important to you
You
I'm referring to you again
Hey You
This is important, please pay attention
Excuse me I thought you were somebody else
My mistake, I thought you were a different person I needed to speak to
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROGER WATERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind