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.
I'm Yours and I'm Hers
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know I'm yours and I'm hers
Somebody else's too, oh yeah
You know I'm yours and I'm hers
Somebody else's too
You know I'm two, times seven mamas, ah
Let me, baby, let me squeeze her
Well man, I'm lost uptown
Let me, let me squeeze her
Well man, I'm lost uptown
(I wanna squeeze my baby)
'Cause you know I'm a stranger
I wanna know what's going down
Want to take you with me
Want you-all to understand
Ah, this mama, gonna tell ya, mama
Want you, all to understand
You know I can love you, mama
Better than your steady man
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song "I'm Yours and I'm Hers" essentially convey a love triangle situation where the singer admits to belonging to two women. While one of them is his steady lady, the other is a mysterious woman who he squeezes and is lost uptown with. The singer introduces himself as belonging to his two women and confesses to being somebody else's as well. He claims to be two times seven mamas and does only what he wants to do. The singer then expresses his desire to be with his unknown woman (squeeze her) but is lost uptown, meaning he cannot find her. He considers himself a stranger and would like to know what is going on. The song ends with the singer trying to justify his actions by telling his main woman that he can love her more than her steady man.
The lyrics of "I'm Yours and I'm Hers" reveal a complicated love affair where the singer is unapologetic about his actions. He has two women in his life, one known and the other unknown, but he does not want to choose between them. His actions may be perceived as selfish, but the song shows that he is also capable of deep love. The song is a classic blues-rock masterpiece that excellently blends bluesy guitar riffs with the singer's raspy, soulful voice.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I'm yours and I'm hers
The singer is committed to both the person he's directly addressing and another individual.
Somebody else's too, oh yeah
The singer is in multiple relationships simultaneously.
You know I'm two, times seven mamas, ah
The singer is boasting about his sexual prowess.
Do just what I wanna do
The artist acts according to his own desires.
Let me, baby, let me squeeze her
The artist is requesting permission to physically touch the woman he's addressing.
Well man, I'm lost uptown
The singer is disoriented from his current situation, possibly due to the physical desire he's experiencing.
(I wanna squeeze my baby)
The singer reinforces his desire to touch the woman.
'Cause you know I'm a stranger
The artist acknowledges that he's not familiar with the environment he's in.
I wanna know what's going down
The artist seeks to learn about his situation and surroundings.
Want to take you with me
The artist desires to bring the woman with him.
Want you-all to understand
The singer wants to communicate his intentions clearly to those listening.
Ah, this mama, gonna tell ya, mama
The artist is addressing the woman affectionately and implies he will share important information.
You know I can love you, mama
The singer promises he can love the woman better than her current partner does.
Better than your steady man
The singer implies that he can provide a more satisfying relationship than the woman's current partner.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY WINTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ
I'm Yours and I'm Hers (Johnny Winter)
Johnny Winter (album), APR. 1969
I'm Yours And I'm Hers
You know I'm yours and I'm hers
Somebody else's too, oh yeah
You know I'm yours and I'm hers
Somebody else's too
You know I'm two, times seven mamas, ah
Do just what I wanna do
Let me, baby, let me squeeze her
Well man, I'm lost uptown
Let me, let me squeeze her
Well man, I'm lost uptown
(I wanna squeeze my baby)
'Cause you know I'm a stranger
I wanna know what's going down
Want to take you with me
Want you-all to understand
Ah, this mama, gonna tell ya, mama
Want you, all to understand
You know I can love you, mama
Better than your steady man
Thank you for ALL, Johnny. RIP.
Stoned Meadow Of Doom
My favorite Johnny Winter song. This one goes so hard
John Kelly
@bbailey17b yeah sorry what I meant to say was the rolling stones covered this song !!! At Hyde Park concert for Brian Jones!! And it was really good .. ,hope u have a lovely Christmas and God bless
bbailey17b
@John Kelly What did you mean about "diging it for b jones at hyde park"? Could you explain?
bbailey17b
Agreed. Well put. A stellar number on a stellar album. Still my favourite, though his whole output doesn't get the attention it deserves. Which should change, I reckon; he's one of the era's great bluesmen, and guitarists.
Couldn't get enough of this LP when I arrived in Canada in 1970, and that hasn't changed. Even a standard like Good Morning Little Schoolgirl gets fine treatment--though my other fave is Leland Mississippi Blues, the first item on the other side.
- XxJimmyPagexX -
Slide guitar master. And when he takes off the slide, he’s just as good if not better
Michael Owens
Definitely best Johnny Winter song! Loved it 50 years ago and still hokds up!
BuratoVlado
Brian Jones's favorite song.
Ken Kovar
dang son yer right
G&L G&L
The slide guitar lick has a similar style to "Travellin Riverside Blues."
Ann Bugbee
@Aftermath Yes,Satanic Majestic ReQuest,Love 2000 Light years from home,Gomper,and about 2,3 More,Can't think of the names of them,right now,Pesonally l LIKE that Album,Keith said of the Beatles can make a load of crap SO CAN WE,But l LIKE that Album just O.K.,Also like LANTERN,Got that Album when first Released, Cover is Pretty Neat,Got an Original Demo,Bought in London.TAKE CARE AND STAY WELL AND SAFE, Walter B.Memphis 😛☠