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.
Lay Down Your Sorrows
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me carry them awhile
Cast off your sadness,
And I'll lend you a smile
You've traveled such a long way
Searchin' for the light
Lay down your sorrows
And lay with me tonight
Come on now
Take off your troubles,
You've been wearing them too long
Sit down beside me,
And I'll find you a song
You're havin' such a hard time
I said it don't seem right
Lay down your sorrows
And lay with me tonight
Come on and stay with me tonight
Come on, come on, come on, come on now
Come on and stay with me tonight
Come on and lay with me tonight
You know it don't seem easy
Feelin' things the way you do
When so many,
They don't feel at all
When the world is full of blindness,
You got to, you got to give yourself a little kindness
You've got to reach out,
Reach out for a hand to hold
You've got to take some rest,
And restore your soul
And lay down your sorrows
Lay down your sorrows
You're havin' such a hard time
I said it don't seem right
Lay down your sorrows
Come on lay down your sorrows
Lay down your sorrows and lay with me
Tonight..........
Come on and lay with me tonight
Oh......
Yeah come on and lay with me
Lay with me, lay with me, lay with me
Come on, come on and lay with me tonight........
In Johnny Winter's song, "Lay Down Your Sorrows," the singer addresses someone who has been carrying a heavy burden of sadness for far too long. The singer urges the person to let go of their troubles and give themselves a break. They offer to bear some of the weight themselves, even just for the night, and promise to bring a little bit of joy to an otherwise difficult situation. The song acknowledges the difficulty of feeling things deeply in a world that often seems numb or blind to pain, and encourages the listener to take care of themselves in order to restore their soul.
The lyrics of "Lay Down Your Sorrows" capture a sense of empathy and compassion, as well as an awareness of the importance of taking time to heal and rest. The singer recognizes that it can be difficult to let go of pain, particularly when it has been carried for a long time. However, they encourage the listener to see their own worth and to seek out support from others when needed.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay down your sorrows,
Please release yourself from the burden of your sorrows and give them to me to hold momentarily.
Let me carry them awhile
Allow me to support you as you share your heavy load, to relieve you of the weight, and hopefully to make it more bearable.
Cast off your sadness,
Release your feelings of sadness or disappointment or frustration.
And I'll lend you a smile
I'll help to ease your discontent by providing a smile or a happy moment to share together.
You've traveled such a long way
You have gone quite a distance in your journey and have felt the weight of your journey along the way.
Searchin' for the light
You have been searching for the light in your life, a positive beacon that can guide you forward.
Lay down your sorrows
I ask you again to give me your troubles for a little while.
And lay with me tonight
Spend some time resting with me and letting go of your emotions for now.
Take off your troubles,
Remove your troubles from your shoulders.
You've been wearing them too long
You have been carrying these troubles for too long and it's time to let someone else take a turn carrying them.
Sit down beside me,
Come sit close to me so we can be more connected and share feelings in a comforting space.
And I'll find you a song
Let me create a nurturing and comforting environment by providing a song for you to enjoy.
You're havin' such a hard time
I can see that you are struggling with many challenges currently.
I said it don't seem right
I acknowledge that it does not seem fair that you have to face such hardships.
Come on and stay with me tonight
I invite you to spend time with me tonight for deep solace and togetherness.
You know it don't seem easy
It's not easy to feel so deeply at times, to process emotions, or to traverse the difficulties of life.
Feelin' things the way you do
Experiencing emotions with such intensity and depth can make life challenging and painful.
When so many,
When it seems like so many people seem to be less affected by life's challenges and contentedness.
They don't feel at all
Some people might not experience life the way you do, might not feel as deeply, which can make you feel isolated, overwhelmed or overburdened.
When the world is full of blindness,
Life is full of suffering and hardship, some of which is not visible. It can be hard to see our own way in the world when there is so much tragedy, struggle and suffering around us.
You got to, you got to give yourself a little kindness
You owe it to yourself to be compassionate and gentle with yourself during tough times.
You've got to reach out,
You must extend yourself, lean on others, or seek help when times are hard, especially when you feel unable to handle life's pressures on your own.
Reach out for a hand to hold
Make connections or seek out others to provide comfort or support when things are tough.
You've got to take some rest,
You must devote some time to rest, to recharging your batteries, and to rediscovering your inner resilience.
And restore your soul
Rest will help you replenish your soul and put things in perspective, to find a peaceful balance and a new sense of strength.
Come on lay down your sorrows
I repeat my invitation for you to rest from your burdens and to give them to me for a while.
Come on and lay with me tonight
I ask once more to share a warm and comforting space tonight.
Yeah come on and lay with me
Join me and allow me to act as your support and your shelter from the world at large.
Lay with me, lay with me, lay with me
Repeating my invitation for mutual comfort and rest.
Come on, come on and lay with me tonight........
I implore once more for your companionship tonight as we find solace together.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WINTER
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