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.
Lights Out
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grabbed her and I kissed her
Boy (I) was surprised when I saw her little sister
Lights out
Lights out
I'm glad the lights was out
Sister knows (what) it's all about
Mother looked at me
She was peepin' through the window
Way she looked at me you'd have thought I was her sister
Lights out
Lights out
I'm glad the lights was out
Sister knows (what) it's all about
What to do when the lights go out
Lovin' on the front porch
Took mama's swing
I can almost hear those weddin' bells ring
Lights out
Lights out
I'm glad the lights was out
Sister knows (what) it's all about
What to do when the lights go out
Now we('re) married
And we got a little house
Had to marry little sister 'cause the lights went out
Lights out
Lights out
I'm glad the lights was out
Sister knows (what) it's all about
What to do when the lights go out
Now we('re) married
And we got a little house
Had to marry little sister 'cause the lights went out
Lights out
Lights out
I'm glad the lights was out
Sister knows (what) it's all about
What to do when the lights go out
The lyrics of "Lights Out" by Johnny Winter revolve around a humorous story about a man who finds himself kissing his sweetheart on the front porch, only to realize that he has accidentally swapped her for her younger sister due to a blackout. However, the man continues to partake in love-making activities with the sister by using the darkness to his advantage. As a result, he marries her instead and hints towards the fact that the sister knows "what to do when the lights go out." The song has a playful and jovial tone, showcasing the man's silly and careless persona.
While the song's lyrics are somewhat controversial and raise concerns about incest, it's import to note that it is not to be taken seriously; rather, it aims to evoke laughter and humor for the listener. The repetition of the phrase "Lights out" serves as a symbol for the darkness that helps the singer carry out his actions. The overall message symbolizes the consequences of hasty and impulsive actions in the absence of reasoning or hindsight.
Line by Line Meaning
Standin' on my front porch
I was standing outside my home.
Grabbed her and I kissed her
I kissed my girlfriend without any delay.
Boy (I) was surprised when I saw her little sister
I was shocked when I saw my girlfriend's younger sister.
Lights out
The lights turned off.
I'm glad the lights was out
I was happy that the lights turned off.
Sister knows (what) it's all about
My girlfriend's sister is experienced in this matter.
What to do when the lights go out
What actions to take during a blackout.
Mother looked at me
My mother noticed me.
She was peepin' through the window
My mom was spying from the window.
Way she looked at me you'd have thought I was her sister
My mom had a suspicious look on her face.
Lovin' on the front porch
Intimate actions on my front porch.
Took mama's swing
My girlfriend and I used my mom's swing to sit on.
I can almost hear those weddin' bells ring
I can hear the potential future wedding bells.
Now we('re) married
My girlfriend and I are married now.
And we got a little house
We have a small house that we share.
Had to marry little sister 'cause the lights went out
We had to marry my girlfriend's younger sister because we were intimate and the lights turned off.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID AXLEROD, DIANE HILDERBRAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
caporetto90
sempre eccezionale johnny...
Lisa Ryan
RIP Johnny
Alfredo Cristovam de Souza
Johnny,no one catches !!!
Antonio Di Lucia
boogie with Johnny
Spare Room Demos
Like Mike Bloomfield’s version
rj Nelson
Meh...not even a solo. This one's Rippin'
4brens
@rj Nelson They both sound good to me