John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III (born February 23, 1944 died July 16, 2014)… Read Full Bio ↴John Dawson "Johnny" Winter III (born February 23, 1944 died July 16, 2014) was an American blues guitarist, singer, and producer. Best known for his late 1960s and 1970s high-energy blues rock albums and live performances, Winter also produced three Grammy Award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters. Since his time with Waters, Johnny Winter has recorded several Grammy-nominated blues albums and continues to tour extensively. In 1988, he was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and in 2003, he was ranked as 74th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time", a debatable ranking based on those listed ahead of him as being more talented than Johnny.

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.

Lone Wolf
Johnny Winter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Yeah!)

When the moon comes up, I'll come a snifin' around your door
When the moon comes up, I'll come a snifin' around your door
I'll howl all night, leavin' you beggin' for more, more, more!

Yeah!

(Instrumental)

I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I'm gonna huff and a-puff until I blow your little house down.

I'm a lone wolf!
I'm a lone wolf!
I'm a lone wolf!
I'm a lone wolf!

I'm gonna huff and I'll puff until I blow your little house down....Oww!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song "Lone Wolf" describe the singer's identity as an independent individual who travels from town to town, howling like a wolf. He is not part of any pack, as he is a "big bad wolf" who operates on his own. The use of the wolf as a metaphor for the singer's identity is similar to its traditional portrayal in literature and culture, often symbolizing strength, independence, and a willingness to embrace one's wild nature.

The lyrics describe the singer's confidence in his abilities, as he promises to "huff and puff" until he "blows your little house down," instilling fear in anyone who may cross his path. He describes his nocturnal habits, becoming active when the moon comes out and sniffling around people's doors, causing them to tremble and beg for more. The song's use of repetition in the chorus and the howling, animalistic cries of the singer throughout the song convey a sense of primal energy and raw passion.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I am an independent person who travels and wanders from town to town, constantly howling to express my presence and freedom.

I'm gonna huff and I'll puff until I blow your little house down
I am determined to bring down anything that represents confinement or oppression in your life, and I will use any means necessary to achieve that.

I'm a lone wolf, don't do no running with the pack...
I do not conform to the norms and expectations of society or any group of people; I live and act on my terms alone.

I'm a big bad wolf, I'll pull the wool right off your back
I am a powerful and intimidating figure who will expose your true nature and intentions, no matter how well you disguise yourself or your motives.

When the moon comes up, I'll come a snifin' around your door
I am a mysterious and unpredictable presence, always lurking in the shadows and ready to invade your life when you least expect it.

I'll howl all night, leavin' you beggin' for more, more, more!
I will overwhelm you with my intensity and leave you craving for more of my wild and unpredictable nature.

I'm gonna huff and a-puff until I blow your little house down.
Once again, I am determined to break down any barriers or limitations in your life that are holding you back, even if it means using brute force.

I'm a lone wolf!
I am proud of my independence and my ability to thrive on my own.

I'm gonna huff and I'll puff until I blow your little house down....Oww!
I will not stop until I achieve my goals, even if it means causing pain or discomfort to others.

Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

mancosickbag

1y↑1

I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I'm gonna huff and I'll puff until I blow your little house down
(Yes I will!)
I'm a lone wolf, don't do no running with the pack...
I'm a lone wolf, don't do no running with the pack...
I'm a big bad wolf, I'll pull the wool right off your back
(Yeah!)
When the moon comes up, I'll come a snifin' around your door
When the moon comes up, I'll come a snifin' around your door
I'll howl all night, leavin' you beggin' for more, more, more!
Yeah!
I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I'm a lone wolf and I howl from town to town
I'm gonna huff and a-puff until I blow your little house down.
I'm a lone wolf!
I'm a lone wolf!
I'm a lone wolf!
I'm a lone wolf!
I'm gonna huff and I'll puff until I blow your little house down... Oww!