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.
Love Life and Money
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pay an awful price
I try and gamble with ya
But you're using crooked dice
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's shore gotta feel some pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
Money you've made me
Some very fast friends
And just like you made them
You're gonna break them in the end
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's shore gotta feel some pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
How come it all has to fall on me
I've had my share, of love life and money
I've lost all 3 ways
I'm here to tell ya that shore ain't funny
Me & my money parted, so did my love and I
Life don't mean a thing
And I wish that I could die
Life has made, a whole lotta fools
Always teach ya something
You never learn in school
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's shore gotta feel some pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
How come it all has to fall on me
The lyrics to Johnny Winter's "Love Life and Money" depict the struggles the singer has faced with various aspects of life that have caused him pain and turmoil. The song opens with the line "Life has made me pay an awful price," which sets the tone for what is to follow. Winter mentions how he's tried to "gamble" with love, but his efforts have been thwarted by someone who's "using crooked dice." This could be interpreted as Winter feeling like fate or circumstance is working against him in his romantic endeavors.
Winter then shifts to the topic of money and how it has both helped and hurt him. He's made some good friends through the money he's accumulated, but he's also lost them when his fortunes changed. The lyrics suggest that money can be a fickle friend, one that can turn on you as quickly as it can come to your aid. Winter seems to be suggesting that there's an inherent unfairness in how money works, with some people being able to amass wealth easily while others struggle and eventually lose what they have.
The repeated refrain of "somebody's gotta suffer, somebody's shore gotta feel some pain" drives home the idea that life is not always fair or kind. Winter seems to be questioning why he specifically has to bear the brunt of this suffering and pain. The song ends on a somewhat bleak note, with Winter lamenting how he's "lost all 3 ways" (love, life, and money) and wishing for death. Overall, the song is a meditation on the difficulties of life and the unfairness of certain aspects of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Life has made me
Life has had a profound impact on me
Pay an awful price
The price I've paid for my experiences has been very high
I try and gamble with ya
I attempt to take risks with you
But you're using crooked dice
But you're playing unfairly
Somebody's gotta suffer
Someone has to experience pain
Somebody's shore gotta feel some pain
Someone is bound to feel pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
If bad things are going to happen
How come it all has to fall on me
Why am I the only one getting hurt?
Money you've made me
Money has brought me wealth
Some very fast friends
Some friends who are only there for my money
And just like you made them
And just like money brought them to me
You're gonna break them in the end
Money will ultimately end those friendships
I've had my share, of love life and money
I've experienced plenty of love, life, and financial success
I've lost all 3 ways
But I've lost it all in each of those areas
I'm here to tell ya that shore ain't funny
I'm here to tell you that it's not amusing
Me & my money parted, so did my love and I
When I lost my money, I also lost my significant other
Life don't mean a thing
Life has lost its meaning
And I wish that I could die
I wish for death
Life has made, a whole lotta fools
Life has created many foolish people
Always teach ya something
Life always teaches something
You never learn in school
Things you learn in life cannot be taught in school
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HENRY B. GLOVER, JESSY D. DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charles Chandler
About life..!..:)
Life has made me
Pay an awful price
I try and gamble with ya
But you're using crooked dice
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's sure gotta feel some pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
How come it always fall on me
Money you've made me
Some very fast friends
And just like you made them
You're gonna break them in the end
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's sure gotta feel some pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
How come it all has to fall on me
I've had my share, of love, life and money
Lost all 3 ways, I'm here to tell ya that sure ain't funny
Me and my money parted, so did my love and I
Life don't mean a thing and I wish that I could die
Life can make, a whole lotta fools
Always teach ya something
That you never learn in school
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's sure gotta feel some pain
If it's gonna rain down misery
How come it all has to fall on me
How come it all falls on me
I've had my share, of love, life and money
Lost all 3 ways, I'm here to tell ya that sure ain't funny
Me and my money parted, so did my love and I
Life don't mean a thing and I wish that I could die
Life can make, a whole lotta fools
Always teach ya something
That you never learn in school
Somebody's gotta suffer
Somebody's sure gotta feel some pain
But, if it's gonna rain down misery
How come it all has to fall on me
Fall on me
Fall on me
How come it all has to fall on me...
...........:)O(:...........
Buddy M.N. Wirawan
the legend of blues, blues forever ! RIP Johnny Winter .... 😢
Joseph Montanye
They resolved great thanks for your all
Joseph Montanye
I want to see this is Joe Montanye I think I think that Johnny Winters Jimi Hendrix Stevie Ray Vaughan
Yeehee
There's more than one legend lol
Allan Albert
Ya baby! Excellent album, I damn near wore the grooves off this one. God I miss Johnny's live shows. RIP jdw
Freebird Seti
Amazing, Johnny! Awesome song!
Freebird Seti
THE LEGEND !!! Very, very great! Johnny Winter forever!!!
Claudio Kel
Best album!! Third degree,nothing but the blues,captured live,johnny winter!!!!
Cameron Mcdonald
So glad I saw Johnny a few times first outdoor blues festival second front row less than 10' away from this master RIP Johnny
janice hodgeman
Lucky!!!