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.
Parchman Farm
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sittin' down here on Parchman Farm
Sittin' down here on Parchman Farm
Lord I ain't never done no man no harm
I'm a love neck cotton in an 11 foot sack
I'm a lovesick cotton in an 11 foot sack
I'm a lovesick cotton in an 11 foot sack
I'm sitting down here on number 9
I'm sitting down here on number 9
I'm sitting down here on number 9
All I did was drink a little wine
Gonna be down here for the rest of my life
Gonna be down here for the rest of my life
Gonna be down here for the rest of my life
All I did was shoot my wife
The song "Parchman Farm" by Johnny Winter is a classic blues tune that tells the story of a man sitting in jail at Parchman Farm, a notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary. The lyrics convey the sense of hopelessness and despair that one might experience when incarcerated. The repetitiveness of the opening line reinforces the monotony of prison life. However, the singer asserts his innocence, as he has never done harm to anyone. He is merely a "lovesick cotton in an 11-foot sack," implying that his only crime was being in love.
The second verse introduces a sense of danger and urgency, as the man describes having a shotgun aimed at his back. His crime is not explicitly stated, but it is clear that he is paying a heavy price for something. The third verse gives more insight into his alleged crime - he was jailed for drinking wine. The final verse reveals the heinousness of his actions, as he confesses to shooting his wife. He resigns himself to a life sentence, indicating that he has no hope for release.
Overall, "Parchman Farm" captures the bleak reality of the prison system and the despair felt by inmates. The song has become iconic in blues music and has been covered by various artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' down here on Parchman Farm
I am currently incarcerated at Parchman Farm.
Lord I ain't never done no man no harm
I have never intentionally caused harm to any other person.
I'm a love neck cotton in an 11 foot sack
I am a piece of cotton that has been harvested and put into a large sack.
I'm a lovesick cotton in an 11 foot sack
I am a piece of cotton that yearns for love while being trapped in a large sack.
Got a 12 gauge shotgun leveled at my back
I am being held at gunpoint with a 12 gauge shotgun pressed against my back.
I'm sitting down here on number 9
I am specifically stationed and imprisoned in cell number 9.
All I did was drink a little wine
My crime was simply drinking alcohol.
Gonna be down here for the rest of my life
I am facing a life sentence and will be confined to Parchman Farm for the rest of my days.
All I did was shoot my wife
My crime was murdering my own wife by shooting her.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MOSE ALLISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind