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.
See See Baby
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lordy mama, no need to worry
See-see baby, see what you done done
Yeah, you've told me a lie, now your man done come
Whoah, I love your jivin' and the way you carries on
Lordy mama, no need to worry
I love your jivin' and the way you carry it on
Look out, now!
(Instrumental)
That man don't love you, you know he told me so
Lordy mama, no need to worry
Your man don't love you, yes he told me so
Well he's just a-jivin' you woman, he's in love with the girl next door
Oh see-see baby, see what you have done
Lordy mama, no need to worry
See-see baby, see what you done done
Yeah, you've told me a lie, little girl, you know that's wrong
The lyrics to "See See Baby" by Johnny Winter tell a story of a man who has been lied to by his lover. He urges her to see the error of her ways and the consequences of her actions. The man expresses his love for the woman despite her deception, but warns her of a looming threat - her real lover. He tells her that her true love does not actually love her but is using her for his own selfish purposes. The song ends with a final plea to the woman to see the damage she has done and to make things right.
The lyrics reveal a complicated relationship filled with lies and deceit. The man's understanding and forgiving attitude towards the woman's deceit is surprising, but also adds depth to the song. It is as though the man recognizes that their relationship has not been easy, but is willing to see the best in the woman and to work through their issues together. The instrumental break in the song adds an emotional intensity to the song and further emphasizes the raw honesty of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
See-see baby, see what you have done
Hey girl, take a look at the mess you made
Lordy mama, no need to worry
Don't stress, everything will be okay
See-see baby, see what you done done
You messed up big time, girl
Yeah, you've told me a lie, now your man done come
Your falsehoods caught up with you, and now you're in trouble
Whoah, I love your jivin' and the way you carries on
I enjoy your playful nature and the way you behave
I love your jivin' and the way you carry it on
I dig your vibe and the way you act
Whoah, you've told me a lie, little girl, you know that's wrong
You told me a falsehood, honey, and that's not cool
Look out, now!
Watch your back!
(Instrumental)
Music break
That man don't love you, you know he told me so
That guy doesn't care for you, he was honest with me
Your man don't love you, yes he told me so
Your partner doesn't love you, he confided in me
Well he's just a-jivin' you woman, he's in love with the girl next door
He's just stringing you along, he's really all about your neighbor
Oh see-see baby, see what you have done
Ain't it clear what you've accomplished, little lady?
See-see baby, see what you done done
Girl, look at what you did
Yeah, you've told me a lie, little girl, you know that's wrong
You lied to me, honey, and that ain't right
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.