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.
Self Destructive Blues
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thinkin' 'bout the good things I once had had
Ain't no good, feelin' this a way
Gonna rock my blues away
Gonna get up
Tear my blue self down
When I get through boogyin'
Drank some whiskey, beer and wine
Ya know I been mistreated & I don't mind dyin'
come here momma, bring me one more pint
Gonna get stoned, gonna wreck this joint
Gonna get up
Tear my blue self down
When I get through boogy'in'
Won't be no more blues around
Spendin' money, lord, feelin' good
Gettin' down like I knew I would
I don't trust women, don't like men
Might not feel this good again
Gonna get up
Tear my blue self down
When I get through boogy'in'
Won't be no more blues around
The lyrics to Johnny Winter's Self Destructive Blues speak of a person who wakes up feeling down and thinking about the good things that they once had. They express the sentiment that feeling that way is not good and that they plan to "rock their blues away" by tearing their "blue" self down through boogieing or dancing. The second verse references the consumption of whiskey, beer, and wine and feeling mistreated but not minding dying. The singer calls out for more alcohol and expresses the desire to get stoned and wreck the joint, meaning the location in which they currently are. Once again, the chorus follows, announcing the singer's intent to get up and tear their blue self down until there are no more blues around.
The final verse speaks of spending money and feeling good, getting down as they knew they would. However, they express their distrust for women and dislike for men and acknowledge that they may not feel as good again. The sentiment seems to be that the singer is giving in to their self-destructive tendencies and will destroy themselves if they have to but will do so through destructive, yet ultimately temporary means such as drinking, drugs, and music.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was released on Johnny Winter's 1979 album "Raisin' Cain", which was produced by Rick Derringer. Derringer also co-wrote the majority of the songs on the album with Winter. Another fact is that the song was covered by the band George Thorogood and the Destroyers in their 1982 album "Bad to the Bone". The song features a prominent harp (harmonica) part played by Winter. Winter was an accomplished blues guitarist and is considered a pioneer of blues rock. He was known for his white hair and albino appearance, which also inspired the name of his band, Johnny Winter And (sometimes And The) White Trash. The song's lyrics speak to the theme of self-destruction common in many blues songs, but also reflect the era in which it was written, with the popularity of drugs and rock 'n roll culture. Finally, the song has been used in various movies and TV shows, including the movie "Pulp Fiction" and one episode of the show "Sons of Anarchy".
Chords (as played in the acoustic version):
Verse: E - A - E - A - E
Chorus: E - D - A - E - D - A - E
Line by Line Meaning
Woke up this mornin' feelin' bad
I feel terrible after waking up today.
Thinkin' 'bout the good things I once had had
I'm reminiscing about the good times of the past.
Ain't no good, feelin' this a way
It's not good to feel this way.
Gonna rock my blues away
I'm going to listen to music to make myself feel better.
Drank some whiskey, beer and wine
I consumed alcohol.
Ya know I been mistreated & I don't mind dyin'
People have treated me badly, and I don't care if I die.
come here momma, bring me one more pint
I want someone to give me another drink.
Gonna get stoned, gonna wreck this joint
I'm going to get high and cause destruction.
Spendin' money, lord, feelin' good
Spending money makes me feel good.
Gettin' down like I knew I would
I'm enjoying myself as I thought I would.
I don't trust women, don't like men
I have trust issues with both men and women.
Might not feel this good again
I may never feel this happy again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY WINTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind