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.
The Guy You Left Behind
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My friends keep tellin' me your not my kind
No your not girl
I'm not the kind of guy to speak just idle talk
I don't no wanna lose my somethin' fine
I ain't a asking very much of you child
Tell me 'bout the guy you left behind
Yes the same way, just the way
That you left him too, yeah!
Why won't you tell me whatta happened that day
Will it be any different this time
What did he do to make you drive him away
Tell me 'bout the guy you left behind
You know that my love for you is true
Sometime I wonder do you love me to?
What I say now!
I said now every time you kiss sets my heart aflame
But there's one thing that worries my mind
I said you always whisperin' some other guys name
Tell me 'bout the guy you left behind
I wanna know, I wanna know I just, gotta know
Woah yeah, I wanna know, please tell me child
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song "The Guy You Left Behind" suggest a man who is having trouble moving on from a previous lover. He tries to convince himself that he doesn't need her, but his friends keep reminding him that she's not right for him. He is curious about the guy she left behind, wanting to know more about him and why she chose to leave him. It seems that he is worried that he may end up in the same position as the previous guy and wants to know what he might do to avoid that fate.
The song has a somewhat desperate tone to it, as the singer is trying to find answers that will help him make sense of his situation. He is afraid of being rejected again and is looking for reassurance that his new love won't leave him like the previous one did. This fear is heightened by the fact that she seems to be keeping secrets from him, whispering another guy's name and not explaining what happened between her and the previous guy.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a man who is deeply in love but also deeply afraid of getting hurt. He wants to know everything about the woman he loves and her past, hoping that this knowledge will help him avoid the same mistakes.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothin' I do can satisfy my mind
Despite my efforts, I am unable to find contentment
My friends keep tellin' me your not my kind
Those close to me suggest that you are not a suitable partner
No your not girl
Admitting that his friends were right about their assessment of the girl
I'm not the kind of guy to speak just idle talk
I am a person who prefers meaningful conversations over superficial interactions
I don't no wanna lose my somethin' fine
I am afraid of losing something valuable
I ain't a asking very much of you child
I have a simple request that I hope you can fulfill
Tell me 'bout the guy you left behind
I want to know about your previous romantic partner
My friends all tell me that you'll leave me blue
My friends warn me that you will leave me feeling sad and disappointed
Yes the same way, just the way
They believe you will treat me the same way you treated your previous partner
Why won't you tell me whatta happened that day
I am curious about what occurred when you left your previous partner
Will it be any different this time
I am uncertain if our relationship will play out differently than your previous one
What did he do to make you drive him away
I am wondering what behaviors caused you to end your previous relationship
Tell me 'bout the guy you left behind
I am still curious about your past partner and the circumstances surrounding your breakup
You know that my love for you is true
I want to emphasize the sincerity of my feelings towards you
Sometime I wonder do you love me to?
At times, I question if you reciprocate my love
What I say now!
I am about to make a statement that is important to me
I said now every time you kiss sets my heart aflame
I experience intense emotions whenever we share a kiss
But there's one thing that worries my mind
Despite my positive feelings, there is a concern that troubles me
I said you always whisperin' some other guys name
You frequently mention another man's name, which makes me feel uneasy
Tell me 'bout the guy you left behind
I still want to know more about your past partner, including how he fits into our current relationship
I wanna know, I wanna know I just, gotta know
I am emphasizing my desire and urgency to learn more about your past experiences
Woah yeah, I wanna know, please tell me child
I am pleading for you to share your past with me, despite any discomfort it may cause
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.