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.
Treat Me Like You Wanta
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Use me like a tool
Well you treat me like you wanta
Use me like a fool
You know I'll be your man
But I ain't gonna be your fool
You know that people are talkin'
Yeh you know that people are talkin'
In my neighbourhood
They tell me you don't love me,
That you don't mean me no good
Well when your rent is due
I know when you'll come around
But when I need some lovin' girl
You can't be found
You treat me like you wanta
Use me like a tool
Well I'll be your man
But I ain't gonna be your fool
(Instrumental)
You know we're playin' poker
And the last deal just went down
If you can't get it right
You'd better get out of town
You treat me like you wanta
Use me like a fool
Well I'll be your man
But I ain't gonna be your fool
The lyrics of Treat Me Like You Wanta by Johnny Winter is about a dysfunctional relationship between two people where one is being used as a tool or a fool while the other person is manipulating and taking advantage of the situation. The singer seems to be aware of the situation but still chooses to stay in the relationship for some reason. The lyrics suggest that the person being used is willing to be there for the other but will not continue to be made a fool of. The song is also about people talking about the situation in the singer's neighbourhood and warning him about the intentions of the other person in the relationship.
The first two lines of the lyrics set up the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is giving permission to the other person to treat him/her as they want to but warns them that they can't use him/her as a fool. This could be interpreted as the singer setting some conditions for the other person so that they are not taken for granted. The next few lines suggest that the singer is aware that people around him/her are talking about the relationship and warning him/her about the intentions of the other person. Despite knowing this, the singer seems to hold on to the relationship and continue with it.
The last verse of the song talks about a game of poker where the last deal just went down, and the singer warns the other person to leave town if they can't get it right. This could be interpreted as the final warning to the other person to change their ways or leave the singer alone. Overall, the lyrics of Treat Me Like You Wanta is about a person setting boundaries in a relationship and standing up for themselves while warning the other person to change their ways or leave.
Line by Line Meaning
You can treat me like you wanta honey
You have the freedom to treat me however you want, dear
Use me like a tool
Treat me as a means to an end, with no regard for my well-being
Well you treat me like you wanta
You have full control over how you treat me
Use me like a fool
Take advantage of me, even if it means making me look silly or foolish
You know I'll be your man
I'm willing to be your partner and support you
But I ain't gonna be your fool
However, I won't let myself be taken advantage of or made to look foolish
You know that people are talkin'
Rumors are circulating in our neighborhood
In my neighbourhood
In the area where we both live
They tell me you don't love me,
I've heard from others that you don't truly care for me
That you don't mean me no good
They also allege that your intentions towards me are not positive
Well when your rent is due
Whenever it's time for you to pay rent
I know when you'll come around
I'm aware that you only visit me when you need something from me
But when I need some lovin' girl
However, when I'm the one in need of emotional support or affection,
You can't be found
You're nowhere to be found or unwilling to provide that support
You know we're playin' poker
Currently, we are in the midst of a game of poker
And the last deal just went down
The previous round of cards has been completed
If you can't get it right
If you continue to make mistakes or play poorly
You'd better get out of town
You should leave the game or situation to avoid further negative consequences
Well I'll be your man
Despite everything, I'm still willing to be there for you
But I ain't gonna be your fool
However, I won't let myself be taken advantage of or made to look foolish
Contributed by Cooper W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.