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.
World of Contradictions
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I make my living feeling rotten, but I feel good when I play blues
In this world of contradictions, man what can a poor boy do?
Some folks say you can't sing blues, when you're feeling good
I'm just feeling lousy, I knock on wood
I make my living feeling rotten, but I feel good when I play blues
I guess the worst things get, the better they must be
this mixed up way of thinking man, is killing me
I make my living feeling rotten but I feel good when I play blues yes I do
In this world of contradictions what can a poor boy do
Yeah, what can I do, oh
Yeah, woo
Well if I feel a little bit better, I'll probably go broke
It' enough to give a man the blues and man that ain't no joke
I make my living feeling rotten I feel good when I play blues
Well in this world of contradictions, what can a poor boy do
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's song "World of Contradictions" reflect the struggle of an artist in a society that perceives art forms like blues as a negativity. The artist admits to feeling "rotten" and making his living out of that feeling; however, he feels satisfied when he plays blues. The use of the word "contradictions" in the song's title suggests that the singer is having a hard time reconciling his love for blues with societal opinions of the genre.
The singer faces criticism from people who believe that he can't play blues with a positive mindset. He retaliates by saying that the only time he feels good is when he's playing the blues. The line "I guess the worst things get, the better they must be" suggests that he's resigned to the idea that he can't be happy and successful at the same time; he has to be miserable to get his art right. This refrain seems to fuel his love for the blues, and while he acknowledges his discomfort with this mode of thinking, he is powerless to change it.
Line by Line Meaning
make my living feeling rotten, but I feel good when I play blues
Despite feeling miserable for a living, playing blues music brings me joy.
In this world of contradictions, man what can a poor boy do?
Living in a world of mixed messages and hypocrisy, what is a poor boy supposed to do?
Some folks say you can't sing blues, when you're feeling good
People claim that you can't authentically sing blues unless you're unhappy.
I'm just feeling lousy, I knock on wood
Although I'm currently feeling terrible, I'm hoping things will turn around.
I guess the worst things get, the better they must be
It seems that the worse things get, the more enjoyable they become, which is a confusing way of thinking.
this mixed up way of thinking man, is killing me
The conflicting mindset of enjoying what is supposed to be unpleasant is taking a toll on me.
Yeah, what can I do, oh
I'm unsure what to do in this situation.
Well if I feel a little bit better, I'll probably go broke
If I start to feel better, it will likely have a negative impact on my income.
It's enough to give a man the blues and man that ain't no joke
This situation is serious enough to make a man feel sad, and it's not a laughing matter.
Well in this world of contradictions, what can a poor boy do
In a world that doesn't make sense and is full of conflicting messages, a poor boy may feel lost and unsure of what to do.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHNNY WINTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
xkecoupe
gorgeous the whole LP,but especially this one,the lyrics is about his life... used to listen on full power in the car.Thanks for uploading.
InlinePaul
Yeah, that is a little known album with some killer songs. This is one of my favorites. Johnny was the master and his legacy of power blues lives on! Go Johnny Go. Greatest guitarist in my opinion. There were others as good but not many and none like Johnny.
Allan Albert
Love this album. This is one badass tune. Go johnny go.
Schrene Lambert
"Thank you for sharing the blues! Excellent choice as always!"
sharon wolf
••❥....••❥....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....I make my living feeling rotten
But I feel good when I play blues
Man, I make my living feeling rotten
But I feel good when I play blues
In this world of contradictions
What can a poor boy do?
Some folks say you can't sing blues
When you're feeling good
I guess when things are lousy
I ought to knock on wood
I make my living feeling rotten
But I feel good when I play blues
In this world of contradictions
Man, what can a poor boy do?
I guess the worst things get
The better they must be
This mixed up way of thinking
Man, is killing me
I make my living feeling rotten
But I feel good when I play blues, yes, I do
In this world of contradictions
What can a poor boy do? Yeah, what can I do? Oh
Well, if I feel a little bit better
I'll probably go broke
It' enough to give a man the blues
And man, that ain't no joke
I make my living feeling rotten
I feel good when I play blues
Well, in this world of contradictions
What can a poor boy do?
Larry DuVall
johnny was one of a kind, he never went disco even when you couldnt give away good blues, i dig about 99 and one half% of his music
Joe Palladini
good stuff bro.....
Rhonda Page
there is no other ..or will there ever be !!!
sgtpep5
+Rhonda Page Not in any life time will there be anyone who even comes close to what Johnny did..... I'm thankful that I grew up listening to Johnny's music...Saw his many times live...He never disappointed us!! R.I.P. Johnny and we all thank you for everything...
mike n
only thing for a poor white boy to do is play rock an roll'' , I said that'' noke Cleveland.