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.
let me in
Johnny Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you did you sure would let me in
Yes I don't believe you really love me baby
If you did you'd sure let me in
You know I'm out here in the cold and rain
And you got me locked outta my house again
Yeah I'm out here in the weather
Yeah you got me standin' out here in the weather, little girl
Tryin' to get you to change your mind
I'm bound to catch the flu or pneunomia
It's enough to make a grown man feel like cryin'
(I wish you'd let me in)
(Instrumental)
(Yeah it's cold out here)
(Yeah you got me standin' out here in the rain)
Yeah, one more time!
(Something must be wrong with this woman)
(Please let me in that door)
(Can I talk to this woman one time)
If you just let me come inside
I'll never treat you wrong no more
Oh, just let me come inside woman
I'll never treat you wrong no more
I promise you anything you want, little girl
Yeah if you just let me in that door
(Instrumental)
Yeah let me inside, woman...
The lyrics of Johnny Winter's "Let Me In" narrate the plea of a man to his lover to be allowed back into her life. He expresses his disbelief in her love for him, as he stands outside her house in the cold rain, trying to get her to change her mind. He feels neglected and rejected, as if she has forgotten their love, and begs her to open the door and let him in. He fears catching the flu or pneumonia and is in emotional distress, just wishing to be inside her warm and welcoming company again. The man promises to change and do anything to make her happy if she just agrees to let him back in her life.
The song speaks to the common human desire to be loved and accepted, and the pain and vulnerability that arises when we feel unwanted or abandoned. It portrays the theme of unrequited love, as the man's feelings of devotion do not seem to be reciprocated, causing him emotional turmoil. Furthermore, the use of the weather and the man's physical health to symbolize his emotional needs is a powerful metaphor in the song, as it illustrates how emotional neglect can affect our well-being and physical health.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't think you still love me
Johnny Winter is not convinced that his lover still has feelings for him
If you did you sure would let me in
Johnny Winter believes that if his lover truly loved him, she would let him inside
Yes I don't believe you really love me baby
Johnny Winter is quite certain that his lover does not love him
You know I'm out here in the cold and rain
Johnny Winter wants his lover to know that he is outside in terrible weather
And you got me locked outta my house again
Johnny Winter's lover has locked him out of the house yet again
Yeah I'm out here in the weather
Johnny Winter is outside, braving the elements
Tryin' to get you to change your mind
Johnny Winter hopes to change his lover's mind
I'm bound to catch the flu or pneumonia
Johnny Winter is at risk of contracting a serious illness due to being out in bad weather
It's enough to make a grown man feel like cryin'
Johnny Winter feels emotional due to his situation
Something must be wrong with this woman
Johnny Winter believes that there is something wrong with his lover's behavior
Please let me in that door
Johnny Winter pleads with his lover to let him back inside
Can I talk to this woman one time
Johnny Winter wants to have a conversation with his lover
If you just let me come inside
Johnny Winter believes that if he is let in, things will be better
I'll never treat you wrong no more
Johnny Winter promises his lover that he will never hurt her again
Oh, just let me come inside woman
Johnny Winter is desperate to be let back inside
I promise you anything you want, little girl
Johnny Winter will do anything to make his lover happy
Yeah if you just let me in that door
Johnny Winter's mantra is that if he can only get inside, things will improve
Yeah let me inside, woman...
Johnny Winter pleads one last time for his lover to let him in
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.