Walker was either born Autry DeWalt II or re-christened such following an earlier name, Oscar G. Mixon, on June 14, 1931. Although he mastered the crawl and the toddle, "Junior Walker" got that moniker not from frequent roaming but from his father, Roosevelt Walker. Still, after his family moved from Blytheville, Arkansas to South Bend, Indiana, people started noticing his special rhythms. In his new home, he could pursue his lifelong specialty: music. With his trusty tenor saxophone, Junior Walker blew through high school and nearby R&B and jazz clubs with the Jumping Jacks.
Yet he wasn't so focused on a straight-ahead path that he couldn't stop and appreciate others' talents, including those of organist Fred Patton and, later, blues guitarist Willie Woods.
After the rotating door of sidemen got its first spin, Junior Walker took the lead and served as the axis of what would become his signature band.
Having gigged in upper Indiana and lower Michigan, Walker settled down in the latter state. Late-1950s Battle Creek was the birthplace of what would officially be known as Jr. Walker and the All Stars: Woods, organist Vic Thomas, and Tony Washington on drums.
Here comes the inevitable Hitsville connection! Singer Johnny Bristol watched Jr. Walker and the All Stars during an El Grotto club performance. After wiping the sizzling grease off his brow, he told pal Harvey Fuqua about the band.
In 1961, Harvey the label hired the squealing saxophonist and his rip-roaring rhythm section. Records like "Cleo's Mood" established their promise before Motown acquired Harvey's roster and, in 1964, the band, which still featured Woods, Thomas, and Washington with Walker.
Jack Douglas, then James Graves, later took Washington's drum seat. It was the 1965 lineup of Walker, Thomas, Graves, and Woods that rode "Shotgun" to the top of the charts.
If Junior Walker had thought he could foresee his professional course, then Motown had found a way to catch him off guard. A vocalist's no-show for "Shotgun" had forced horn man Walker to lay the vocal track. To his bewilderment, Motown had kept it.
Whether he wanted it or not, the country would know him as singer-saxophonist Junior Walker.
Nonetheless, soul-selling was a good thing for Jr. Walker and the All Stars. They stuck to their forte--R&B instrumentals--and made some noise with originals like "Shake and Fingerpop" as well as in-house covers like "How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You)." (For the band's mainly Motown discography, click here.) Graves went lickety-split in '66. Hits like "(I'm a) Road Runner" kept the group running on high-octane fuel. After a series of boogie-able party tunes, it was, perhaps, time to dribble syrup into the frying pan.
Doesn't sound appealing? Junior Walker wasn't enthused about the ballad "What Does It Take (to Win Your Love)" himself. Though he'd continued to insert vocals on his records, he didn't want to really, you know, carry a sweet tune!
Producers Bristol and Fuqua prevailed in the studio, as did Jr. Walker and the All Stars on the charts. As far as Top 5ers went, that 1969 song and their first Motown hit were poles apart. Pieces like "Gotta Hold on to This Feeling" and "Hip City, Pt. 1" and "Pt. 2" maintained their stylistic seesaw.
The band had gotten a late start at Motown compared to other acts. But that didn't delay its fading Pop-ularity in the 1970s. Thankfully, the R&B market hadn't shrugged it off. And regardless of commercial clout, Jr. Walker and the All Stars' raucous soul influenced many grateful funkmeisters that decade.
In the mid-to-late '70s, Junior Walker tried his horn at solo works with producer Brian Holland (Hot Shot), and then on Norman Whitfield's self-named label (Back Street Boogie). Still, by 1981, the world had found other musical idols.
That year heralded another unexpected turn. A band he didn't know from a genre he hadn't tried convinced him to guest-play on one of its songs. So, after one listen and with one take, he did. That improvised solo, during the refrain of Foreigner's "Urgent," was so outstanding that it brought Walker a new concert standard as well as a nice fee. As if he really did Blow the House Down at Motown, that 1983 album signified the end of Junior Walker's recording days.
So what did he do for the next decade? What he did second-best (if singing didn't count): He walked, or rather, roamed the globe, touring with his All Stars or his own junior, Autry DeWalt III, on drums.
Those were the '80s and '90s. Part of the latter, anyway: Cancer struck Junior Walker in 1993. Reportedly, as time went on, he had trouble with not only performing, but also walking.
On November 23, 1995, the disease extinguished the All Stars' leading light.
Walker's side men have kept the party going. Death has taken key members, like James Graves as early as 1967, and Willie Woods 30 years later from lung cancer.
But surviving Motown originals Thomas and Washington and musicians like saxophonist Kenny Walker and percussionist Acklee King have known not to give it up as part of "Jr Walkers Allstar Band" (note the official, legal name without some punctuation).
The singing--of praises--has continued with the group's 2002 induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "Shotgun."
Silence is especially disturbing if the music that once filled it was so lively. So go ahead, pop in and turn up that Jr. Walker and the All Stars record. No surprises, no new twists. Just some of the most pleasurably blistering foot-stompers on this end of the soul griddle.
(http://www.soullyoldies.com/jr-walker-and-the-all-stars.html)
Way Back Home
Jr. Walker & The All Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About the South, boy
Oh, and some leave a bitter taste
In my mouth, now
Yeah!
Like the black man livin' across the track
White man were on the other side
Way back home, now
Oh, but we won't talk about that
Cause it's understood
Ev'rybody sees the bad
But what about the good?
Ooh, I'd give anything
Just to smell that scent
Of honeysuckle growin'
On a backyard fence
Way back home, now
'Oow!'
'Oh heaven scent, ya'all!'
With female chorus
(Way back home)
Yeah, way back home
(Way back home)
Thinkin' on back home
I'd love to smell the wetness
Of grass and trees
And see ground kissed
By honey bees
Like way back home, now
Oh, but childhood days
Are dead 'n gone
Well, but the memories
Still linger on
Oh, have you ever gone swimmin'
In a muddy creek
With nothin' on your body
From head to feet?
Way back home, yeah
How you play for the game
Like hide an seek
Yeah!
And snk through the weeds
Overhear the streams
Well, I know some kids
Still play those games
But when they play
It just ain't the same
Like way back home
'Sad to sing it, ya'all!'
Yeah!
Way back home, way back home
(Way back home)
Way back
Oh, I really miss those things
That have faded away
I remember them
Like it was yesterday
Now, way back home
(Way back ho-ome)
(Way back ho-ome)
Doo-doo, do-do
Doo-doo, do-ooo-do
(Way back ho-ome)
(Way back ho-ome)
The song Way Back Home by Jr. Walker & The All Stars is a nostalgic look back at the singer's childhood and hometown in the South. The lyrics reflect on both the good and bad aspects of living in the South, but ultimately focus on the happy memories and experiences of growing up in a small town. The song highlights the simple pleasures of life such as the scent of honeysuckle, the buzz of bees, and swimming in a muddy creek, as well as the bonds of friendship and community that were formed in the singer's youth.
The lyrics also touch on the racial tensions that existed in the South during the time the song was written, with references to the black man across the tracks and the white man holding him back. The lyrics acknowledge the difficulties and injustices of this time, but ultimately choose to focus on the positive memories and experiences of the singer's childhood.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, there's good 'n bad things
The South has its fair share of good and bad things.
About the South, boy
The singer is addressing his audience as 'boy' and talking about the South.
Oh, and some leave a bitter taste
Some things in the South leave a bad taste in the singer's mouth.
In my mouth, now
The singer is currently experiencing the bitterness of some things in the South.
Like the black man livin' across the track
The singer is talking about segregation and how black people were often kept separate from white people.
White man were on the other side
The white people lived on the other side of the tracks, separated from the black people.
Holdin' him back
The white people were preventing the black man from advancing and achieving his dreams.
Oh, but we won't talk about that
The singer acknowledges that there are negative aspects to the South, but he doesn't want to focus on them right now.
Cause it's understood
The societal norms of the time dictate that certain aspects of segregation are not discussed openly.
Ev'rybody sees the bad
Everyone is aware of the negative aspects of the South and segregation.
But what about the good?
The singer wants to focus on the positive aspects of the South and not just the negative.
Ooh, I'd give anything
The singer misses his hometown and would do anything to relive those memories.
Just to smell that scent
The scent of honeysuckle growing on a backyard fence is a strong memory for the singer.
Of honeysuckle growin'
Honeysuckle growing on a backyard fence is one of the positive memories the singer has of his hometown.
On a backyard fence
The honeysuckle is described as growing on a backyard fence.
Way back home, now
The singer is reflecting on his memories of his hometown.
'Oow!'
A sound of excitement or pleasure.
'Oh heaven scent, ya'all!'
The honeysuckle scent is heavenly and reminds the singer of his hometown.
(Way back home)
The phrase 'way back home' is repeated throughout the song to emphasize the singer's memories and longing for his hometown.
Yeah, way back home
The singer is acknowledging his desire to return to his hometown.
Thinkin' on back home
The singer is reflecting on his memories of his hometown.
I'd love to smell the wetness
The singer is reminiscing about the smell of wet grass and trees in his hometown.
Of grass and trees
The singer is describing the smells of the natural environment in his hometown.
And see ground kissed
The ground is described as being kissed by honey bees, which is a picturesque image of the singer's hometown.
By honey bees
The bees are described as a natural part of the environment in the singer's hometown.
Like way back home, now
The singer wants to relive his memories of his hometown as it used to be.
Oh, but childhood days
The singer is talking about the memories of his childhood in his hometown.
Are dead 'n gone
The singer acknowledges that his childhood is over and cannot be relived.
Well, but the memories
Even though his childhood is over, the singer still has fond memories of his hometown.
Still linger on
The memories are still present and vivid in the singer's mind.
Oh, have you ever gone swimmin'
The singer is reminiscing about swimming in a muddy creek in his hometown.
In a muddy creek
The singer is describing a rural and natural location in his hometown.
With nothin' on your body
The singer is describing swimming in the nude in the creek, which was a common experience for him growing up.
From head to feet?
The singer is describing being completely naked while swimming in the muddy creek.
How you play for the game
The singer is describing playing games like hide and seek in his hometown.
Like hide an seek
Hide and seek is a popular children's game that the singer and his friends used to play.
Yeah!
An expression of enthusiasm or agreement.
And snk through the weeds
The singer is describing sneaking around in the tall grasses and weeds that grow in his hometown.
Overhear the streams
The sound of the nearby streams is a familiar and comforting memory for the singer.
Well, I know some kids
The singer acknowledges that children nowadays still play games like he used to when he was younger.
Still play those games
Children still enjoy playing games like hide and seek and exploring their surroundings like the singer did when he was young.
But when they play
The singer believes that children nowadays cannot fully appreciate the simple joys of playing in their hometown environments.
It just ain't the same
The singer feels that there's something missing from the experiences of children today compared to when he was young.
Like way back home
The singer is reminiscing about his childhood and wanting to relive those memories.
'Sad to sing it, ya'all!'
The singer is expressing his longing and sadness at not being able to relive his childhood in his hometown.
Way back home, way back home
The phrase 'way back home' is repeated again to emphasize the singer's longing for his hometown and childhood memories.
(Way back home)
The repeated phrase 'way back home' is used to create a sense of wistfulness and nostalgia for the singer's hometown.
Oh, I really miss those things
The singer is expressing his sadness and longing for the things he has lost from his hometown.
That have faded away
The things the singer misses are no longer present in his hometown.
I remember them
The singer has vivid and fond memories of his hometown and the things he misses.
Like it was yesterday
The singer's memories are so vivid that they seem like they happened just yesterday.
Now, way back home
The song ends with the repeated phrase 'way back home,' emphasizing the singer's longing for his hometown and childhood memories.
(Way back ho-ome)
The final repetition of the phrase 'way back home' is used to create a sense of longing and wistfulness for the singer's hometown.
(Way back ho-ome)
The phrase 'way back home' is used to create a sense of nostalgia and longing for the singer's childhood memories.
Doo-doo, do-do
A musical interlude that doesn't have any particular meaning.
Doo-doo, do-ooo-do
Another musical interlude that doesn't have any particular meaning.
(Way back ho-ome)
The final repetition of the phrase 'way back home' is used to create a sense of nostalgia and longing for the singer's hometown.
(Way back ho-ome)
The final repetition of the phrase 'way back home' is used to create a sense of nostalgia and longing for the singer's childhood memories.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WILTON FELDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cristyrenato1591
Jr Walker & all stars should be on the Hall of Fame
@larrywashington4971
You mean they aren't already wow
@paulinechapman9319
Am shocked as well re junior..but the line is long for the deserving who are not in the hall...🇨🇦🇨🇦
@thomasposerina5824
Junior, I am 71 and I have taken you with me everywhere since I was a young teen. Listening to you on a transistor radio at the beach, laying on my bed, playing your sax on my 8 track at the senior prom 55 years ago, and still today on my Apple playlist in my truck. I have every single note memorized. I hope to see you again someday when you and I can walk barefoot down that dirt road together, with our fishing rods, on the same side of the railroad tracks, heading home for dinner, laughing and taking in the sunset.
@susanjackson9738
My daughter listened to this jam and called him The hollering man and angry man!!! She just doesn't understand the music!! She loves all of my other oldies but this one!! I'm still listening and always will!!
@petermcgregor3274
There is something special about this song I cannot put my finger on it
@yvonned9623
It's just a nice song that put you in some kind of mood and the lyrics are deep and true. There's good and bad things about the South and some leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Like a black man living across the tracks and a white man on the other side holding him back. There was lots of prejudice in those days but that was his home. There's another version of this song by the Crusaders it puts you in some type of mood also a nice song but no lyrics just instrumental. Way back home. https://youtu.be/ddNSbUdd8xI
@iamjoeg2516
Wherever you are just makes you think about back home
@summersbr1
Makes me think of those days when things weren't so great for black people in America but our parents found a way to make our childhood days safe and memorable. We never thought about being poor or hungry. They loved and protected us from the ugliness. This song touches much of how I lived in those great days in the projects of S. Dallas
@s.marcus3669
In America, life started going downhill for the blacks when LBJ and the Democrats replaced the father in the black family with the Federal Government by signing the Civil Rights Bill in 1964. If you don't believe me, just google what Larry Elder, Dennis Prager and many others have said about this landmark destructive law.