Junior Parker was born in either Clarksdale, Mississippi or West Memphis, Arkansas as Herman Parker, Jr. He sang in gospel groups as a child, and played on the various blues circuits beginning in his teenage years. His biggest influence as a harmonica player was Sonny Boy Williamson, with whom he worked before moving on to work for Howlin' Wolf in 1949. Around 1950 he was a member of Memphis's ad hoc group, the Beale Streeters, with Bobby 'Blue' Bland and B.B. King.
In 1951 he formed his own band, the Blue Flames, with guitarist Auburn 'Pat' Hare. Parker was discovered in 1952 by Ike Turner, who signed him to Modern Records. He put out one single on this record label, "You're My Angel." This brought him to the attention of Sam Phillips, and he and his band signed onto Sun Records in 1953. There they produced three successful songs: "Feelin' Good" (which reached # 5 on the Billboard R&B charts), "Love My Baby," and "Mystery Train" ,with Floyd Murphy (Matt "Guitar" Murphy's brother) on guitar, later covered by Elvis Presley. For Presley's version of "Mystery Train", Scotty Moore borrowed the guitar riff from Parker's "Love My Baby".
Later in 1953, Parker toured with Bobby Bland and Johnny Ace, and also joined Duke Records. Parker and Bland headed the highly successful Blues Consolidated Revue, which became a staple part of the southern blues circuit. He continued to have a string of hits on the R&B chart, including the smooth "Next Time You See Me" (1957); re-makes of Roosevelt Sykes' songs, "Sweet Home Chicago" (1958) and "Driving Wheel" (1961); Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used to Do" (1963); Don Robey's "Mother-in-Law Blues" (1956); and his own "Stand by Me." (1961)
His success was limited after he left the Duke label in 1966. He recorded for various labels, including Mercury, Blue Rock, Minit, and Capitol.
Parker died on November 18, 1971, aged 39, in Blue Island, IL during surgery for a brain tumor.
Tributes
On his 1974 album ...Explores Your Mind, Al Green dedicated his original version of the song "Take Me To The River" to Parker, who he describes as "a cousin of mine who's gone on, and we'd kinda like to carry on in his name."
Discography
Singles
"Sittin' at the Window" - Little Junior's Blue Flames - (Sun UNISS 1951)
"Sittin' at the Bar" - Little Junior's Blue Flames - (Sun UNISS 1951)
"You're My Angel" / "Bad Women, Bad Whiskey" (with Ike Turner) - Little Junior Parker & His Blue Flames - (Modern 864 1952)
"Feelin' Bad" - Little Junior's Blue Flames - (Sun UNISS 1952)
"Feelin' Good" / "Fussin' and Fightin' Blues" - Little Junior's Blue Flames - (Sun 187 1953) (R&B # 5)
"Mystery Train" / "Love My Baby" - Little Junior's Blue Flames - (Sun 192 1953)
"Can't Understand" / "Dirty Friend Blues" - Little Junior Parker & Bill Johnson's Blue Flames - (Duke 120 1954)
"Please Baby Blues" / "Sittin' Drinkin' and Thinkin'" - Little Junior Parker & Bill Johnson's Blue Flames - (Duke 127 1954)
"Bachelor's Blues" - Little Junior Parker & His Orchestra - (Duke UNISS 1955)
"Can You Teach Me Baby" - Little Junior Parker & His Orchestra - (Duke UNISS 1955)
"Backtrackin'" / "I Wanna Ramble" - Little Junior Parker & His Orchestra - (Duke 137 1955)
"Driving Me Mad" / "There Better Not Be No Feet (In Them Shoes)" - Little Junior Parker & His Orchestra - (Duke 147 1955)
"Mother-In-Law Blues" / "That's My Baby" - Little Junior Parker and Bill Harvey's Band - (Duke 157 1956)
"Next Time You See Me" / "Dolly Bee" - Little Junior Parker and Bill Harvey's Band - (Duke 164 1957) (pop # 74, R&B # 7)
"Pretty Baby" / "That's Alright" - Little Junior Parker & His Combo - (Duke 168 1957)
"Peaches" / "Pretty Little Doll" - Little Junior Parker & The Al Smith Orchestra - (Duke 177 1957)
"Sittin' And Thinkin'" / "Wondering" - Little Junior Parker & His Band - (Duke 184 1957)
"Barefoot Rock" / "What Did I Do" - Little Junior Parker & His Band - (Duke 193 1957)
"Sweet Home Chicago" / "Sometimes" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 301 1958) (R&B # 13)
"Five Long Years" / "I'm Holding On" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 306 1959) (R&B # 13)
"Stranded" / "Blue Letter" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 309 1959)
"Dangerous Woman" / "Belinda Marie" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 315 1959)
"Stand By Me" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 330 1961) (R&B # 11)
"Driving Wheel" - Junior Parker - (Duke 335 1961) (pop # 85, R&B # 5)
"In The Dark" (R&B # 7) / "How Long Can This Go On" - Little Junior Parker (Duke 341 1961) (R&B # 28)
"Annie Get Your Yo-Yo"/"Mary Jo" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 345 1962) (R&B # 6)
"Someone Somewhere" - Little Junior Parker - (Duke 357 1962)
"Strange Things Happening" - Little Jr. Parker - (Duke 371 1962) (pop # 99)
"The Things I Used to Do" - Junior Parker - (Duke 376 1963)
"Jivin' Woman" - Junior Parker - (Duke 384 1964)
"Crying For My Baby" - Junior Parker - (Duke 389 1965) (R&B # 36)
"Man Or Mouse" - Junior Parker - (Duke 413 1966) (R&B # 27)
"You Can Make it If You Try" - Junior Parker - (Mercury 72651 1967)
"I Can't Put My Finger On It" - Junior Parker - (Mercury 72699 1967) (R&B # 48)
"Ain't Gon' Be No Cutting Loose" - Junior Parker - (Blue Rock 4080 1969) (R&B # 48)
"Worried Life Blues" - Little Jr. Parker - (Minit 32080 1969) (R&B # 34)
"Drownin' On Dry Land" Junior Parker - (Capitol 2997 1971) (pop # 114, R&B # 48)
Albums
Drivin' Wheel Duke vinyl LP 76 (1961)
Track listing: "Driving Wheel"; "I Need Love So Bad"; "Foxy Devil"; "Someone Broke This Heart of Mine"; "How Long Can This Go On"; "Yonders Wall"; "Annie Get Your Yo-Yo"; "Tin Pan Alley"; "Someone Somewhere"; "Seven Days"; "The Tables have Turned"; "Sweet Talking Woman"
Feelin' Good
Little Junior's Blue Flames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze drifting by
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
A new life
For me feelin' good
Hey there fish in the sea
You know how I feel
River runnin' free
You know how I feel
Blossom on the tree
You know how I feel
It's a new dawn
A new day
A new life
For me feelin' good
Dragonfly out in the sun
You know what I mean
Butterflies all having fun
You know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That's what I mean
And this whole world
Is a new world
And a bold world for me
Do it
Do it
Do it
Do it
Stars when ya shine
You know how I feel
Scent of the pine
You know how I feel
Freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
It's a new dawn
A new day
A new life
For me
Haaa-I feel good
I feel good
I feel good
I feel good
In this song, "Feelin' Good," the artist expresses their joy and contentment with the world around them. The lyrics are filled with metaphors that describe the beauty and wonder of nature, such as the soaring bird, the sun in the sky, the river running free, and the blossoms on the tree. The song's positive message is clear from the opening lines, as the singer affirms that they feel good when they see the world around them in all its glory.
As the song progresses, the singer continues to describe how they feel when they see the natural world, such as the dragonfly out in the sun and the butterflies having fun. They also emphasize the importance of rest and peacefulness, saying that they can sleep in peace when the day is done. Throughout the song, the singer expresses a sense of wonder and awe at the world they see around them, and a feeling of contentment with their place within it.
Overall, "Feelin' Good" is a powerful expression of the beauty and wonder of the natural world and the joy that can be found within it. The song conveys a sense of gratitude for the world around us and the many small moments of beauty that can be found within it.
Line by Line Meaning
Bird flyin' high
I'm seeing a bird soaring in the sky
You know how I feel
And I feel the same way
Sun in the sky
I can see the sun shining in the sky
Breeze drifting by
I feel the refreshing breeze gently blowing by
It's a new dawn
It's the beginning of a new day
A new day
A fresh start for me
A new life
A new beginning of my life
For me feelin' good
It makes me very happy
Hey there fish in the sea
I see those fish swimming in the sea
River runnin' free
I see the river flowing freely
Blossom on the tree
I see flower blossoms growing on trees
Dragonfly out in the sun
A dragonfly is fluttering in the sunlight
You know what I mean
I'm sure you can comprehend my feelings
Butterflies all having fun
I see butterflies flitting around and enjoying themselves
Sleep in peace when day is done
At the end of the day, I am able to rest in peace
That's what I mean
I hope you understand what I'm saying
And this whole world
The entire world
Is a new world
It's a different place now
And a bold world for me
It gives me courage and strength to move on
Stars when ya shine
Those shining stars in the sky
Scent of the pine
I can smell the pine trees
Freedom is mine
I am free to do what I wish
Haaa-I feel good
I feel great
I feel good
I am feeling wonderful
I feel good
I am proud of myself
I feel good
It's a good day
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLADYS KNIGHT, AL. JR. CLAIBORNE, G. GARCIA, EDESIO ALEJANDRO RODRIGUEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MissHolleyKing
One of my favorites! Enjoyed it so much, I played it twice today on my show. (thanks for sharing)
@thomashermann2785
Sam Phillips sure knew how to get “the sound” out of the guys he recorded! What an amazing piece of music history
@michelparmentier3063
master piece, for sure !
@LibertinaUno
Down to raw basics hand in glove with his studio
@slicksnewonenow
It's a masterpiece... There's SO MUCH going on in this recording, yet it sounds so simple.
@ronviens7040
This one's really fun to dance to!
@BettyMulder50
What a great song
@koombaloomba
Always sounds good...........
@katimartinezmartos8021
Así lo atestiguan las canciones que oigo desde cría en los 80, libros,programas de radio,tv,opiniones de rockers cincuenta como Janis Martin,Carl Perkins,Bill Haley,Elvis... Que hablaban de sus músicas como mestizas,incluso Johnny Cash lo opinaba cuando hacía Rock and roll y no Country y otros muchos. Así lo he visto en entrevistas suyas por You Tube o leído de lo que opinaban o gente como Fats Domino diciendo que mucho antes que Elvis el ya hacía rockin y era también Rhytm and blues.
@champ10ns08
Whoaaaaaaaaaa feel so good after listening to that!