Lonnie Johnson's early recordings are the first guitar recordings that display a single-note soloing style with use of string bending and vibrato. While it cannot be proven that this contains the influence of earlier players who did not record, it is the origin of Blues and Rock solo guitar. Johnson's influence is obvious in Django Reinhardt, T-Bone Walker and virtually all electric blues guitar players.
[citation needed] Raised in a family of musicians, Johnson studied violin and guitar as a child, but concentrated on the latter throughout his professional career. A 1917 tour to England with a revue may have saved his life, for he returned to New Orleans in 1919 to find that most of his family had died in the 1918 influenza epidemic.
In the early 1920s, Johnson worked with the orchestras of Charlie Creath and Fate Marable on riverboats, but he made St. Louis his home in 1925. There he entered and won an Okeh Records blues contest that resulted in his making a series of memorable recordings for the label between 1925 and 1932, including guitar duets with Eddie Lang and vocal duets with Victoria Spivey. In the 1920s, Johnson also made guest appearances on records by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, the Duke Ellington orchestra, and The Chocolate Dandies, playing 12-string guitar solos in an extraordinary, pioneering single-string style that greatly influenced such future jazz guitarists as Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt, and gave the instrument new meaning as a jazz voice.
Lonnie Johnson's career was a rollercoaster ride that sometimes took him away from music. In between great musical accomplishments, he found it necessary to take menial jobs that ranged from working in a steel foundry to mopping floors as a janitor. He was working at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Hotel in 1959 when WHAT-FM disc jockey Chris Albertson happened upon him. Albertson succeeded in securing for Johnson a Chicago engagement at the Playboy Club, which launched yet another comeback. Johnson subsequently performed with Duke Ellington and his orchestra and with an all-star folk concert, both at Town Hall, New York City.
He also toured Europe and recorded several albums for the Prestige Bluesville label, some with Elmer Snowden, and one with his Okeh vocal partner, Victoria Spivey. To his great regret, Johnson was always tagged as a blues artist, and he found it difficult to be regarded as anything else. "I had done some singing by then," he explained when asked why he entered the Okeh contest, "but I still didn't take it as seriously as my guitar playing, and I guess I would have done anything to get recorded--it just happened to be a blues contest, so I sang the blues."
Johnson died in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 16, 1970 of complications resulting from a 1969 auto accident. He was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Blues Hall of Fame in 1997.
One of Elvis Presley's earliest recordings was Johnson's blues ballad, "Tomorrow Night", which was also recorded by LaVern Baker
Bob Dylan wrote about the performing method he learned from Johnson in Chronicles, Vol. 1. Dylan thinks Robert Johnson had learned a lot from Lonnie.
Another Night to Cry
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, another night to cry
Baby, just cryin' over you
Well, I've got another night to cry
Another night to cry over you
You hurt me so bad and so long
I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
Yes, I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
You laugh at my face when I say, I love you
And walk away with somebody else
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
'Cause your misusin' ways, baby
Has drove me to somebody else
Well, go on and have your fun
Do anything you want to do
Yes baby, go on and have your fun
Do anything that you want to do
'Cause it's my last night to cry
I'm really through with you
Lonnie Johnson’s song “Another Night to Cry” is a melancholic blues ballad about the pain of unrequited love. The lyrics speak of a man who is heartbroken because of the woman he loves. He curses himself for being unable to overcome his feelings for her, even though she has rejected him repeatedly. The song is an expression of his deep sadness and a plea for her to understand his pain.
The opening line of “Another Night to Cry” sets the mood for the entire song. Johnson sings “Well, another night to cry, baby, just crying over you,” emphasizing his heartache and vulnerability. He is consumed by his love for her, unable to escape his emotions, and spends another night crying over her.
The following lines reveal the extent of his pain, as he sings about how he’s been hurt badly and for a long time. He is so deeply in love with her that he can’t help himself, but she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings. She laughs in his face, rejecting him, and walks away with somebody else. Yet, he remains devoted to her despite the emotional turmoil she continues to inflict upon him.
In conclusion, Lonnie Johnson's song "Another Night to Cry" is a portrayal of unrequited love and the pain that it brings. The lyrics are an expression of deep sadness, despair, and heartbreak. Johnson sings of a lover who is completely devoted to someone who is indifferent to their love. He acknowledges his vulnerability and admits that it is his last night to cry over her. He is done with the pain and is ready to move on from her.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, another night to cry
I am facing yet another night to cry.
Baby, just cryin' over you
Crying over the love I have for you.
Well, I've got another night to cry
Yet again, I have to spend a night crying.
Another night to cry over you
Sobbing over the pain you have caused me.
You hurt me so bad and so long
You have inflicted so much pain for a very long time.
And there's nothing I can do
I am helpless to stop the misery you cause.
I'm so in love with you
I am deeply in love with you.
And you know it, and I can't help myself
You are aware of my love and I cannot control it.
Yes, I'm so in love with you
I still love you deeply.
You laugh at my face when I say, I love you
You mock me when I express my love for you.
And walk away with somebody else
You choose to walk away with another person.
You can't keep on hurtin' me
It is not sustainable for you to keep causing me pain.
Unless you get hurt yourself
You will suffer the same pain that you cause me.
You can't keep on hurtin' me
It is not sustainable for you to keep causing me pain.
Unless you get hurt yourself
You will suffer the same pain that you cause me.
'Cause your misusin' ways, baby
The way you treat me badly, my dear.
Has drove me to somebody else
It has caused me to seek love from another person.
Well, go on and have your fun
You can continue to enjoy yourself.
Do anything you want to do
You can act in any way that you choose.
Yes baby, go on and have your fun
Indulge in anything that brings you joy.
Do anything that you want to do
Act in any way you see fit.
'Cause it's my last night to cry
This will be the last time I cry for you.
I'm really through with you
I am truly done with our relationship.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LONNIE JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Kings_Cooking1
Yes
Well, another night to cry
Baby, just cryin' over you
Well, I've got another night to cry
Another night to cry over you
You hurt me so bad and so long
And there's nothing I can do
I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
Yes, I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
You laugh at my face when I say, I love you
And walk away with somebody else
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
'Cause your misusin' ways, baby
Has drove me to somebody else
Well, go on and have your fun
Do anything you want to do
Yes baby, go on and have your fun
Do anything that you want to do
'Cause it's my last night to cry
I'm really through with you
@ruggerobelloni4743
@@TheJ2effectOne of the true
greats and by all accounts a
very fine gentleman
The much more often
celebrated Robert Johnson, a
more aggressive musician,
often claimed to be related to
him to impress people but
though a Delta Blues icon, the
two Lonnie imitations fall very short of the mark. The
old Blues and Jazz cats I jammed with (b.1910/1923)
told me : "Remember: you can't
beat a man at his own game!"
You must be proud to be related to such a giant. Tell
those who don't know him to
check out the man who inspired B.B. King. His early
stuff like Blues for the West
End Is sublime. 😮❤😊
@Kings_Cooking1
Yes
Well, another night to cry
Baby, just cryin' over you
Well, I've got another night to cry
Another night to cry over you
You hurt me so bad and so long
And there's nothing I can do
I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
Yes, I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
You laugh at my face when I say, I love you
And walk away with somebody else
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
'Cause your misusin' ways, baby
Has drove me to somebody else
Well, go on and have your fun
Do anything you want to do
Yes baby, go on and have your fun
Do anything that you want to do
'Cause it's my last night to cry
I'm really through with you
@ΑΝΤΙ-ρ9τ
Yes
Well, another night to cry
Baby, just cryin' over you
Well, I've got another night to cry
Another night to cry over you
You hurt me so bad and so long
And there's nothing I can do
I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
Yes, I'm so in love with you
And you know it, and I can't help myself
You laugh at my face when I say, I love you
And walk away with somebody else
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
You can't keep on hurtin' me
Unless you get hurt yourself
'Cause your misusin' ways, baby
Has drove me to somebody else
Well, go on and have your fun
Do anything you want to do
Yes baby, go on and have your fun
Do anything that you want to do
'Cause it's my last night to cry
I'm really through with you
@Rory99M
His singing is so incredible and it is amazing how effortlessly he make it look
@theherbpuffer
That paired with his immaculate guitar playing puts him in a league of his own.
@АлександрКовалев-ъ8ц
RUSSIAN GRAVE. YOU STILL WANT TO FIGHT WITH THE RUSSIANS, THEN DIG YOUR GRAVE IN ADVANCE BECAUSE I WILL DEFINITELY COME FOR YOU.REMEMBER, NEVER FIGHT WITH THE RUSSIANS, WE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED.
@xrete
@@АлександрКовалев-ъ8ц okay
@流浪の奉公人
ぇ
@MrBBQ-si9qo
Old music> new music is so bad.
@squarevegroundbowl
This is why i love youtube. So many musical gems and brilliant talented artists of the past who get little or no radio-play can be enjoyed by the many of us who crave real talent and artistry. Excellent.
@nickpatrick7021
We're lucky to even have what we do. The depression killed record sales. If the blues revival hadn't happened and hadn't been helped by the English bands of the 60s, we wouldn't be able to enjoy performances like this at all
@marcelapontes7033
Very very true!
@hadjerguerzize2011
Well said.