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.
I Got News For You Baby
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, I've got news for you baby, read the sign up on the door.
I'm tired of your cheatin' and lyin', I don't need your love anymore.
I work hard every day, I'm at home baby, every night.
Yes, I work hard every day, I'm at home every night.
And you out with your best friend's husband, and baby, you know that ain't right.
I've been givin' all my money, spendin' all my time with you.
And you got your best friend's husband, there ‘s nothin' too low for you to do.
I want you to pack up everything you got, baby, and don't bother to close the door.
Pack up everything you got, don't bother to close the door.
‘Cause I'm so tired of your lyin' and cheatin', I just can't use your love anymore.
Yes, I've gotta whole lot of news for you, it's a sign up on the door.
Yes, I've got news for you baby, the sign ‘s up on the door.
You ain't gonna have no good luck baby, no matter where you go.
The lyrics to Lonnie Johnson's song "I Got News for You, Baby" reflect a man who has grown tired of his partner's infidelity and deceit. He is tired of working hard every day only to have his partner cheat on him with her best friend's husband. He has given all his time and money to her, but her behavior has reached a point where he can't take it anymore. The sign on the door implies that he has reached his limit and can no longer tolerate her behavior. He wants her to pack up and leave without bothering to close the door.
The song speaks to the universal issue of trust, honesty, and betrayal in relationships. Lonnie narrates a story of a man who has invested so much in a relationship only to be let down by his partner's unfaithful action. The story is relatable, and the tone of the song reflects a mixture of anger, disbelief, and determination to move on from the situation.
The song's bluesy sound complements the tone of the lyrics, and Lonnie Johnson's sorrowful vocals add to the emotional depth of the song. "I Got News for You, Baby" is a powerful depiction of the pain and desperation that can come when one's trust is betrayed in a romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've got news for you baby, read the sign up on the door.
I have a message for you, my darling. You should take a look at the sign that is displayed on the door.
I'm tired of your cheatin' and lyin', I don't need your love anymore.
I am exhausted by your dishonesty and deception. I no longer require your love or companionship.
Yes, I work hard every day, I'm at home every night.
I put forth a great effort throughout the day, and I return home every night.
And you out with your best friend's husband, and baby, you know that ain't right.
You are spending your time with your best friend's spouse, and you understand that this behavior is inappropriate.
I've been givin' all my money, spendin' all my time with you.
I have been sharing all of my financial resources and devoting all of my time to you.
And you got your best friend's husband, there ‘s nothin' too low for you to do.
You have engaged in an immoral act by pursuing your best friend's spouse, displaying a complete lack of decency.
Pack up everything you got, don't bother to close the door.
You should take all of your possessions and depart without taking the time to close the door.
‘Cause I'm so tired of your lyin' and cheatin', I just can't use your love anymore.
I cannot tolerate your perpetual lies and infidelity any longer, and I have no use for your love.
Yes, I've got news for you baby, the sign ‘s up on the door.
I am informing you, my lover, that there is a sign displayed on the door.
You ain't gonna have no good luck baby, no matter where you go.
Regardless of your destination, my love, you will be met with misfortune and unhappiness.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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One of the finest albums ever cut.