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.
She ain't right
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someday I won't be with you and you won't have to stay out from home.
Someday your other man will make you regret the day that you were born.
You're a lyin' woman and you just can't tell the truth.
You're a lyin' woman and you just can't tell the truth.
But thanks to you darlin' you have learned me just what to do.
‘Cause you just can't help it and you cannot be true.
But I love you darlin' no matter what you do.
Why don't you get wise and get hip to yourself?
Because someday you may be left up on a shelf.
And I won't be here to worry you. You can have it all by yourself.
‘Cause I did all I could tryin' to make you play fair.
When I found out what it takes you really ain't got it there.
‘Cause I can't find no truth when it ain't nothin' there.
In the song "She Ain't Right" by Lonnie Johnson, the lyrics seem to describe a troubled relationship where the singer acknowledges that someday he won't be with his partner anymore, and she won't have to stay out from home. This could imply that their relationship is strained, possibly due to infidelity or other issues. The repeated line emphasizes the anticipation of this separation.
The lyrics go on to address the woman's dishonesty, portraying her as a "lyin' woman" who cannot tell the truth. This suggests that she may be deceitful or manipulative, causing a lack of trust within the relationship. Despite her actions, the singer expresses gratitude to her because she has taught him how to handle such situations. This line implies that he has grown and learned from the experiences with her.
The singer further expresses his frustration, mentioning that he has been kind and sweet to her yet it means nothing to her. He realizes that she can't control her tendency to be deceitful and unfaithful. However, despite her flaws, he confesses his love for her, indicating that his feelings transcend her negative behaviors.
In the final verse, the lyrics take on a more reflective tone. The singer urges the woman to "get wise" and understand her own actions. He predicts that someday she may be left alone and regret the choices she made. The line about being left on a shelf symbolizes being discarded or left behind. The singer affirms that he won't be there to worry her anymore, suggesting he will move on from the relationship.
The lyrics conclude with a sense of disappointment as the singer reflects on his futile attempts to make the woman behave honestly. He acknowledges that he cannot find truth or sincerity where it doesn't exist. This realization implies that the core issue in their relationship lies with the woman's inability or unwillingness to be truthful and faithful.
Line by Line Meaning
Someday I won't be with you and you won't have to stay out from home.
In the future, I won't be with you anymore, and you won't need to stay away from home.
Someday your other man will make you regret the day that you were born.
Eventually, the man you're involved with besides me will make you deeply remorseful for your existence.
You're a lyin' woman and you just can't tell the truth.
You, as a woman, are constantly deceitful and incapable of speaking the truth.
But thanks to you darlin' you have learned me just what to do.
However, my dear, because of you, I have acquired knowledge about how to handle similar situations in the future.
I been sweet to you. It don't mean a thing to you.
I have been kind and affectionate towards you, but it holds no value or significance for you.
‘Cause you just can't help it and you cannot be true.
This is because you are simply incapable of controlling your dishonesty and being genuine.
But I love you darlin' no matter what you do.
Nevertheless, my dear, I still love you unconditionally regardless of your actions.
Why don't you get wise and get hip to yourself?
Why don't you become wise and become aware of your own behavior and choices?
Because someday you may be left up on a shelf.
This is important because one day you might find yourself unwanted and neglected.
And I won't be here to worry you. You can have it all by yourself.
Furthermore, I won't be present to cause you distress. Therefore, you will have to deal with everything on your own.
‘Cause I did all I could tryin' to make you play fair.
I made my utmost effort in attempting to make you behave justly and honestly.
When I found out what it takes you really ain't got it there.
However, upon discovering what is required of you, it came to light that you lack those qualities.
‘Cause I can't find no truth when it ain't nothin' there.
This is because there is simply no truth to be found when it doesn't exist in the first place.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LONNIE JOHNSON, LARRY CURTIS JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
paleologue
Used to be pretty popular before the war. But people now don't listen so much to old city blues, they like country blues. So he's pretty much been forgotten.
Heinz Becker
He (Django) did listen to Eddie Lang, I assume. That's Love by LJ was recorded in 1941. D influenced LJ. Difficult.
paleologue
@Heinz Becker Have you noticed how much his guitar work sounds like Django Reinhart? Same attack, same riffs. Listen to him on 'That's Love'.
Heinz Becker
really?