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.
Solid blues
Lonnie Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It sure have been, a long ol' lonesome day.
I can see my baby, but still she ‘s so many miles away.
Sometimes I feel like walkin', but I ain't got no walkin' shoes.
Sometimes I feel like walkin', but I ain't got no walkin' shoes.
If my baby was with me, I wouldn't have these walkin' blues.
Crossties skies is my pilla', cold ground is my bed.
The moonlight is my blanket, and the blue skies is my spread.
I love to hear, my baby call my name.
I love to hear, my baby call my name.
She don't call so often, oh, but she calls so plain.
If you ever get a sweet woman, take her everywhere you go.
If you ever get a sweet woman, take her every place you go.
Yes I want you to know, that you can't get that no more.
In "Solid Blues," Lonnie Johnson expresses the feelings of isolation and longing for his beloved who is physically distant from him. The repetition of the line "It sure have been, a long ol' lonesome day" emphasizes the sense of time dragging on, amplifying the intensity of his loneliness. Despite being able to see his baby, the distance between them makes her feel like she is still many miles away.
The second paragraph reflects on the desire to be able to walk freely and purposefully, but the lack of walking shoes prevents him from doing so. Lonnie Johnson uses this metaphor to illustrate the limitations he feels in his life without his baby. He alludes to the fact that if his baby were with him, he would not feel the need to wander aimlessly.
In the third paragraph, Lonnie Johnson finds solace in the beauty of nature as he bed down on the cold ground and uses the crossties in the sky as his proverbial pillow. The moonlight acts as his comforting blanket, and the blue skies serve as his expansive spread. These vivid visual descriptions contrast with the emotional loneliness he feels, highlighting the juxtaposition between the external world and his internal state of being.
Finally, Lonnie Johnson reflects on his deep affection for his baby and how he cherishes hearing her call his name. He conveys that although she may not call frequently, when she does, it is heartfelt and genuine. This line expresses the longing for connection and the sweetness of hearing his loved one's voice.
The last two lines offer advice to the listener, advising them to appreciate and value a loving partner. Lonnie Johnson suggests that if someone is lucky enough to have found a sweet woman, they should take her everywhere they go and appreciate her presence, as such a connection is rare and cannot be easily replaced. This serves as a cautionary message, reminding listeners not to take love for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
It sure have been, a long ol' lonesome day.
The day has been long and filled with loneliness.
I can see my baby, but still she ‘s so many miles away.
Although I can see my baby, she is physically far from me.
Sometimes I feel like walkin', but I ain't got no walkin' shoes.
I have the urge to walk, but I don't possess suitable footwear.
If my baby was with me, I wouldn't have these walkin' blues.
Having my baby by my side would rid me of this feeling of restlessness.
Crossties skies is my pilla', the cold ground is my bed.
I find solace in the vastness of the sky while the cold ground serves as my sleeping place.
The moonlight is my blanket, and the blue skies is my spread.
The moonlight provides comfort like a blanket, and the blue skies are like a luxurious spread.
I love to hear, my baby call my name.
I derive great joy from hearing my baby say my name.
She don't call so often, oh, but she calls so plain.
Although my baby doesn't call frequently, the meaning behind her calls is clear and straightforward.
If you ever get a sweet woman, take her everywhere you go.
If you are fortunate enough to have a sweet woman, always bring her along on your journeys.
Yes I want you to know, that you can't get that no more.
It is important for you to understand that you won't find someone as amazing as her anymore.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LONNIE JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind