He was born in Widener, Arkansas (the 14th of 15 musically gifted children) first connected to the blues at age ten, when he began playing the diddley bow (a wire attached by nails to a wall with rocks for bridges and a bottle to fret the wire). His family migrated to Chicago in 1951, and Luther began soaking in the sounds of Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Robert Nighthawk. He was classmates with Muddy Waters' son and occasionally stopped in the Waters' house to watch the master rehearse. It wasn't until he was 18 already in Chicago for seven years that Luther began playing blues on a real guitar and jamming with his brother Ollie's band. He began hanging outside blues clubs with the hopes of being invited to perform. He played with Howlin' Wolf's band and backed up James Cotton.
By 1957, Allison had dropped out of school and formed a band called The Rolling Stones. Unhappy with the name, they became The Four Jivers, gigging all over the West Side of Chicago. Before long, Luther was jamming with the West Side's best, including Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Freddie King, who encouraged Allison to sing. "That," said Allison, "was my school." When King began to tour nationally in the early 1960s, Allison took over King's band as well as his weekly gigs at Walton's Corner and became one of the hottest acts on the West Side. For five years, Allison honed his craft. He moved to California for a year and cut sides with fellow Chicagoans Shakey Jake Harris and Sunnyland Slim.
His big break came in 1957 when Muddy Waters invited Allison to the stage. He worked the club circuit throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s and recorded his first single in 1965. Allison was signed to the Delmark Records label in fall 1967. He cut his first two songs as a leader on the now-classic Delmark anthology, Sweet Home Chicago, before releasing his debut album Love Me Mama. He performed a stellar, show stopping, set at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival and was invited to the next three consecutive festivals. He also toured nation-wide and, in 1972, was signed to Motown Records, one of the few blues artists to do so. By the mid 1970s he began touring Europe, enjoyed the warm reception by the crowds and moved to France in 1977. He wouldn't return to the United States for another fifteen years disgusted by the disco music that started there.
LUTHER ALLISON's manager and European agent Thomas Ruf founded the label Ruf Records in 1994. Since signing with Ruf Records, Allison launched a major comeback in association with Alligator Records. Alligator Records founder, Bruce Iglauer, convinced Allison to return to the States. With the release of Soul Fixin' Man in 1994, Allison's first domestic album in 20 years, he announced his return. "Fever and chills performances," said Guitar Player, "ferocious solos combine the wisdom of a master storyteller with the elegance of B.B. King, the elasticity of Buddy Guy, and the big sting of Albert King."
After three mammoth U.S. tours, America once again was paying attention to LUTHER ALLISON. On his American comeback tour, including his nationally broadcast and typically jaw-dropping set at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival, LUTHER ALLISON announced to the world that he was not only back, he was unstoppable. And now he has the trophies to prove it, having received every award the blues has to offer. He swept the 1996 W.C.Handy Awards with five statues, won 10 Living Blues Awards and a 1995 Indie Award, and played in front of hundreds of thousands of screaming fans at festivals and clubs all over the world. He appeared on the cover of Living Blues, Blues Revue, Blues Access, and was the subject of major feature stories and reviews in Guitar Player, Guitar World, and Guitar For The Practicing Musician, as well as being featured on National Public Radio's Weekend All Things Considered and The Late Show With Conan O'Brien. "LUTHER ALLISON", proclaimed Blues Revue," is the New King of the Blues."
Allison followed up with Blue Streak, and the praise and accolades poured in. "A sonic roar as soulful as his gospel-shout vocals," raved the Washington Post. "Luther Allison's latest is nothing short of a masterpiece by a master," reported Blues Revue. Continued touring brought Allison before raving fans around the world, as he brought his band from the San Francisco Blues Festival to New York's Central Park Summerstage, with all stops in between. With Reckless, Allison reached even greater heights. Guitar World said, "Reckless in the best sense of the word, dancing on a razor's edge, remaining just this side of out-of-control. Hard-driving, piercing West Side Chicago single-note leads with a soul base and a rock edge."
Luther toured the US and Canada thoroughly and his fan base grew to his mind-blowing performances. Both Allison and Soul Fixin' Man won four WC Handy Awards in 1994. With the James Solberg Band backing him, non-stop touring and the release of Blue Streak (featuring song "Cherry Red Wine"), Allison continued to earn more Handy's and gain wider recognition. Allison scored a host of Living Blues Awards and was featured on the cover pages of major Blues publications. Throughout it all, Allison delivered one show-stopping performance after another. His boundless energy and fierce guitar attack combined to make him a blues superstar who reached rock fans like no bluesmen since Freddie King and Albert Collins. Allison was known for his strong showmanship, ten minute long guitar solos and crowd walking with an extra long cord attached to his Gibson Les Paul.
In the middle of his summer of '97 tour, Allison checked into a hospital for chest pains and breathing problems. Unfortunately, it was discovered that he had a tumor on his lung that was about to metastasize to his spine. In and out of a coma, LUTHER ALLISON died on August 12, 1997, five days before his 58th birthday. His album Reckless had just been released. Without a doubt, LUTHER ALLISON's death robbed music fans of one of the most exciting and popular blues performers ever. With Live In Chicago, Allison lives on, as he tears through the songs with the single-minded desire to give everything he has to his audience. While listening to the album, fans can immerse themselves in the explosive power of LUTHER ALLISON's music and experience the redemptive force of his legendary performances. Not only did he leave his legacy to never be forgotten, but his son Bernard Allison (born 1965) is an exceptional blues guitarist in his own right.
It's a Blues Thing
Luther Allison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a blues thing
One more stitch in time but I never say no nine
It's a blues thing
Step one foot forward you can bet I'm two steps back
It's a blues thing
Loan your money to a friend never see his face again
It's a blues thing
Ain't nothin' you can do ain't nobody you can blame
It's a blues thing
If your place is a mess on an uninivited guest
It's a blues thing
When you set the date your baby will make you wait
It's a blues thing
It's a blues thing
Ain't nothin' you can do ain't nobody you can blame
Oh Lord, Lord it's a blues thing
Ain't nothin' you can do nobody to blame
It's a blues thing
Well, well, well
You only get the axe when your credit card gets maxed
It's a blues thing
When the bucks start rollin' in taxman take them back again
It's a blues thing
It's a blues thing
Ain't nothin' you can do ain't nobody to blame
Whoa-whoa Lord, Lord it's a blues thing
Ain't nothin' you can do no one you can blame
It's blues thing
Oh well well, come on, yeah
All right
Yeah-yeah
Come on
I could tell ya my story
Wanna tell my story
Ooh yeah
Ooh yeah
It's a blues thing
Come on
It's a blues thing
I'm not the rain
But it's a blues thing
I'm not the pain
Everybody got the pain
Talkin' about a blues thing, a thing
Talkin' about a blues thing, all right ya'all
You wanna know?
Let me tell ya
Let me tell ya 'bout the blues thing
It's get's ya way in your head, ya'all
It get's ya deep in your soul
It get's ya down in your body
It get's ya to your toes
It's a blues thing, yeah
Come on ya'all listen to me
Soul, it's all right
Come on, come on, come on
You got to get it, get it, get it
Yeah, yeah, yeah
It's a blues thing
Work something
Play your guitar!
Work it out
I can see you rock
Say yeah
Push-push
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze
Get down, all right
Luther Allison's song "It's a Blues Thing" is a testament to the recurring struggles in life that people face, symbolically represented by the blues. In the verses, the lyrics describe the inevitability of a rainy day right after washing your car, the nagging pain of debt and taxes, the frustration of waiting for someone, and the disappointment of a presumed friend betraying your trust. These situations and emotions are universally experienced by people. Yet, it is defined as "a blues thing," which empowers everyone to accept that these hardships are a necessary part of life. Despite the hopelessness of this condition, Allison argues that no one is to blame because everyone is grappling with the blues in their own way. In the end, he explains that the blues can get inside of a person, affecting their mind, soul, body, and toes, urging everyone to let it all out and feel the healing power of music.
Allison's songwriting is a reflection of his own life experiences, and he conveys his message directly to his fans through his music. His music incorporates many different styles like rock, funk, and soul that, when combined, produce a unique sound. "It's a Blues Thing" is one of the many popular songs he released throughout his career. It's a musical masterpiece that captivates the listener, making it perfect for dancing and personal reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
If you washed your car you can bet it's gonna rain
You know it's a blues thing when you wash your car, but mother nature sends down a heavy downpour anyways.
One more stitch in time but I never say no nine
The blues always remind us how important timing is. But, we always move forward despite the setbacks.
Step one foot forward you can bet I'm two steps back
Life may seem like one step forward, two steps back, but it's a blues thing that motivates us to keep moving forward.
Loan your money to a friend never see his face again
Unfortunately, it's a blues thing that when one loans money to a friend, they don't see the repayment.
It's a blues thing
The blues is a way of life, a state of being.
Ain't nothin' you can do ain't nobody you can blame
Blame it on bad luck or fate because sometimes you just can't win in a blues thing.
If your place is a mess on an uninivited guest
You know it's a blues thing when an uninvited guest shows up at your house and it's a total disaster.
When you set the date your baby will make you wait
It's a blues thing when your baby doesn't show up on time, but instead, has you waiting around.
Oh Lord, Lord it's a blues thing
The blues is a way to call out to a higher power when life becomes too hard to deal with on your own.
You only get the axe when your credit card gets maxed
It's a blues thing that one typically loses their job only when their credit card has reached its limit.
When the bucks start rollin' in taxman take them back again
It's a blues thing that when you finally come into a bit of money, the government taxes it, so you end up with less than what you thought you had.
Whoa-whoa Lord, Lord it's a blues thing
The blues is a way to call out to a higher power when life becomes too hard to deal with on your own.
No one you can blame
Most of the time, there's no one to blame in a blues thing but life itself.
It's blues thing
The blues is a way of life, a state of being.
Everybody got the pain
The blues is universal because everyone experiences pain in life.
It get's ya down in your body
The blues isn't just in one's head, it's a deep emotion that is felt throughout the entire body.
It's a blues thing, yeah
Throughout it all, the blues remains a constant reminder of the ups and downs of life.
Soul, it's all right
Despite what may happen in life, the blues lets you know your soul is intact, and that makes everything alright.
Contributed by Isaiah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.