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.
Pain In the Streets
Luther Allison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would be a rich man
If pain was money
I would be a rich man
It'd be like living in the desert
The house would be full of sand
Listen
I would have a whole lot of friends
If pain was money
I would have a whole lot of friends
They'd all come to see me
My house would be full again
If money had a reason
Other than tryin' to live a life
If money had a reason
Other than tryin' to live a life
The homeless could buy a castle
And we all could sleep at night
Talkin' 'bout pain
Talkin' 'bout pain
Talkin' about pain, yeah
Pain in the street
Pain in my heart
Pain in my home
Pain in my schools, ya'all
Pain in the welfare line
Pain, oh
Not enough money
Talkin' 'bout pain
Not enough lovin', no
Talkin' 'bout pain
Let me tell ya
Everywhere I go
People don't understand
I got money
I got fame
Talkin' 'bout pain
Talkin' 'bout pain
Pain in the White House
Pain in a, pain, pain, pain
Pain in the church yard
The lyrics of "Pain in the Streets" by Luther Allison are indicative of the societal inequalities and issues that pervade our world. The singer laments that if pain was equivalent to money, he would be a wealthy man, living in a house filled with sand in a desert-like version of affluence. The idea is that the more pain one experiences, the more currency they would have, which showcases the distorted reality of our society. In this twisted version of the world, he would have many friends, and his house would be full once again. He muses that if money itself had a higher purpose, other than just to try to survive, then even the homeless could afford palatial homes, enabling everyone to live well.
The singer goes on to express his anguish about the pain he sees everywhere, stating that he observes it in the streets, his home, schools, and even in the White House and church yard. He talks about the lack of love and the difficulties people face when not having enough money, which is a prevalent issue in our modern society. Through these lyrics, Luther Allison conveys that the world is full of pain and that lack of money can be a significant source of it. It is a call for change, for society to prioritize love, and for people to acknowledge and address the societal inequalities that contribute to the pain of the people.
Line by Line Meaning
If pain was money
If the pain that I feel could be measured in terms of money
I would be a rich man
I would have an abundance of money
It'd be like living in the desert
It would feel desolate and barren like a desert
The house would be full of sand
My environment would be filled with the debris of my internal pain
I would have a whole lot of friends
I would have many people around me
They'd all come to see me
People would pay attention and check in on me more often
My house would be full again
My life would be filled with people and activity instead of being empty and numb
If money had a reason
If the acquisition of money had a purpose beyond survival
Other than tryin' to live a life
Other than simply being a means to an end in order to sustain oneself
The homeless could buy a castle
If money held more significance, even the underprivileged would be able to acquire luxuries
And we all could sleep at night
If everyone had what they needed, there would be less suffering and worry
Talkin' 'bout pain
Discussing the distress and hardship that is present
Pain in the street
The suffering that is evident all around us
Pain in my heart
The emotional pain that I am experiencing
Pain in my home
The unhappiness and tension that exists within my personal relationships
Pain in my schools, ya'all
The difficulties and challenges faced by students and educators
Pain in the welfare line
The reality of poverty and struggle that is seen in places of social assistance
Not enough money
The lack of financial resources to address the issues at hand
Not enough lovin', no
The absence of care and understanding amongst people
Everywhere I go
No matter where I look or travel
People don't understand
Others are not able to appreciate or comprehend the extent of the pain that is felt
I got money
I have achieved financial success
I got fame
I am a famous and recognized individual
Pain in the White House
The issues and problems present within our government and politicians
Pain in a, pain, pain, pain
The repetition emphasizes the pervasiveness and severity of the pain
Pain in the church yard
Even our religious communities struggle with pain and hardship
Contributed by Isabella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tom Slik
No truer words have been spoken Luther!
B. Derksen
Perfect funky blues!
Rihards Lībietis
key of blues!
Francois Froge
Excellent )))
Grant Wilkie
Sweet Blues
Cool beans
🎼🎶🎸🙏🎸🎶🎼 - 👊💯🇦🇺🤠
Alcibiades Cárdenas
Tambien ,soy guitarrista y aprendo de hotros .
Arjun Upadhya
Luther Allison thank you
xiwi
Master key
Teresa PUPPO
❤️
Teresa PUPPO
Cioccolato al peperoncino