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.
REACHING OUT
Luther Allison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are the only one, I'm thinking of
Let me touch you babe, with all my heart
Try to promise me we'll never part
Oh, oh, oh, what can I say?
I need the loving babe, everyday
Oh, oh, oh, I have no pain, I'm a sane man
Every Monday is the beginning of my week
Every Tuesday, I have to hit the street
Oh, oh, oh, what can I say?
I need to feel your body, a-both night and day
Oh, oh, oh, I feel so good when I know babe
You love me so, yeah, I wanna hold you
You are my pride and joy
Could you reach out, baby?
I'm your little toy, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, what can I do?
I need to hold on tight to you
Oh, oh, oh, what can I say?
Let me love you, baby, night and day
Hey, hey, love, no, love is what I'm looking for
I'm reaching out, I'm reaching out for more
I'm reaching out, reaching out, reaching out
I just wanna little more of your loving, loving
Honey, honey, honey
I need your love, I need your love
I need your love, I need, I need your love, baby
A little bit of love and a little bit of love and
Good old love, need it, I need it, I need it
Oh, oh, oh, I need your love
Give it to me, give it to me
Just give it to me, give it to me
Don't make me beg you, baby
I don't wanna beg you, yeah, I don't
Luther Allison's song "Reaching Out" is about a man who is deeply in love with a woman and wants to be with her every moment of the day. The verse "I'm reaching out for your love" describes how the man is reaching out to his love for her affection and attention. The next verse "You are the only one, I'm thinking of" emphasizes how this man's entire sole focus is on his love and no one else can replace her. The line "Let me touch you babe, with all my heart" highlights how the man wants to be physical with her not just to satisfy his physical needs but because he truly loves her from the core of his heart. The man is trying to convince his lover to never leave him "Try to promise me we'll never part."
The chorus, "Oh, oh, oh, what can I say? I need the loving babe, everyday" emphasizes that the man wants to be in love all-day every day. The line "I have no pain, I'm a sane man" implies that because of his lover's presence in his life, he is content and happy, and nothing can bring him down. The next few lines "Every Monday is the beginning of my week, Every Tuesday, I have to hit the street" simply means that his life goes around his lover, and every day of the week is planned around making her happy.
The second verse starts with the same chorus that was used at the start. The man is describing how he likes to be physical with her; "I need to feel your body, a-both night and day." The line "I feel so good when I know babe You love me so, yeah, I wanna hold you" used in the verse speaks to the connection that lovers have and the sense of security that comes from knowing that they are loved. Allison finally ends the song by asking for more love and emphasizing that he needs it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm reaching out for your love
I need your love and affection and I'm making an effort to connect with you.
You are the only one, I'm thinking of
Out of everyone I know or have met, you are the only person on my mind and in my heart.
Let me touch you babe, with all my heart
I want to show my love and affections to you from the depth of my heart by touching you.
Try to promise me we'll never part
Please assure me of your commitment to our relationship and we'll be together forever.
Oh, oh, oh, what can I say?
I'm lost for words to explain how deeply I feel about you.
I need the loving babe, everyday
I crave your love and affection every day because it brings me contentment.
Oh, oh, oh, I have no pain, I'm a sane man
I don't experience pain or suffer from any mental health condition. I am of sound mind and body.
Just trying to get your love, I wanna give it back
I'm working hard to earn your love, and in return, I want to give you mine in abundance.
Every Monday is the beginning of my week
My week starts on Monday, and I'm ready to face it with a positive attitude and a desire to succeed.
Every Tuesday, I have to hit the street
On Tuesdays, I must go out and take care of my obligations or do my work outside the house.
I need to feel your body, a-both night and day
I desire to be physically intimate with you at any time of the day or night because it brings me satisfaction and pleasure.
Oh, oh, oh, I feel so good when I know babe
I experience joy and happiness when you tell me or show me that you love me, baby.
You love me so, yeah, I wanna hold you
Your love for me is so immense that it makes me want to hold and keep you close to me always.
You are my pride and joy
I take immense pride and pleasure in having you as my lover, and you bring me immense joy.
Could you reach out, baby?
Can you make an effort to reciprocate my feelings and reach out to me as well?
I'm your little toy, yeah
I'll do anything to make you happy and satisfy your needs by being your plaything or toy.
Let me love you, baby, night and day
Allow me to express my love and affection for you every day and night because it's what makes me happy.
Hey, hey, love, no, love is what I'm looking for
Hey, I'm looking for love, and nothing else can satisfy me like it does.
I'm reaching out, I'm reaching out for more
I'm making efforts to reach out to you for more love and affection because I can't get enough of you.
Honey, honey, honey
My sweetie or darling, I need more of your love and affection.
I need your love, I need your love
I need your love and cannot do without it because it brings me joy and happiness.
A little bit of love and a little bit of love and
Even if it's just a little bit of love, I'll take it because it's that precious to me.
Good old love, need it, I need it, I need it
I need to feel that good old love because it's what brings me happiness, peace, and satisfaction.
Give it to me, give it to me
Please, give me your love and affection because I need it so bad.
Don't make me beg you, baby
Please, baby, don't let me beg for your love and affection because it's embarrassing and makes me feel vulnerable.
I don't wanna beg you, yeah, I don't
I don't want to have to ask or beg for your love and affection because it should come freely from your heart.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LUTHER ALLISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind