Johnson was born in the small town of Alamosa, Colorado, in the south-central part of the state; he grew up in Denver. He started playing the guitar at 13. In 1963, he began attending Colorado State University to study music but his college career was truncated when he won an international talent contest two years later. First prize included a deal with Epic Records. Epic released the song "Hills", written and sung by Johnson, as a single. Johnson began extensive touring of clubs and colleges, finding a receptive audience everywhere he went.
Wishing to hone his instrumental skills, in 1966 he set off for Barcelona, Spain, to the Liceu Conservatory, studying with the eminent classical guitarists, Graciano Tarragó and Renata Tarragó. Upon his return to the States, he joined Randy Sparks in a group called the New Society and did a tour of the Orient. When the band dissolved in 1967, he signed on with the Chad Mitchell Trio for a year, spending some of that time co-writing with another member, John Denver. The group was renamed Denver, Boise & Johnson. When the trio came to an end, Johnson made a radical departure from everything he had done previously by taking on a major supporting role in the off-Broadway production of "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." The show visited New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago over the next year; by then, Johnson was ready to return to creating and performing his own music.
In 1971, Johnson signed with Atco Records to release his first album, There Is A Breeze, which was released in 1973 and produced by Johnson, Chris Dedrick, Peter Yarrow and Phil Ramone in New York and Toronto, Canada. Feeling this first effort wasn't a true reflection of his music (despite being a huge best seller in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area), Johnson self-produced his next LP in 1975, For All You Mad Musicians, relying more on his voice and guitar for a folk feel. He followed this up with Ain't Dis Da Life, where he added a rhythm section. With each new recording and his continued touring, his popularity was increasing. It was time to make a move on the national market.
Teaming up with Brent Maher and Steve Gibson in Nashville, Tennessee, Johnson created a two-song demo consisting of "Bluer Than Blue" and "Almost Like Being in Love" (the latter song from the Broadway musical Brigadoon). EMI America took one listen and wasted no time in signing him, quickly getting The Michael Johnson Album out in 1978. The first single, "Bluer Than Blue", became Johnson's first Top 40 hit, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1978; the song became a chart-topping single on the Adult Contemporary chart. "Almost Like Being in Love" went to No. 91 on the R&B chart while hitting the Top 5 on the AC chart and the Top 40 on the pop chart. His next EMI album, Dialogue, provided his third big hit, "This Night Won't Last Forever" and a Gold Record for European sales of "I'll Always Love You."
Johnson recorded five albums in all for EMI and in 1985 moved over to RCA Records, where he adopted a contemporary country style that stayed compatible with his soft, mellow leanings; this shift was evident in his choice of duet partners country-pop singers Juice Newton and Sylvia. Johnson's change proved successful, as he scored five Top Ten country hits from 1986 to 1989, including the chart-toppers "Give Me Wings" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder." After two country albums on RCA (plus two greatest hits collections), Johnson moved over to Atlantic Records in 1991, which effectively halted his commercial momentum. He recorded sporadically in the 1990s for smaller labels. In 1995, the country music group 4 Runner scored a minor hit with the single "Cain's Blood", for which Johnson co-wrote an updated version with Jack Sundrud of Poco. Johnson also proved to be a successful writer of print when he wrote "The Solo Performer" columns for the magazine Performing Songwriter from 1993 through 1998.
In August 2007, Johnson underwent successful quadruple bypass heart surgery. A charitable organization, "Friends of Michael Johnson," was temporarily set up to help defray medical expenses.
Johnson died July 2017, at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the age of 72.
Dialogue
Michael Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know the book you're reading. and I've always like his point of view
I'm flying out of here to somewhere I have been
Set out to find it years ago and I'm finally heading in
Have you been to France, I hear it's wonderful this time of year
Have you really seen the English countryside, do people ride
All I've ever seen is Houston, it's flat and rainy and rich
He has got the world to give and she is on her own
Together they can show each other what they cannot see alone
Cancel all your reservations, it's a now or never stand
Final call and off they go, leaving hand in hand
And he has got the world to give and she can bring him home
Together they can show each other what they cannot see alone
He has got the world to give and she an bring him home
Together they can show each other what they cannot see alone
He turns to her
in a waiting room and asks “How do you do?” This simple greeting leads into a conversation where they exchange travel stories and experiences. The man reveals that he is finally headed to a place he has been searching for years. The woman hasn’t seen much beyond Houston and California, but they both have the potential to show each other new things. They eventually abandon their previous plans and decide to take a chance on each other. They cancel their reservations and leave hand in hand.
The song is essentially about taking risks and finding companionship in unexpected places. The two characters are strangers who come together in a mundane setting and end up changing the course of their lives because they take a chance on each other. It’s a story about the beauty of human connection and how it can transform the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Stranded in a waiting room, he turns to her, How do you do
He's stuck in a dreary place with nothing to do, so he strikes up a conversation with someone nearby.
I know the book you're reading. and I've always like his point of view
He recognizes the book she's holding and shares his admiration for the author's perspective.
I'm flying out of here to somewhere I have been
He's about to embark on a journey to a place he's visited before.
Set out to find it years ago and I'm finally heading in
He's been searching for something for a long time, and he's finally on the right track.
Have you been to France, I hear it's wonderful this time of year
He's curious if she's explored other parts of the world and suggests an ideal destination.
Have you really seen the English countryside, do people ride
He wonders if she's experienced the beauty of rural England and asks if people still ride horses there.
All I've ever seen is Houston, it's flat and rainy and rich
He shares that he's only seen his hometown, which he finds to be monotonous and affluent.
And California on my own and neither one quite fits
He's also been to California by himself, but it didn't feel quite right either.
He has got the world to give and she is on her own
He, with all his worldly experiences, has something to offer to her, who seems to be alone.
Together they can show each other what they cannot see alone
They have the potential to learn from each other and experience new things together.
Cancel all your reservations, it's a now or never stand
He urges her to abandon her previous plans and seize the opportunity now, before it's too late.
Final call and off they go, leaving hand in hand
They make the decision to leave together and walk hand in hand towards the unknown.
And he has got the world to give and she can bring him home
He has valuable experiences and knowledge to share, while she has the ability to make him feel at home.
Together they can show each other what they cannot see alone
Working together, they can unveil new things they might have missed on their own.
He has got the world to give and she an bring him home
He has many things to offer, while she's capable of creating a sense of comfort and belonging.
Together they can show each other what they cannot see alone
By working together, they can uncover new things that they wouldn't have seen otherwise.
Contributed by Sadie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JGold
first time i heard this song, i teared up. there's something about this song's melody & lyrics that grip my heart. in a beautiful way. & i still tear up when i hear this song