Michael Johnson (August 8, 1944 – July 25, 2017), was an American pop, coun… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Johnson (August 8, 1944 – July 25, 2017), was an American pop, country and folk singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his 1978 hit song "Bluer Than Blue". He charted four hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and nine more on the Hot Country Songs charts, including two Number One country hits in 1986's "Give Me Wings" and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder". He also co-wrote "Cain's Blood", the debut single of 1990s country group 4 Runner.

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.

The Very First Time
Michael Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I knew I was falling in love

Oh my hands keep trying to find me
'Cause when you look into my eyes, I can't seem to get a hold of myself
And my only alibi is
That I'm absolutely sure beyond a doubt this is real

From the very first time I met you, girl
And my heart sailed around the moon
For the very first time
I knew I was falling in love

For the very first time
I knew I was falling in love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Michael Johnson's song, The Very First Time, express the profound changes that love has brought into the singer's life. The first verse describes the physical sensations that accompany the intense emotions of falling in love. The second verse goes on to suggest that the love he has experienced is so deep and real that there is no need for proof or evidence. The chorus reinforces this message by repeating the idea that falling in love is an experience that can only be felt and believed, not seen.

Throughout the song, Johnson's lyrics capture both the excitement and uncertainty of falling in love. The wayward nature of his hands and his inability to control himself around his love interest are typical symptoms of the nervousness and anxiety that come with new romance. However, the use of words like "real" and "absolutely sure" suggest that despite the nervousness, Johnson's feelings for his beloved are deep and true.

Overall, The Very First Time is a heartfelt expression of the transformative power of falling in love. Johnson's lyrics tap into the universal experience of new love and capture the excitement, uncertainty, and emotional intensity that come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

What a change you've made in me
You've transformed me in ways I never thought possible

I can't get the chill off of my back, I can't keep my heart from going pitter-pat
You get me so excited and nervous that my body won't stop reacting in these ways

It's a shame no one could ever see
Our love is so unique that nobody else could possibly understand it

They'll just have to feel it to believe it but I know that it's real
Even though others may doubt our love, I have no doubt that it's genuine

From the very first time I saw you
Since the very moment I laid eyes on you

And I felt myself floating on air
I was immediately swept off my feet

For the very first time
Right from the beginning

I knew I was falling in love
I was certain that I had fallen completely in love

Oh my hands keep trying to find me
I feel so out of control around you that even my hands seem to have a mind of their own

'Cause when you look into my eyes, I can't seem to get a hold of myself
Your gaze is so intense that it leaves me feeling helpless to resist you

And my only alibi is
The only excuse I can offer for acting like this is

That I'm absolutely sure beyond a doubt this is real
I have no doubt that our love is genuine and true

From the very first time I met you, girl
Ever since our very first encounter

And my heart sailed around the moon
My heart was filled with joy and happiness

For the very first time
Right from the beginning

I knew I was falling in love
I was certain that I had fallen completely in love

For the very first time
Right from the beginning

I knew I was falling in love
I was certain that I had fallen completely in love

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

oñaleM -

5y↑9

What a change you've made in me
I can't get the chill off of my back, I can't keep my heart from going pitter-pat
It's a shame no one could ever see
They'll just have to feel it to believe it but I know that it's real
From the very first time I saw you
And I felt myself floating on air
For the very first time
I knew I was falling in love
Oh my hands keep trying to find me
'Cause when you look into my eyes, I can't seem to get a hold of myself
And my only alibi is
That I'm absolutely sure beyond a doubt this is real
From the very first time I met you, girl
And my heart sailed around the moon
For the very first time
I knew I was falling in love
For the very first time
I knew I was falling in love

All comments from YouTube:

Angelo Roman

5y↑7

Randy Goodrum is without a doubt one of the most lyrical, magical songwriters on the planet. He reminds us that music in its simplest form and lyrics sung from the heart are truly the works of music geniuses. From Pop, to Rock to Country. He is consistent, writes with clarity and pureness that will never grow old. "FOOLISH HEART, WHO'S HOLDING DONNA NOW, ROSALEE, I'LL BE OVER YOU". The list goes on and on.