Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Zito was immersed in the gritty sounds o… Read Full Bio ↴Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Zito was immersed in the gritty sounds of the south side that would unknowingly become the groundwork of his future in music. Like the legends before him, music has coursed through his veins from the early age of five, when he began singing and performing. It didn't take long for him to discover his instrument of choice, electric guitar, after receiving a Van Halen record for his birthday. His education and journey were just starting - little did he know he would find himself among such legends at a local guitar shop just out of high school. "Everyone from Chuck Berry to Bennie Smith came in that store," Zito shares of his experience. "I soaked up the sounds of that store and began building my own style."

Zito's journey took off at the age of 19, when he busted into the local St. Louis music scene, developing his sound even further from the stage. His first independent release arrived in 1996, titled "Blue Room" which included raw and funky songs "Hollywood" and "Pull the Trigger". His songwriting experience would break through on his sophomore release titled "America's Most Wanted" in 1999. This album shares his pop sensibilities and intense guitar work. "Crazy People", "Deal Me In" and his own rendition of Elton John's "Rocket Man" all set the pace to bring him into a national audience.

His touring schedule found him crisscrossing the country as well as performing a regular dose of 6 nights a week in and around St. Louis when not on the road. He would also have the opportunity to play overseas for the USO during that same time period. With such a crazed schedule and lifestyle, drugs and alcohol took their effect on him. Zito was sliding downhill fast. Walter Trout pulled Zito aside one night after a show and explained to him that he had been down that path himself, and that it was no good. He told Zito about the responsibility he had to the music and to the people to perform honestly and unaffected. His abilities suffered and he drifted around the country a bit lost and confused, ending up in Southeast Texas. Zito fell in love with his now wife and had found the love and support to help him clean up and refocus on his career.

With a clean slate and real world experiences to include in his songwriting, Zito released "Slow it Down" in 2004. Including songs like "Long Dark Road," "Change My Ways" and the title track, "Slow it Down" Zito share what life experiences had taught him. He formed a new solid band and began again playing full-time across the country with over 250 shows in 2005. "Music can change everything - how you feel, how you see and what you believe," Zito explains.

He would find his true sound from all his experiences, new and old, and release his fourth album, "Superman" in 2006. Touted as "Soulful Pop" critics would pen it as Zito's sound with his voice and vocals rising above the music. His formative influences blend with additional musical heroes and legends such as Prince, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, SRV, Walter Trout, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Danny Gatton, and even rising artists like John Mayer. His journey has lead him to a critical point in his life and career to a larger audience and sharing the stage with national recording artists such as Chuck Berry, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tab Benoit, Walter Trout, Bernard Allison, Coco Montoya, Joe Bonamassa and many more.

In 2007, Zito's path has crossed with Randy Chortkoff of Delta Groove Music. Within months he's penned a deal and gained full support with Chortkoff's label Eclecto Groove Records and Rick Booth of Intrepid Artists. With a new chapter of his life unfolding – full label backing, new management and larger audiences, Zito only begun to scratch the musical surface yet again.

After years of tirelessly touring and four independently released projects under his belt, 2008 heralded the national debut of Zito's album "Today" on Eclecto Groove Records. Boasting top notch production values with the guidance of producers David Z. (Prince, Buddy Guy, Etta James, Jonny Lang) and Tony Braunagel (Eric Burdon, Taj Mahal, Phantom Blues Band), along with assistance from a team of world class musicians including keyboardist Bentmont Tench (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash) and bassist James "Hutch Hutchinson (Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Joe Cocker), Zito realized his most satisfying and accomplished work to date. "Today" garnered high praise and critical acclaim for Zito's strengthened focus on songwriting and his resulting efforts landed his album on the Billboard Blues charts for six weeks, in addition to daily rotation on Sirius Satellite Radio over the past year.

Now Zito returns with his follow up effort "Pearl River," accompanied by the skillfully adept David Z. sitting in once again at the helm of the producer's chair, along with label CEO Randy Chortkoff. With his guitar back to the forefront Zito revisits his musical roots while still maintaining an emphasis on his affective songwriting. "Pearl River" stands as another solid achievement by Mike Zito who is joined this time out by a handful of special guests including Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Reese Wynans (Double Trouble), Susan Cowsill, Lynwood Slim and Jumpin' Johnny Sansone. The result is a rollicking slice of Americana served up with heaping slabs of greasy New Orleans funk, gritty blues and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll.

Website: Mike Zito

You can also see Mike Zito as Mike Zito & The Wheel on Last.fm here: Mike Zito & The Wheel

I Never Knew a Hurricane
Mike Zito Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm woven in a fantasy, I can't believe the things I see
The path that I have chosen now has led me to a wall
And with each passing day I feel a little
more like something dear was lost
It rises now before me, a dark and silent barrier between,
All I am, and all that I would ever want be
It's just a travesty, towering, marking
off the boundaries my spirit would erase

To pass beyond is what I seek, I fear that I may be too weak
And those are few who've seen it through to glimpse the other side,
The promised land is waiting like a maiden that is soon to be a bride
The moment is a masterpiece, the weight of indecision's in the air
It's standing there, the symbol and the sum of all that's me
It's just a travesty, towering, blocking out the light and blinding me
I want to see

Gold and diamonds cast a spell, it's not for me I know it well
The treasures that I seek are waiting on the other side
There's more that I can measure in the treasure of the love that I can find
And though it's always been with me, I must tear down the Wall and let it be
All I am, and all that I was ever meant to be, in harmony

Shining true and smiling back at all who wait to cross
THERE IS NO LOSS

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mike Zito's song, "I Never Knew a Hurricane," present an introspective reflection on the self-imposed barriers we place on our own lives. The opening line, "I'm woven in a fantasy, I can't believe the things I see," suggests the singer is trapped in a dream-like state where the world seems distorted and inaccessible. The path he has chosen has led him to a wall that blocks him from his desires, causing him to feel like he has lost something valuable. The wall represents a dark, silent barrier that separates him from all that he wants to be, marking off the boundaries his spirit would erase.

The singer acknowledges that he wants to pass beyond the wall, but he fears that he may be too weak to do so. He is aware that few have seen it through to glimpse the other side, but he sees the promised land waiting for him like a maiden that is soon to be a bride. He is standing at the moment of decision, where the weight of indecision is in the air. He realizes that the wall is both the symbol and the sum of all that he is, a travesty towering and blocking out the light, blinding him.

The singer finds that gold and diamonds cast a spell, but they are nothing compared to the treasure of love that he can find on the other side of the wall. Although the treasure has always been with him, tearing down the wall is the only way to let it be. All that he is and all that he was ever meant to be is in harmony, shining true and smiling back at all who wait to cross. The chorus concludes, "There is no loss." The song reflects a powerful message of breaking down the barriers that limit our potential and finding the treasures of love and self-discovery beyond.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm woven in a fantasy, I can't believe the things I see
Lost in my imagination, struggling to comprehend what I perceive

The path that I have chosen now has led me to a wall
The choices I've made have brought me to an obstacle

And with each passing day I feel a little more like something dear was lost
As time goes on, I feel like I'm losing something special

It rises now before me, a dark and silent barrier between, All I am, and all that I would ever want be
The wall looms in front, separating me from what I want to achieve

It's just a travesty, towering, marking off the boundaries my spirit would erase
The wall is a shame, huge and preventing me from reaching my full potential

To pass beyond is what I seek, I fear that I may be too weak
I want to overcome the wall but doubt my own strength

And those are few who've seen it through to glimpse the other side, The promised land is waiting like a maiden that is soon to be a bride
Only a few have ever crossed over the wall, but the rewards are great

The moment is a masterpiece, the weight of indecision's in the air, It's standing there, the symbol and the sum of all that's me
This moment is pivotal, and I feel the weight of my uncertainty, the wall represents who I am

It's just a travesty, towering, blocking out the light and blinding me, I want to see
The wall is hindering my progress and making it hard to see the way forward

Gold and diamonds cast a spell, it's not for me I know it well, The treasures that I seek are waiting on the other side
Material wealth doesn't interest me, what I want lies on the other side of the wall

There's more that I can measure in the treasure of the love that I can find, And though it's always been with me, I must tear down the Wall and let it be
Love is more valuable than material wealth, and even though it's been inside me all along, I need to overcome the wall to let it flourish

All I am, and all that I was ever meant to be, in harmony, Shining true and smiling back at all who wait to cross, THERE IS NO LOSS
Once I overcome the wall, I will be my true self, happy and shining, and there's no downside to that

Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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