Although John Lee Williamson was a major blues star who had already released dozens of successful and widely influential records under the name Sonny Boy Williamson from 1937 onward, Aleck Miller would later claim to have been the first to use the name, and some blues scholars believe that Miller's assertion he was born in 1899 was a ruse to convince audiences he was old enough to have used the name before John Lee Williamson, who was born in 1914. Whatever the methodology, Miller became known as Sonny Boy Williamson.
Williamson had begun developing a following in Chicago beginning in 1953, when he appeared there as a member of Elmore James's band. In the 1960's he toured Europe during the height of the British blues craze, recording with The Yardbirds and The Animals. Accoring to the Led Zeppelin biography "Hammer of the Gods", while in England Sonny Boy set his hotel room on fire while trying to cook a rabbit in a coffee percolator.
Some of his hit songs include "Fattenin' Frogs for Snakes", "Don't Start Me To Talking" ,"Keep It To Yourself", "Your Funeral & My Trial", "Bye Bye Bird", "Nine Below Zero", "Help Me", and the infamous "Little Village", with dialogue deemed 'unsuitable for airplay' by Leonard Chess. His song "Eyesight To the Blind" was performed by The Who as a key song in their rock opera Tommy (the only song in that opus not written by a band member) and it was later covered on the Aerosmith album Honkin' on Bobo. His recording og "One Way Out" was reworked from the Elmore James original and became popularized by The Allman Brothers Band in the early 1970s.
Sonny Boy Williamson II has had a big influence on modern day blues and blues rock artists and other legendary artists, as is shown by the number of his songs that are still covered. In interviews given in the concert documentary film The Last Waltz, members of the rock & roll group The Band recount jamming with Miller prior to their initial fame as Bob Dylan's electric backing band, and making plans to hook up with Williamson as his backing band. Unfortunately, Williamson's death prevented any such plans from ever being fulfilled.
One Way Out
Sonny Boy Williamson II Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't goin' out that door
Raise your window
I ain't goin' out that door
'Cause the man out there might
Be your man, I don't know
If you raise your window
I can ease out soft and low
I can ease out soft and low
Your neighbors gonna be talkin'
That stuff, me don't know
Ain't but one way out
I ain't goin' out that door
Ain't but one way out
I ain't goin' out that door
If I get away this time
I won't be caught no more
Ain't but one way out
I ain't goin' out that door
Ain't but one way out
I ain't goin' out that door
If I get away this time
I won't be caught no more
The lyrics of Sonny Boy Williamson II's "One Way Out" talk about the singer trying to leave the house of his lover without getting caught by her man. The singer urges his lover to raise her window instead of opening the door so that he can slip out without anyone noticing. The man waiting outside may be her lover's husband or boyfriend, and the singer does not want to get caught in a compromising situation. He hopes to avoid gossip and speculation from the neighbors.
The refrain "Ain't but one way out" emphasizes the urgency of the situation and conveys the singer's determination to escape. He asserts that he won't be caught if he gets away this time, suggesting he has been in a similar predicament before. The singer recognizes the danger of the situation and is determined not to repeat his mistakes.
Interpreting the lyrics, we can see that the singer is using a clever stratagem to avoid getting caught. The situation can be seen as a metaphor for people who want to avoid uncomfortable situations or escape from difficult circumstances. The song is unconventional in its themes and illustrations, different from common blues songs about heartbreak, loneliness or poverty.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise your window
Open the window so I can escape through it
I ain't goin' out that door
I don't want to leave through the door because someone could be waiting for me outside
'Cause the man out there might
Be your man, I don't know
I am worried that the person outside could be your partner and I don't want to run into them
If you raise your window
I can ease out soft and low
If you open the window, I can escape quietly and avoid attracting attention
Your neighbors gonna be talkin'
That stuff, me don't know
If I escape through the window, your neighbors might see me and gossip about us
Ain't but one way out
I ain't goin' out that door
There's only one way for me to escape and I won't take the risk of going through the front door
If I get away this time
I won't be caught no more
If I am successful in escaping this time, I won't let my guard down and get caught again
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, GULF COAST MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARSHALL E SEHORN, ELMORE JAMES, SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Earthdogbonzo3
THE BEST VERSION OF THIS SONG IMHO🎼🎵🎵🎶🎵🎶🎵🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎤
@yelloworangered
I sure love this song, especially the frantic nervous versions. Yeah, ease out that window, lover man.
@elreydelripio
Genius.
@chuckufarlie8215
A vamp is a repeating musical figure, like a guitar riff. In jazz, Latin jazz, and musical theater it’s often given for the accompaniment so that they can repeat as necessary during intros or solos, in which case it may be noted as “vamp until ready” or “vamp until cue.” Depending on the style and band, players may improvise on the vamp. The “open vamp” appears synonymous with “vamp till ready.” Buddy Guy brings forth this riff, or "vamp" here on this version of this song, which was earlier recorded differently by Elmore James. A vamp is a pattern, usually a simple pattern like one or two chords, that you keep repeating for the purpose of getting into a groove or letting one of the musicians take a solo.
@countryboy6767
Old Buddy back there https://youtu.be/waTeedBqSH8
@larryn2682
Thank you, professor.
@dennypetfield6583
just a great track! And yes it is sad to only have this many views of the original version of this tune covered and made famous by the ABB.
@Cochese59
ONE WAY OUT It's the way to go!!
@trfesok
Originally written and recorded by Elmore James. SBW put it out first as a single in 1962. Of course, covered by The Allmans and Los Lobos. All are in my ABB playlist. Thanks for the upload!
@Sm-ne8ff
And Steven Thorne