Southside Johnny (real name John Lyon, born December 4, 1948 in Neptune, New Jersey) is an American singer, harmonica player, and songwriter, who usually fronts his band The Asbury Jukes.
Lyon grew up in Ocean Grove, New Jersey and graduated from Neptune High School. As an artist, Southside Johnny first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and be considered part of the Jersey Shore sound, following Bruce Springsteen. Southside's first three albums, I Don't Want to Go Home (1976), This Time It's For Real (1977), and Hearts of Stone (1978), were Stax-influenced R&B arranged and produced by the co-founder of the band and Springsteen confederate Steven Van Zandt and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen. The Van Zandt-written "I Don't Want To Go Home" became Southside's signature song, an evocative mixture of horn-based melodic riffs and sentimental lyrics. Other notable songs included "The Fever","Talk to Me," "This Time It's For Real," "Love on the Wrong Side of Town," and the definitive version of Springsteen's " Hearts of Stone."
Southside has long been considered the Grandfather of "the New Jersey Sound." Jon bon Jovi has acknowledged Southside as "his reason for singing."
In 1982 the Rolling Stone Magazine voted the album Hearts of Stone among the top 100 albums of the 70's and 80's.
Cast under Springsteen's long shadow, national commercial success eluded Southside and the Jukes, and in 1979 they were dropped by their record company. Now working without Van Zandt, they released The Jukes in 1979 and Love is a Sacrifice in 1980. Neither of these achieved much success either. The band's first official live release also came out in 1980, the double album Reach Up and Touch the Sky.
During the 1980s Southside Johnny's recording contracts continued to change almost by album, but he continued to release records: Trash It Up (1983), a disco influenced album written by Billy Rush and produced by Nile Rodgers; In the Heat (1984) an album trying to reach out to "Adult Oriented Radio"; and At Least We Got Shoes (1986) where guitarist and Jersey shore fixture Bobby Bandiera, who often plays a custom guitar built by First Act Guitars took over songwriting and guitar work from Billy Rush and led the Asbury Jukes back to their original sound. Songwriting credits on At Least We Got Shoes also contain a song co-written by Bandiera and singer Patti Scialfa, who was known as a Jukes collaborator since the 1980 album Love is a Sacrifice and who became a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in 1984.
In 1988 Southside Johnny released his first solo record Slow Dance containing ballads and love songs, but also "Little Calcutta" which is still discussed as Southside's most political song of his career, describing the life and environment of the homeless in New York City.
More record label switches, Jukes personnel changes, tours and club dates followed.
Jukes' recording career was re-launched with the album Better Days (1991), which featured production by Van Zandt, songs by Springsteen, and vocal performances from Van Zandt, Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. With Bobby Bandiera driving the band, the Jukes were gaining new energy for a world wide tour supporting the album. But once again, Southside Johnny's bad luck with the industry was shown when the record label went bankrupt while the tour was still rolling.
Southside performed the theme song for the 1990s sitcom Dave's World, a cover of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right."
Southside eventually relocated to Nashville taking a break from the music business. A few members of the Asbury Jukes would end up being part of The Max Weinberg 7 on the Late Night with Conan O'Brien television show, while some others went on tour and into the recording studio with artists like Jon Bon Jovi, Mink DeVille, Graham Parker, Robert Cray.
In 1998 Southside Johnny came back into the spotlight with an independent release titled Spittin' Fire, a live record with a semi-acoustic Jukes lineup released in France containing a 20 song set recorded during a series of 10 shows at the "Chesterfield Café" in Paris, France.
After a decade without a record contract Southside finally founded his own record label in 2001 under the name of Leroy Records, and started releasing and distributing his new records fully under his own control: Messin' with the Blues (2000), Going to Jukesville (2002), Missing Pieces (2004), Into the Harbour (2005).
Southside continues to perform, and maintains substantial audience followings in some regions of the U.S., such as New Jersey, New York, northeast Ohio, and abroad, in the UK and continental Europe, as 2002's Live At The Opera House DVD, filmed at a sell-out performance in Newcastle upon Tyne, demonstrates. As of 2005, he resides on the Delaware Bay. His annual appearances at Springsteen's Asbury Park holiday shows draw as much crowd excitement as Springsteen himself.
Security
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know what you need
A girl can live on just sweet nothins
Security, she's got to have security
Something she can show 'em for all her time
All her time
Or just that little ring
Your sweet talking don't mean a thing
Security, she got to, got to have it
Security, the girl really needs it
Against the day when love starts its long decline
She don't want to wake up
Poor and destitute
She knows how love goes
It's never absolute
You might swear she could never be replaced
And she'll believe you, but just in case
She'll need a piece of the rock
If you decide to roll
The girls got insurance that she can consult
Security, she got to keep on looking smart
Security, little checks from the heart
You're drunk with love but you gotta
Sober up sometime, don't ya?
You might tell the truth
You might be a liar
She don't know it so she'll require
Security, your heart is running a race
Security, hers beats a nice, steady pace
Your cold, wet feet will get plenty of time to dry
All she wants is
S-E-C-U-R-I-T and a Y
The song "Security" by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes talks about a woman's need for security in a romantic relationship. The lyrics suggest that a woman wants something tangible that she can rely on in case love starts to decline. It could be a nice piece of jewelry or a financial security like little checks from the heart. The lyrics also suggest that men might not understand a woman's requirement for security and might think that sweet talking is enough to keep a woman satisfied. However, a woman needs more than that to feel secure that she won't end up poor and destitute.
In the second verse, the lyrics reveal that even if a man swears that a woman could never be replaced, she will still require security as love is never absolute. The woman needs some form of insurance that she can consult if the man decides to roll. The lyrics suggest that love is like a race, and while a man's heart is running a race, a woman's heart beats at a nice, steady pace. The lyrics also suggest that men might lie, and the woman won't know it, so she'll require security.
Overall, the lyrics of the song "Security" talk about a woman's need for material and financial security in a romantic relationship. While men often rely on sweet talking and declarations of love, women require something tangible that they can rely on in case love starts to decline.
Line by Line Meaning
I know what you want
I understand your desires
I know what you need
I understand your needs
A girl can live on just sweet nothins
Women can survive on compliments, but it's not enough
Security, she's got to have security
Women need assurance and stability
Something she can show 'em for all her time
Something to prove her worth and investment in a relationship
A nice big rock
An extravagant diamond ring
Or just that little ring
Even a small symbolic ring will suffice
Your sweet talking don't mean a thing
Promises without actions are meaningless
Security, she got to, got to have it
Women must have a sense of security and stability
Security, the girl really needs it
Women crave stability in a relationship
Against the day when love starts its long decline
To protect against the possibility of a failing relationship
She don't want to wake up
She doesn't want to be left destitute
Poor and destitute
Impoverished and without resources
She knows how love goes
Women understand the unpredictability of love
It's never absolute
Love is rarely a sure thing
You might swear she could never be replaced
You may make promises of eternal love
And she'll believe you, but just in case
But just in case, she needs a sense of security
She'll need a piece of the rock
She'll require some form of financial security
If you decide to roll
If you decide to leave
The girls got insurance that she can consult
She has a backup plan
Security, she got to keep on looking smart
She must make responsible decisions to protect herself
Security, little checks from the heart
Little assurances of affection
You're drunk with love but you gotta
You're blinded by love, but you must
Sober up sometime, don't ya?
Make responsible decisions
You might tell the truth
You may be honest
You might be a liar
You may be deceitful
She don't know it so she'll require
She won't know the truth, so she will need assurances
Security, your heart is running a race
You're caught up in the moment
Security, hers beats a nice, steady pace
She's more grounded and needs stability
Your cold, wet feet will get plenty of time to dry
You'll have time to change your mind
All she wants is S-E-C-U-R-I-T and a Y
All she wants is security in every aspect of her life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind