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.
Talk to Me
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Lyrics
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But every night you won't answer your door
But although you won't ever let me in
From the street I can see your silhouette sittin' close to him
What must I do?
What does it take?
To get you to
Until the night is over
Come on, baby
Talk to me
Well until the night is over
I got a full week's pay
And, baby, I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world you see
I'm just asking, girl
Talk to me
Well late at night I hear the music that you're playing soft and low
Yes and late at night I see the two of you swayin' so close
I don't understand, darling, what was my sin?
Why am I down here below while you're up there with him?
What did I do?
What did I say?
What must I pay?
To get you to
Talk to me
Until the night is over
Little darling, won't you
Talk to me
Well until the night is over
Yea yea yea
I got a full week's pay
And baby I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world you see
I'm just asking girl
Talk to me
I don't understand, darling, what was my sin?
Why am I down here below while you're up there with him?
What did I do?
What did I say?
What must I pay?
To get you to
Talk to me
Until the night is over
Come on, baby
Talk to me
Well until the night is over
Yea yea yea
I got a full week's pay
And baby
I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world you see
I'm down on my bended knees
I'm just asking darling please won't you
Talk to me
Until the night is over
Come on talk to me
Until the night is over
Talk to me
Till the sun comes up
The lyrics of Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes's song Talk to Me explore the desperation of a man who is trying to connect with a woman who refuses to give him the time of day. The man sees a light in her window every night, but when he knocks at her door, she won't answer. Meanwhile, he can see her silhouette sitting close to another man. He doesn't understand why she won't talk to him, and he pleads with her to do so. He even expresses his frustration with the fact that he's been working hard and only wants a chance to connect with her.
Overall, the song talks about the desire for communication and connection in a relationship. The man is trying to understand why this woman won't talk to him and is seemingly choosing another man over him. He's willing to do anything to get her to talk to him and is frustrated with feeling left out of her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well every night I see a light up in your window
I notice a glow emanating from your room every time the night falls
But every night you won't answer your door
Despite my attempts to engage with you, you never open the door
But although you won't ever let me in
I understand that you are unwilling to have a conversation with me in person
From the street I can see your silhouette sittin' close to him
I can discern your shadow sitting in close proximity to him from outside your house
What must I do?
I'm clueless about what I should do
What does it take?
I'm interested in knowing what actions I need to take
To get you to
I want to know what will make you
Talk to me
I desire that you engage with me in a conversation
Until the night is over
I am hoping that you would continue talking despite the night being long
Come on, baby
I'm trying to persuade you to comply with my request
I got a full week's pay
I've received payment for a whole week's worth of work
And, baby, I've been working hard each day
I've been working extremely hard on a daily basis
I'm not asking for the world you see
I'm not demanding something extraordinary from you
I'm just asking, girl
All I'm requesting is, girl
Well late at night I hear the music that you're playing soft and low
At night, I can hear you playing soft and mellow music
Yes and late at night I see the two of you swayin' so close
I observe the two of you moving your bodies slowly and intimately together at the dead of the night
I don't understand, darling, what was my sin?
I am perplexed, sweetheart, I cannot comprehend what I have done wrong
Why am I down here below while you're up there with him?
I'm uncertain why you've chosen to be with him while I am left out here below
What did I do?
I'm perplexed on what I might have done
What did I say?
I'd like to know what improbable utterance that might have slipped out of my mouth that's causing this behavior
What must I pay?
I'm wondering what would make amends, what must I sacrifice?
Little darling, won't you
C'mon sweetheart, will you
Yea yea yea
Just expressing excitement
I'm down on my bended knees
I'm showing humility by kneeling down
I'm just asking darling please won't you
All I'm pleading for, darling, is that you
Till the sun comes up
I hope we get to converse till dawn breaks
Talk to me
Just talk to me
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind