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.
VERTIGO
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pulling me like gravity?
Into your world
I'm swirling inescapably
Tangling my tongue
When I try to speak
Caught up in confusion
Leaving me so weak
I'm grabbing on to air
When I go to reach out
I don't like these heights
But you don't ever let me down
Will you girl
I want you so, I'm falling, falling vertigo
Won't you come closer
I feel secure when you're near
Don't take me so high
I cannot breath in this atmosphere
Hold me tight
I'm in the iron group of fear
Stay at my side
The drop is so sheer
You move in light years
And I can barely crawl
What seems like forever
Is no real time at all
If I look down, I know, I know I'm gonna fall
All the way, girl
I need you so, I'm falling, falling vertigo, vertigo
Every night
I'm hounded by this one dream
You speak
But I never know what the words mean
Until it's too late
And I feel my foot slip
Eyes shut tight
I know I'm in the grip
Then my fingers
One by one
Loosen their hold
Become undone
It pulls so hard
I must succumb
You know what it is
Round I go, spinning and whirling
Round I go, vision is blurring
Round I go, falling, falling
Vertigo
Vertigo
Vertigo
The lyrics of "Vertigo" by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes depict the feeling of falling uncontrollably in love with someone, likened to the sensation of actual vertigo. The singer speaks of being pulled into this person's world, unable to resist or escape, and losing his sense of self in the process. He acknowledges the confusion and weakness that come with such intense emotions, but ultimately finds security in the presence of his lover. The imagery of being unable to breathe in this atmosphere and the intense sensations of falling and spinning further emphasize the overwhelming effect this love has on him.
The mention of a recurring dream where he feels his foot slip and his grip loosens suggests that the singer is aware of the risks of such an intense connection. He fears falling too hard and losing his grasp, but also acknowledges that he cannot resist the pull. The chorus of "I'm falling, falling vertigo" suggests a surrender to this potent feeling, despite the danger and fear that accompany it.
Line by Line Meaning
What is the force
Asks about the strong influence pulling the singer towards the love interest
Pulling me like gravity?
Compares the force to gravity, which is a natural phenomenon where objects with mass are pulled towards each other
Into your world
Refers to the love interest's world as a separate entity from the singer's own world
I'm swirling inescapably
Describes the singer's feeling of being trapped in the attraction towards the love interest
Tangling my tongue
Refers to the singer's difficulty in expressing their feelings towards the love interest
When I try to speak
Highlights the struggle to communicate effectively with the love interest
Caught up in confusion
Describes the singer's feeling of being lost in the attraction and unsure how to navigate it
Leaving me so weak
Indicates the singer's vulnerability in this situation
The earth below drags me down
Compares the weight of the attraction to gravity, where the singer feels pulled down by the earth
I'm grabbing on to air
Describes the feeling of helplessness and lack of control in the situation
When I go to reach out
Refers to the singer's attempt to reach out to the love interest
I don't like these heights
Refers to the singer's discomfort and unease in the attraction
But you don't ever let me down
The love interest is a constant and dependable presence in the singer's life
Will you girl
The singer asks if the love interest will reciprocate the same level of commitment and support
I want you so, I'm falling, falling vertigo
The singer is so deeply in love that they feel like they're falling with vertigo-like dizziness
Won't you come closer
The singer wants the love interest to come closer and reciprocate their feelings
I feel secure when you're near
The singer finds comfort and security in the presence of the love interest
Don't take me so high
The singer wants the attraction to be less intense and more manageable
I cannot breath in this atmosphere
The singer feels suffocated and overwhelmed by the strong feelings of attraction
Hold me tight
The singer wants physical comfort and reassurance from the love interest
I'm in the iron group of fear
The singer is weighed down by fear and anxiety
Stay at my side
The singer asks the love interest to stay and offer support
The drop is so sheer
The situation is so precarious that even a small misstep could lead to a major fall
You move in light years
Compares the love interest's progress and speed to light years, which is an astronomical distance
And I can barely crawl
The singer feels left behind and unable to keep up with the love interest's pace
What seems like forever
The experience feels like it's lasting forever
Is no real time at all
Despite the intense feeling of duration, the time passing is actually short
If I look down, I know, I know I'm gonna fall
The singer knows that if they dwell too much on the situation, they'll lose their grip and fall
All the way, girl
The singer wants the love interest to commit to the relationship as deeply as they are
I need you so, I'm falling, falling vertigo, vertigo
The singer needs the love interest so much that they are still falling with vertigo-like dizziness
Every night
Refers to a recurring dream or thought that the singer has
I'm hounded by this one dream
The dream or thought is persistent and repeatedly bothers the singer
You speak
The love interest communicates with the singer in the dream
But I never know what the words mean
The singer is confused about the love interest's message or intentions
Until it's too late
The message is only clear in hindsight when it's too late to act on it
And I feel my foot slip
The singer feels like they're losing their footing or grasp on the situation
Eyes shut tight
The singer is closing their eyes in fear or anticipation
I know I'm in the grip
The singer is aware that they are powerless in the situation
Then my fingers
Refers to the singer's grip on the situation
One by one
Each finger is letting go of the situation
Loosen their hold
The singer is losing their grip on the situation
Become undone
The situation becomes chaotic and uncontrollable
It pulls so hard
The attraction or love interest is so strong that it's difficult to resist
I must succumb
The singer feels like they have no choice but to give in
You know what it is
The love interest knows the effect they have on the singer
Round I go, spinning and whirling
The singer is caught in a cycle of attraction and confusion
Round I go, vision is blurring
The singer is losing clarity and focus in the situation
Round I go, falling, falling
Just like the vertigo metaphor, the singer is still falling
Vertigo
Describes the dizziness and confusion associated with the situation and attraction
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Billy Rush
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Tim_the_Enchanter
Boy ... that brings it back.
Were we ever really that young?
@frederickpando9444
Monster song! monster performance!
@stevegillings5563
The best Album they had