Some called it the coming together of two musical giants, others the pairing of an odd couple. Fact is When did Steve Lukather and Edgar Winter, two extraordinary musicians, with more differences than similarities, both with a distinctive style, came together on stage at the North Sea Festival in 2000, They had Already Achieved near-legendary status during the course of Their Own individual careers.
The odd couple dipped into eachother's repertoire, performing Winter's "Fly Away" and "Frankenstein", with breathtaking guitar highlights on some Lukather-penned tracks, exemplified by "Song For Jeff", his tribute to deceased Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro.
Their outrageously fun medley of "Johnny B Goode", "Whole Lotta Shakin 'Goin' On" and "Long Tall Sally" made prosthesis classic rock 'n' roll songs sound as fresh as ever while injecting them with a contemporary dynamic. An evening of real music for real people - not always easy to come by these days.
Before becoming a founding member of "Toto", did giant multi-platinum selling West Coast Rock band ("Hold The Line", "Africa", and "Roseanna"), Steve Lukather started his career as a studio musician. His guitar Contributions can be heard on an abundant number of great albums by notable artists of dissimilar plumage, such as: Michael Jackson, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Boz Scaggs, Chicago, and Ozzie Osbourne, and that's just name dropping half a dozen out of a list of dog reds.
Edgar Winter, a singer and multi-instrumentalist (he plays keyboards, saxophones and various percussion instruments), is the younger brother of Texas blues-rock legend Johnny Winter. After recording with his brother for a spell, Edgar recorded two successful solo albums. His biggest success HOWEVER what with 'The Edgar Winter Group', Which included Rick Derringer and Ronnie Montrose, who me with recorded "They Only Come Out At Night," Which featured his one hit, "Frankenstein". Parallel to Lukather, the younger Winter so often "merged" rock, blues and jazz.
Backed by Phil Soussan on bass, and Gary Ferguson on drums, the odd couple's live performance at the North Sea Jazz Festival was a powerful demonstration of technical prowess and skilful improvisation without falling into the gaping hole of self-indulgence Which many of Their peers Often When embarking ontological disappear into this type of "clash-of-titans" performances. You can hear theywere having fun, enjoying Themselves, and in the process treated to Their audience to unforgettable night of rock & roll.
Tobacco Road
Steve Lukather & Edgar Winter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mama died and my daddy got drunk
Let me hear two dying crows
In the middle of tobacco road
Grew up in a rusty shack
All I owned was hanging on my back
Only lord knows how I loved tobacco road
But it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
But the lord knows how I loved
Tobacco road
Gonna leave, get a job
With the help of the treesome god
Save my money, get rich enough
Bring it back to tobacco road
Bring dynamite and a crane
Blow it up and start all over again
Build a town be proud to show
Give the name tobacco road
'Cause it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
I despise you cause you're filthy
But I love you cause you're home
Bring dynamite and a crane
Blow it up start all over again
Build a town be proud to know
This place called tobacco road
'Cause it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
But the lord knows how I love
Tobacco road
The lyrics to Steve Lukather & Edgar Winter's song Tobacco Road describe the singer's life growing up in a poor and tough environment, surrounded by the tobacco fields that dominate his hometown. The opening verse paints a picture of tragedy and sadness with the singer revealing that his mother died and his father turned to drinking to cope. He then hears the sound of two dying crows, symbolic of death and decay, in the middle of Tobacco Road. Despite this, the singer has a deep love for the place he grew up in.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses a desire to leave and start a new life, but still has a strong connection and affection for his roots. He plans to get a job and save up money in order to improve and rebuild his hometown, even suggesting that they blow it up and start all over again. Ultimately, the song portrays the struggles and contradictions of the singer's life; the hardships he has faced and the love he has for his home, however, there is also a hint of optimism in his resolve to make things better.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in a trunk
I was born in poverty
Mama died and my daddy got drunk
My mother passed away and my father became an alcoholic
Let me hear two dying crows
The place where I grew up was desolate
Grew up in a rusty shack
My childhood home was in disrepair
All I owned was hanging on my back
I had very few possessions
Only lord knows how I loved tobacco road
Despite its hardships, I had a deep connection to my hometown
But it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
Despite its challenges, I have never known any other way of life
Gonna leave, get a job
I plan to leave my hometown and find work
With the help of the treesome god
I will rely on a higher power to guide me
Save my money, get rich enough
I will work hard to save money and become wealthy
Bring it back to tobacco road
I plan to use my wealth to improve my hometown
Bring dynamite and a crane
I will demolish the old buildings and construct new ones
Blow it up and start all over again
I will rebuild my hometown from the ground up
Build a town be proud to show
I want to create a place that people can take pride in
Give the name tobacco road
I want to honor my hometown's history and culture
'Cause it's hard, hard the only life I've ever known
Despite the challenges, I have a deep connection to my hometown
I despise you cause you're filthy
I acknowledge the poverty and lack of resources in my hometown
But I love you cause you're home
Despite its challenges, my hometown is where I feel a sense of belonging
Build a town be proud to know
I want to create a place that people can take pride in
This place called tobacco road
I wish to honor my hometown's heritage by keeping the name
But the lord knows how I love tobacco road
Despite all its difficulties, I have a deep, emotional connection to my hometown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John D. Loudermilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind