Stevie Ray had been in numerous bands before joining blues rock combo Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble in the late 1970's.
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble's debut album was released in 1983. The critically acclaimed Texas Flood (1983) featured the top-20 hit Pride and Joy and sold well in both blues and rock circles.
Stevie Ray Vaughan died August 27th, 1990 when his helicopter crashed into the Alpine Valley ski hill. He was on his way back from playing a guest appearance at an Eric Clapton concert at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin.
Adult life and career
Vaughan's first recording band was called Paul Ray and the Cobras. They played at clubs and bars in Austin during the mid-1970s, and released one single.[2] Vaughan later recorded two other singles under the band name The Cobras.[3] Stevie left the Cobras, leaving Denny Freeman still in his role of original lead guitarist, and formed Triple Threat in late 1975, which included bassist Jackie Newhouse, drummer Chris Layton, vocalist Lou Ann Barton, and sax player Johnny Reno. Barton left the band in 1978 to pursue a solo career, followed by Reno in 1979. The three remaining members started performing under the name Double Trouble, inspired by an Otis Rush song of the same name. Vaughan became the band's lead singer.
Tommy Shannon, the bass player on Johnny Winter's early albums, replaced Newhouse in 1981. A popular Austin act, Vaughan soon attracted the attention of musicians David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Both Browne and Bowie first caught Vaughan at the 1982 Montreux Jazz Festival, where some members of the audience booed the band because they disliked Double Trouble's hard blues sound; the crowd response was quite different when they were subsequently invited to headline "Blues Night" at the festival in 1985.
In November, 1982, Vaughan recorded in Jackson Browne's studio in downtown Los Angeles. The recordings were brought to the attention of A&R man John Hammond and became Double Trouble's critically acclaimed first album, Texas Flood (1983), produced by Hammond; it featured the Top 20 hit "Pride and Joy" and sold 500,000 copies, earning the band a gold record. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award, and its song "Rude Mood" was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental". Vaughan won three categories in Guitar Player's readers poll: "Best New Talent", "Best Blues Album", and "Best Electric Blues Guitarist". He became the second guitarist to win three Guitar Player awards in one year (the first is Jeff Beck). Vaughan won the "Best Electric Blues Guitarist" award every year until 1991.
Also in 1983 Bowie featured Vaughan on his 1983 album Let's Dance.[4] Vaughan was asked to go on tour with Bowie, but declined so he could continue to play with Double Trouble. Reportedly, Vaughan, who was still driving a delivery truck to support himself, was furious when he saw Bowie pantomiming over Vaughan's guitar solo in the video for "Let's Dance".
The band's next album, Couldn't Stand the Weather, was recorded in January 1984. During mid-1984 Vaughan and Double Trouble made numerous TV appearances, performing on Rockpalast, MuchMusic, and Solid Gold.
During the Grammy Awards of 1984, Vaughan and George Thorogood presented Chuck Berry with a lifetime achievement award. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" from Couldn't Stand The Weather was nominated for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance".
The band played Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 4, 1984. The show featured one Double Trouble set, and a second with guests Dr. John on keyboards, George Rains on drums, Jimmie Vaughan on guitar, Roomful of Blues Horns, and singer Angela Strehli. The group rehearsed in September 1984 at the Caravan of Dreams in Fort Worth, Texas.
In November, Vaughan won two W.C. Handy National Blues Awards: "Entertainer of the Year" and "Blues Instrumentalist of the Year". It was the first time a white person won either award. During this time, he also began recording with one of his earliest idols, blues-rock guitar pioneer Lonnie Mack, to produce the album Strike Like Lightning on the Alligator label.
In late January 1985, the band went on a six-night Japanese tour with various interviews and performances. In March, the band started to produce their third album Soul to Soul. Reese Wynans, a former keyboardist with Captain Beyond and Delbert McClinton's band, was added to the band not long after. The album's production lasted for two months. On April 10 Vaughan played "The Star Spangled Banner" for opening day of the National League baseball season at the Houston Astrodome (supposedly he didn't get a good audience response from that crowd; he did, at least, get to meet former New York Yankee great Mickey Mantle afterwards). Soul to Soul was released on September 30, 1985; Vaughan received his fifth Grammy nomination: "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for one of its songs, "Say What!".
In the following months of 1986, Vaughan and Double Trouble went on tour in New Zealand. It was around this time that he met Janna Lapidus, a touring model in New Zealand.
In mid-1986, the band was considering ideas of a new album, particularly a live album. Shows were set up at the Austin Opera House and at the Dallas Starfest. Audiences saw Vaughan struggle through these shows, as some of the original recordings were filled with technical difficulties.
On August 27, 1986, the Vaughan brothers' father, Big Jim, passed away of heart failure. A funeral was arranged two days later. The boys rushed home to comfort their mother, yet had little time to mourn. After the funeral was finished, a jet rushed Vaughan to Montreal, Quebec, where he played the "Labatt Blues Fest" (in Quebec, so named for their flagship beer "Labatt Blue"), known elsewhere as the "Miller Beer Festival" in Jarry Park.
The recordings in both Dallas and Austin, as well as the Montreux Jazz Festival, were edited and later released on Live Alive in November 1986.
Studio Albums:
Texas Flood (1983)
Couldn't Stand the Weather (1984)
Soul to Soul (1985)
In Step (1989)
Family Style (with Brother Jimmie Vaughan as "The Vaughan Brothers", 1990)
The Sky Is Crying (posthumous release) (1991)
Official live audio releases:
In the Beginning (Live, recorded 1980)
In Session (Live, with Albert King, recorded 1983)
Live at Carnegie Hall (Live, recorded 1984)
Live Alive (Live, recorded 1986)
Live At Montreux 1982 & 1985' (Live, recorded 1982 & 1985)
Wolfgang's Vault releases: http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/stevie-ray-vaughan
Compilations:
Greatest Hits (1995)
The Essential Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (1995)
The Real Deal: Greatest Hits Volume 2 (1999)
Blues at Sunrise (2000)
SRV (box set, with early recordings, rarities, hits, and live material) (2000)
Life by the Drop
Stevie Ray Vaughan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not so long ago it was till the end
We played outside in the pourin' rain
On our way up the road we started over again
You're livin' out dreams of you on top
My mind is achin', oh lord it won't stop
That's how it's happened, livin' life by the drop
Up and down that road in our worned-out shoes
Talkin' 'bout good things and singin' the blues
You went your way and I stayed behind
We both knew it was just a matter of time
Livin' out dreams of you on top
My mind is achin' oh lord it won't stop
That's how it happens, life by the drop
No wasted time we're allowed today
Churnin' up the past, there's no easier way
Time been between us, a means to an end
God, it's good to be here walkin' together my friend
Livin' out dreams
My mind's stopped achin'
That's how it happened, livin' life by the drop
That's how it happened, livin' life by the drop
That's how it happened, livin' life by the drop
The song “Life by the Drop” is a poignant reflection on the ups and downs of life, and the enduring bond between two friends who have seen each other through it all. The opening lines of the song set the stage for a conversation between old friends who are reminiscing about their past experiences. The singer is grateful for the time they spent together, even though they went their separate ways.
The song is full of emotion, and the singer is clearly struggling with some difficult memories. They talk about how they used to play outside in the rain, and how they always found a way to start over again no matter what challenges they faced. The lyrics suggest that despite the difficulties, they were able to find joy in life, even if it was just by living “life by the drop”.
Throughout the song, the singer reflects on the passage of time and how it has affected their relationship. They acknowledge that they both had dreams of success, but ultimately, they went their separate ways. However, despite the distance between them, they still cherish the friendship they once shared. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the two friends walking together and enjoying the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello there my old friend
Opening greeting to an old friend
Not so long ago it was till the end
It's been a while since we've seen each other, but it feels like nothing has changed
We played outside in the pourin' rain
Recalling a memory of enjoying the simple things in life
On our way up the road we started over again
Embarking on a new journey together
You're livin' out dreams of you on top
Your life seems successful and fulfilling
My mind is achin' oh lord it won't stop
I'm struggling and feeling overwhelmed
That's how it happened livin' life by the drop
Life can be unpredictable and challenging
Up and down that road in our worn out shoes
We've had our share of struggles and difficulties
Talkin' 'bout good things and singin' the blues
Despite the hardships, we find joy in the good moments and through expressing our emotions
You went your way and I stayed behind
We've taken different paths in life
We both knew it was just a matter or time
We anticipated this separation and knew it was inevitable
No waste of time we're allowed today
We understand the importance of making the most of our time together
Churnin' up the past, there's no easier way
Reflecting on the past at times can be difficult, but it's necessary for growth
Times been between us, a means to an end
The struggles we faced have shaped us into who we are today
God its good to be here walkin' together my friend
Appreciating the present moment and the opportunity to share it with a supportive friend
Livin' our dreams
Realizing our goals and aspirations
My mind stopped achin'
Feeling a sense of inner peace and contentment
That's how it happened livin' life by the drop
The ups and downs of life have led us to where we are today
That's how it happened livin' life by the drop
The unpredictability of life can bring both challenges and rewards
That's how it happened livin' life by the drop
Acknowledging the role of fate and chance in life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Barbara Logan, Doyle Bramhall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tj Anderson
Hello there, my old friend
Not so long ago it was til the end
We played outside in the pouring rain
On our way up the road we started over again
You're living a dream oh you on top
My mind is aching, Lord it won't stop
That's how it happens living life by the drop
Up and down that road in our worn out shoes
Talking about good things and singing the blues
You went your way and I stayed behind
We both knew it was just a matter of time
You're living a dream oh you on top
My mind is aching, Lord it won't stop
That's how it happens living life by the drop
No wasted time, we're alive today
Churning up the past, there's no easier way
Time's been between us, a means to an end
God it's good to be here walking together my friend
We're living our dreams
My mind's stopped aching
That's how it happened living life by the drop
That's how it happened living life by the drop
That's how it happened living life by the drop
R.I.P. to everyone we poor the first drink out for, thank you Stevie
Joseph Kriegel
"The story of Life By The Drop":
From boyhood in Dallas to adulthood in Austin, Doyle Bramhall and Stevie Ray Vaughan were friends, playing in bands and dreaming of the big time. Bramhall was a songwriter as well as a drummer, and he and Vaughan often wrote together; one of their early songs, “Dirty Pool,” made it onto Vaughan’s first album, 1983’s Texas Flood.
Over the next few years, their paths diverged—one man playing stadiums, the other playing bars—yet the two remained close. Eventually Bramhall began writing a song about their friendship..
“Doyle wasn’t jealous,” says Barbara Logan, who was Bramhall’s wife. “He was proud of Stevie. It was a dream they had both had, and now Stevie was living it.” Though the men had their problems with drugs and alcohol, Logan says that’s not what the song was about. “It was about living life day by day, one drop at a time.”
In 1988 Vaughan decided to record the song, which Bramhall had never quite finished. Bramhall told Logan they needed a third verse, and though she’d never written a song before, she composed some lines on the spot about two friends taking a walk together, happy to be alive. Vaughan recorded the song on a twelve-string acoustic; it wasn’t released until a year when his brother put together a posthumous album, The Sky Is Crying.
After a career playing the sturm und drang of electric blues, “Life by the Drop” stood as a pure and simple coda, with Vaughan singing the words written by his faithful friend. “He was very proud of that song,” Logan says of Bramhall, who died in 2011. “It speaks to so many people in so many ways. Songs are like that—that’s something I learned from Doyle. Everybody hears songs in their own way.”
Thanks big time Barbara ❤
Life by the Drop: Written by Doyle Bramhall and Barbara Logan. Published by Dreamworks Music (BMI)/Wilson Creek Music (ASCAP). All rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC.
(Here jamming at "Mama's Pizza" in Fort Worth Texas on December 20th 1987 for Doyle's stepson Chris Hunter, courtesy of Logan Hunter Thompson).
Dwayne Wladyka
What a great song. May Stevie Ray Vaughan rest in peace. Cheers! ✌️
Rosa Pacione
You're right!
Guiyote_74
Thanks for your music, Stevie! 🥺 🇦🇷
Diego Mosconi
Nunca vino a tocar acá no?
Creo que fué a chile
Guiyote_74
@Diego Mosconi no q yo sepa...
Wisconsin Wanderer
I love this song thanks Stevie for giving us such great blues RIP SRV
Charles Taylor
Now how am I gonna get this lump out of my throat. With all my heart I thank you Stevie.
Tj Anderson
Hello there, my old friend
Not so long ago it was til the end
We played outside in the pouring rain
On our way up the road we started over again
You're living a dream oh you on top
My mind is aching, Lord it won't stop
That's how it happens living life by the drop
Up and down that road in our worn out shoes
Talking about good things and singing the blues
You went your way and I stayed behind
We both knew it was just a matter of time
You're living a dream oh you on top
My mind is aching, Lord it won't stop
That's how it happens living life by the drop
No wasted time, we're alive today
Churning up the past, there's no easier way
Time's been between us, a means to an end
God it's good to be here walking together my friend
We're living our dreams
My mind's stopped aching
That's how it happened living life by the drop
That's how it happened living life by the drop
That's how it happened living life by the drop
R.I.P. to everyone we poor the first drink out for, thank you Stevie
Daniel
Amen.
He brought joy to millions of people. He's still giving and we keep benefiting. In some sense, he IS still alive.
Thank You Brother.
Anidiqua Ojala
TY 💞💞💞