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)
Wall of Denial
Stevie Ray Vaughan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whoa it's fallin' so hard, down to the ground
Never knew something so strong could be washed away by tears
But this wall of denial was just built on fear
We've all had our demons from the garden of white lies
Dressed them, amused them pullin' wool over our eyes
Go so far as to love them, to keep from letting them go
No matter what the trouble we carry round inside
We're never safe from the truth but in the truth we can survive
When this wall of denial comes tumblin' down
Down to the ground
Simple things in life bring the greatest pleasure
A smile, a kiss, a little baby's laughter
It makes no difference if we run away in fear
The little things in life, hold us so near
No matter what the trouble we carry round inside
Never safe from the truth but in the truth we can survive
When this wall of denial comes tumblin' down
Yeah this wall of denial must tumble down
Down to the ground
The song Wall of Denial by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble is about the emotional walls that people build around themselves out of fear and denial. These walls are often built to protect ourselves from our own demons, but they ultimately end up causing more harm than good. The lyrics describe how these walls can be washed away by tears, and that even the strongest walls can crumble in the face of truth. The song speaks to the importance of facing our own fears and being honest with ourselves in order to break down these walls and find true happiness.
Throughout the song, the lyrics touch on themes of denial, fear, and the struggle to confront our own demons. The lines "We've all had our demons from the garden of white lies / Dressed them, amused them pullin' wool over our eyes" speak to the idea that we often try to protect ourselves from painful truths by denying them or hiding them from ourselves. The final lines of the song emphasize the importance of appreciating the simple things in life, like love and laughter, as a way to find happiness and move past our own personal walls of denial.
Overall, Wall of Denial is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the struggles that many people face when it comes to facing their own fears and confronting painful truths. It shows that while it may be difficult to break down these walls, it is ultimately necessary in order to find true happiness and live a fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
A wall of denial, is fallin' down
The wall of denial is finally breaking apart
Whoa it's fallin' so hard, down to the ground
The breakdown is happening rapidly and forcefully
Never knew something so strong could be washed away by tears
The emotional impact is unexpectedly powerful
But this wall of denial was just built on fear
The wall was erected as a result of fear
We've all had our demons from the garden of white lies
We all have our own personal struggles with dishonesty
Dressed them, amused them pullin' wool over our eyes
We dress up and try to ignore our problems
Go so far as to love them, to keep from letting them go
We may be so attached to our problems that we refuse to face them
All the while they we're killin' us but we couldn't let it show
Our problems are slowly harming us without us noticing
No matter what the trouble we carry round inside
Whatever we're struggling with, it's always with us
We're never safe from the truth but in the truth we can survive
We can only truly move on if we acknowledge the truth
When this wall of denial comes tumblin' down
When we finally break down our walls and face our issues
Simple things in life bring the greatest pleasure
It's often the simplest things that bring us the most joy
A smile, a kiss, a little baby's laughter
Simple moments like smiles and laughter can mean a lot
It makes no difference if we run away in fear
No matter how scared we are, it won't change the truth
The little things in life, hold us so near
Small joys in life can provide comfort and meaning
Yeah this wall of denial must tumble down
It's important for us to break down our walls and face reality
Down to the ground
Letting go of our fears and problems will bring us relief
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: DOYLE BRAMHALL, STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind