In the 1950s, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold, Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. He made his solo debut that same year with Federal, a subsidiary of King Records of Cincinnati, backed by Freddie King on guitar.
He then began recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in the mid 1960s. Beginning with his first hit, Come On Sock It to Me in 1967, Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer. His song Different Strokes, also from 1967, featured recently on the Ultimate Breaks and Beats breakbeat compilation.
Like other black songwriters of the period, several of his records at this time explored themes of African-American identity and social problems in songs including Is It Because I'm Black, which reached Number 11 in the R&B charts in 1969.
In 1971, Willie Mitchell brought Johnson to Hi Records, for whom he recorded three albums and a number of singles. Produced in Memphis with the Hi house band, these yielded music of power and enduring value, including the hits We Did It, Back for a Taste of Your Love and Take Me to the River, his biggest success, reaching Number 7 on the R&B charts in 1975. However, at Hi Johnson was always to some extent in Al Green's shadow commercially, if not artistically.
After the Hi years ended, Johnson produced two LPs for his own Shama label, the latter of which (Ms. Fine Brown Frame, 1982) was picked up for distribution by Boardwalk Records and produced Johnson's last hit record, the title cut.
Around the mid-eighies, Johnson started a fast-food fish restaurant business, and became semi-retired from performing, only making occasional appearances at blues club gigs.
In 1992, Johnson found out that his classic song "Different Strokes" have been sampled by number of rappers including Wu-Tang Clan, Hammer, and the Ghetto Boys. Stimulated by this fact, he decided to make a come back in the music business. In 1994, he released the album Back in the Game on Delmark Records. The album featured the the Hi rhythm section and his youngest daughter Syleena Johnson.
Blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson, and bassist Mack Thompson, are his brothers.
Anyone But You
Syl Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that you were going to leave
i would have saved
anyone but you
no not you not you girl
if someone had told me
baby that you were going to cheat on
i would havelaugged i would have said anyone but you
i can get you off of my mind
i found me a place
i in the city
i don't have nothing but time
if someone would have told me
oh that you would have told me lies
i would have laughed i would have said any one but you
if someone would have told me that you would have made me cry
i would have laughed i would have said anyone but you
if someone would have told me
that you would desert me
i would have chose
anyone
but you oh but you babe
In Syl Johnson’s song Anyone But You, the singer expresses regret for choosing his former lover, who he believed was unfaithful and dishonest. The repeated phrase “anyone but you” reinforces his anguish and disappointment in their failed relationship. He reflects on how he would have saved anyone but her, and how he would have laughed at the notion of her cheating or lying, but eventually she did all those things and he is left heartbroken.
The lyrics showcase how trust and fidelity can make or break a relationship, and how one false move can lead to irreparable damage. The singer’s pain is palpable as he admits that he cannot get her off his mind, but he’s found a place in the city where he can be alone and try to heal. He ends by stating that he would have chosen anyone but her had he known that she would desert him, leaving the listener with a sense of finality and closure.
Overall, Johnson’s Anyone But You is a passionate lament on the pain of betrayal in love. It highlights the power dynamics in a relationship, and how it can be difficult to trust someone again once that trust has been broken.
Line by Line Meaning
if someone had told me
The singer starts off wondering what they would have done if someone had warned them about the upcoming situation.
that you were going to leave
If they had been told that the person was going to leave them.
i would have saved
The singer would have done everything possible to maintain a healthy relationship rather than leave.
anyone but you
The artist would have saved anyone else but not the person who left them.
no not you not you girl
The person who left was specifically not welcome to leave, they were valued by the artist.
baby that you were going to cheat on
The singer wonders what they would have done if they had known the person was going to cheat on them.
i would have laughed i would have said anyone but you
The singer would have found it difficult to believe that the person could cheat, and would have saved anyone else if they had known.
now that its all over
The artist highlights that everything is now done and over with.
i can get you off of my mind
The artist can now forget about the relationship and move on.
i found me a place
The artist implies they have found a new and better place without the person who left.
i in the city
The singer moved to a new city.
i don't have nothing but time
The artist has plenty of time to pass and recover after the relationship ended.
oh that you would have told me lies
The singer wonders how they would have responded if they had known ahead of time that the person planned to lie to them.
if someone would have told me that you would have made me cry
The singer highlights the emotional impact the relationship had on them.
i would have laughed i would have said anyone but you
If the singer had been warned that the person would have caused them heartache, they would have saved anyone else but not this specific person.
that you would desert me
The artist wonders what they would have done if they had known the person was going to abandon them.
i would have chose
The artist would have picked someone else to avoid the pain of being left behind.
but you oh but you babe
Again, the person who left was particularly special and this was not a desirable outcome for the singer.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF BARRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind