Tesla's music fit well with the blasting sounds of their 80s hair metal and glam rock contemporaries. Yet it was more bluesy and lyrics dealt with other themes than just the usual, girls, alcohol and violence. But what set them even more apart from their contemporaries was their t-shirt and jeans image, a 'street' look reminiscent of the Ramones (and other 70s punk groups) that was in strong contrast of the leather, spandex, and flashy-make type look of the time.
The band's early lifespan as City Kidd brought them considerable frustration, with them failing to break into the musical mainstream while also competing with another band with the same name. Their mutation into Tesla provided a clear shot at success. 'Mechanical Resonance', their debut that the boys released in 1986, became a commercial smash while also receiving significant critical praise. That album was certified platinum by the RIAA on October 5, 1989.
In total, the group has released six studio albums with original music, the latest of them being 2008's 'Forever More'. They have also created a a double-disc covers album, titled 'Real To Reel', as well as a number of compilations and live albums. Their sound has focused on a particularly melodic and accessible kind of hard rock with strong shades of classic heavy metal as well.
Tesla's popular 1990 remake of Signs, originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band (who also inspired the album which the remake came from, Five Man Acoustical Jam), is probably the most mainstream of Tesla's hits. However, many fans remember fondly Tesla's other hits such as Gettin' Better, Modern Day Cowboy, Little Suzi, Edison's Medicine and Love Song.
The band derived their name, certain album and song names (e.g. The Great Radio Controversy, Mechanical Resonance, etc), and some song content from events relating to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer born in the 19th century in Smiljan, Austria-Hungary, modern day Croatia.
Honky Tonk Woman
Tesla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She tried to get me upstairs for a ride
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
But I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
It's just that honky tonk woman
Hey, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's just that honky tonk woman
I laid a divorcee in Detroit City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
And that lady then she covered me with roses
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind
Son it's just that honky tonk woman
I said gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's that honky tonk woman
Oh, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's that honky tonk woman
Oh, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's that honky tonk woman
I said gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
Why don't you just gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
The honky tonk blues?
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
The lyrics to "Honky Tonk Women" by Tesla tell the story of two encounters in different cities. In the first verse, the singer meets a woman in a Memphis bar and she tries to seduce him. Despite being physically carried away from the situation, he can't forget about her. The chorus repeats the phrase "It's just that honky tonk woman" multiple times, emphasizing the impact that this mysterious woman has had on the singer.
In the second verse, the singer describes a fight he had with a divorced woman in Detroit. However, despite the altercation, she ends up showing him kindness by covering him with roses and blowing his nose (and mind). The chorus repeats again, with the singer asking for the "honky tonk blues."
Line by Line Meaning
I met a little barroom queen down in Memphis
I encountered a woman in a bar in Memphis
She tried to get me upstairs for a ride
She propositioned me for sex
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
She had to physically carry me because I was too drunk
But I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
But I can't stop thinking about you, despite trying to drink away my thoughts
It's just that honky tonk woman
It's just that woman from the honky tonk bar
Hey, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
I want the wild and carefree lifestyle that comes with the honky tonk scene
I laid a divorcee in Detroit City
I slept with a divorced woman in Detroit City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
I had to work for her attention/affection
And that lady then she covered me with roses
She showed me love and affection
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind
She did something unexpected that completely amazed me
Son it's just that honky tonk woman
It's just that woman from the honky tonk bar, again
Oh, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
Once again, I desire the free and wild honky tonk lifestyle
Why don't you just gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Why don't you give me some, any, or all of it?
The honky tonk blues?
The carefree and wild lifestyle that comes with the honky tonk scene
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: KEITH RICHARDS, MICK JAGGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher N. Savage
on Getting' Better
A shame that you can't see the original video, but this tune has the passion and power to lift you up and brighten your day!!!!!