Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Derek Trucks took up the guitar at age 9, and it was quickly apparent that he was a child prodigy. He was playing with a band and touring within two years. His early repertoire was heavily blues-based, obviously inspired by The Allman Brothers Band, of which his uncle, drummer Butch Trucks, is a founding member. Older bluesmen like Howlin' Wolf, jazz musicians Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Charlie Christian and later Wayne Shorter and many others, became an influence for Trucks a few years later. Eastern Music, mainly Indian Classical, also affected Trucks's musical development, primarily his slide guitar playing, which is often compared to that of Duane Allman but is also heavily influenced by sarod players like Ali Akbar Khan. In 2003, he was the youngest guitarist on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All-Time, and has been hailed as one of the greatest slide guitarists since Duane Allman.
Trucks formed his first band at age 12, and played his first gigs with them as "Derek and the Dominators". Later, Atlanta's jazz and blues bassist Todd Smallie joined Trucks in 1994, and became the first member of what is now the current version of The Derek Trucks Band. When Trucks really set about assembling a lasting band, he was by his reckoning about 14 years old. Smallie, on bass, was the first to join him. As a result, Trucks feels that he's "kind of grown up with him." A year later in 1995, drummer Yonrico Scott completed the band's early rhythm section. The band released its self-titled debut album, The Derek Trucks Band, in 1997, and followed with Out of the Madness in 1999. Scott has been playing with Trucks for over 16 years as of 2008. According to Derek Trucks: "We've developed a kind of 'musical ESP'.. it's nice to have somebody that you don't have to look at...he's just right there with you."
Kofi Burbridge joined the band shortly thereafter, contributing to the band's sound as a multi-instrumentalist, with his versatility on keyboards, flute, and vocals. Like his brother, whom Trucks plays with in the Allman Brothers Band, bassist Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge's education was primarily rooted in classical and jazz music. In an interview upon the release of their 2002 album, Joyful Noise, Trucks laughingly commented, "Kofi Burbridge has been with us maybe 2-3 years, and he's one of the few musical geniuses that I've had the chance to work with, he's totally insane"... continuing, "I'm really anxious to see in the next few years to see where he takes this, because he's definitely a huge part of what's going on right now."
In 2002 the band's producers, Craig Street and John Snyder recommended singer Mike Mattison to the band. Mattison performed several shows with the band, and Trucks decided Mattison's soulful voice and calm stage presence completed the band's identity. Trucks said of Mattison, "He's got a huge range, so that helps us out a lot when we stretch into some of the different material we cover. It's like having three different vocalists onstage at times. It's a tough piece of the puzzle to find, you know -- a good singer who fits with what you're doing -- so we were very fortunate to hook up with Mike." Mattison had a previous band as well-- a vocal duo, called Scrapomatic, with Paul Olsen, a guitarist and vocalist, whom he still performs with at occasional gigs, including some opening sets for The Derek Trucks Band. The band's final member, Count M'Butu is the only band member that does not appear on every tour. M'Butu, the group's eldest member, plays a variety of African drums. Trucks mentions casually that he had known M'Butu for many years before he joined the Derek Trucks Band, as M'Butu was a regular musical fixture in Atlanta; one of the bastions of the Allman Brothers fan bases.
Trucks' guitar playing is unusual in a number of respects. He steadfastly avoids processing and effects, preferring to get the purest tone possible by connecting his guitar directly to his amplifier, a 1964 Fender Super Reverb. He modifies his tone with the controls on the guitar. He plays without the use of a plectrum (pick), using his fingers instead, plucking primarily with the thumb, index and middle fingers, but also using the ring finger on occasion. He developed his technique himself. His guitar is always tuned to 'Open E'. From the low to high string, (i.e., EBEG#Be) he slightly detunes his low E string (a technique he and Jimmy Herring developed while playing together). Open E is a normal tuning for slide players, as it allows them to form chords more easily, but over the years he has become a highly acclaimed straight lead player without switching to standard tuning (EADGBe).
In 2001, Trucks married singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi. The couple have two children: Charles Kahlil Trucks (born March 8, 2002), and Sophia Naima Trucks (born August 9, 2004). Charles is named for saxophonist Charlie Parker and guitarist Charlie Christian; his middle name is taken from author Khalil Gibran. The name Sophia has mystic overtones (meaning "Wisdom" in Greek), and the unusual middle name comes from the John Coltrane ballad, which Coltrane named after his first wife, Naima.
In 1999, Derek Trucks joined his uncle, drummer Butch Trucks, as a member of The Allman Brothers Band, while continuing to lead his own band. With the Allman Brothers Band he has performed on 2000's Peakin' at the Beacon, 2003's Hittin' the Note, 2003's live DVD At the Beacon Theatre, and 2004's One Way Out.
As of early 2006, Trucks is an accompanying guitarist in Eric Clapton's 2006-2007 touring band. In early 2006, Trucks lost equipment, as an equipment trailer was stolen. Some of the gear was recovered on May 18, 2006, as reported in the Columbia Records Derek Trucks Forum. Gear that was reported as recovered from a field outside Atlanta, GA includes Derek's "1965 BFSR, the amp he's been playing since he was a young boy; Derek's 1968 SFSR (one of the backup amps),the DTB's Hammond B-3, two Leslies, a Hohner E-7 Clavinet, and a few other minor items."
I'd Rather Be Blind Crippled & Crazy
The Derek Trucks Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Standin' my pride, even though I know I can't win
I'm tired of you messin' up my tide
You got yours, let me, let me have mine
I'd rather be blind, cripple and crazy
Somewhere pushin' up daisies
Than to let you break my heart
To break a man's heart, all you need is pain
You've got me so messed up, 'bout to go insane
You break a man's heart and don't say nothin' to him
I keep askin' myself why you wanna do it?
Why you wanna do it?
I'd rather be blind, cripple and crazy
Somewhere pushin' up daisies
Than to let you break my heart
All over again
Why you wanna do it, baby?
Rather be blind, cripple and crazy
Somewhere pushin' up daisies
Than to let you break my heart
All over again
Why you wanna do it, baby?
I keep askin' myself why you wanna do it?
The lyrics to The Derek Trucks Band's song "I'd Rather Be Blind, Crippled & Crazy" tell a story of a man who has repeatedly been hurt by a woman he loves. The man is tired of the constant back and forth and decides that he would rather be dead than to let the woman break his heart again. The man is proud and refuses to let the woman continue to mess up his life.
The chorus, "I'd rather be blind, cripple and crazy, somewhere pushin' up daisies, than to let you break my heart all over again," emphasizes the extent of the man's pain and his determination to protect himself from any further harm. The line "To break a man's heart, all you need is pain" suggests that the woman has been intentionally causing him pain and he's had enough.
While the song paints a somber picture, it is ultimately an empowering anthem of self-preservation. The man is taking control of his own life and refusing to allow someone else to continue to hurt him.
Line by Line Meaning
Just stepped out, over and over again
I keep trying to walk away from you, but keep coming back for more.
Standin' my pride, even though I know I can't win
I'm standing up for myself, but it's futile because I know you'll never change.
I'm tired of you messin' up my tide
Your behavior is disrupting the flow of my life.
You got yours, let me, let me have mine
You've gotten what you want, now let me have what I want.
I'd rather be blind, cripple and crazy
Somewhere pushin' up daisies
Than to let you break my heart
All over again
I would rather be dead than let you hurt me again.
To break a man's heart, all you need is pain
It only takes your painful actions to break a man's heart.
You've got me so messed up, 'bout to go insane
You have caused such turmoil in my life that I am close to losing my mind.
You break a man's heart and don't say nothin' to him
You hurt me without any explanation or apology.
I keep askin' myself why you wanna do it?
Why you wanna do it?
I am constantly questioning why you would want to hurt me in this way.
Rather be blind, cripple and crazy
Somewhere pushin' up daisies
Than to let you break my heart
All over again
I would rather be dead than let you hurt me again.
Why you wanna do it, baby?
Why do you insist on hurting me like this?
Rather be blind, cripple and crazy
Somewhere pushin' up daisies
Than to let you break my heart
All over again
I would rather be dead than let you hurt me again.
Why you wanna do it, baby?
Why do you insist on hurting me like this?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES EDWARD SR. HODGES, DARRYL CARTER, DON ROBEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JJNITROFAN
Every time I listen to this song I find something new that I love about it. Masterful!
deepend420
Half of these beautiful souls are no longer with us. Thankful to known them, grateful for the hangs, laughs, insights, and music... RIP Kofi, Rico, and The Count.
Harris Patrick Culhane
rip kofi !
QLEWDS
I miss this band so much, Tedeschi trucks just don’t hit the same.
Kofi was such a force.
Tom The Plummer
We all go. Can’t take it with ya, even when ya know it. Teach an pass it on. Questions and answers should be free. 💪🤭🤫
teddypantelas
of course it is. that's what all musicians do, they speak thru their instrument. Derek has so much soul and tells a story every time he plays his guitar. It's beautiful. He's my fav slide player hands down.
thbluespro
Todd is a killer bass player too, the whole band is amazing!
Anthony Parkinson
He looks like he is having soooo much fun. Big smile. Rocking. Waddalife!
deepend420
I like to call him Todd Smiley. One of the sweetest human beings ever as well.
tiemyshoes92
This speaks to me more than any words could.
The music. The sound. It fills me.
Makes me feel complete