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'll find my way
The Derek Trucks Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In each man's life,
To find your way,
Or fall behind
Who you are,
Is the path you take,
And I'll find my way ,
Sometimes your tears,
Are your bridge to the sky,
But you can't trust souls,
With no truth in their eyes
Who you are,
Is the path you take,
And I'll find my way,
Through your mistake
Time will heal,
And all we know,
If nothing's learned,
Baby, nothing grows
Time will heal,
And all we know,
Everything stays the same,
Nothing changes,
Nothing changes
A man's not a man,
When he takes the lower road,
Dragging his tail,
To cover his tracks
When you plant the seeds,
Of doubt in my mind,
You know you run the risk,
Of being left behind
When I turn the mirror,
I turn it back on myself,
I can see your way,
Was a cry for help
Time will heal,
And all we know,
If nothing's learned,
Baby, nothing grows
Time will heal,
For all we know,
Everything stays the same,
Nothing changes,
Nothing changes
"I'll find my way" by The Derek Trucks Band is a song about self-discovery and the importance of choosing one's own path in life. The lyrics highlight the idea that who we are is often shaped by the choices we make and the paths we take, and that it is ultimately up to us to find our way in the world. The song touches on themes of trust, healing, and the consequences of our actions.
The opening lines of the song, "There comes a time, In each man's life, To find your way, Or fall behind", sets the tone for the entire song. It suggests that there is a crucial moment in every person's life where they must decide what path they will take, and that if one is not careful, they may end up falling behind or being left behind. The lines, "Who you are, is the path you take, And I'll find my way, Through your mistake" reinforce the idea that our actions have consequences and that we must take responsibility for our decisions.
The song also addresses the idea that sometimes our hardships and struggles can be a catalyst for growth, as seen in the lines "Sometimes your tears, are your bridge to the sky". However, the lyrics also warn against trusting those who do not have truth in their eyes, suggesting that trust must be earned and that not everyone will have our best interests at heart.
Line by Line Meaning
There comes a time,
At some point in life, there is an occasion
In each man's life,
In every man's existence
To find your way,
To discover your direction
Or fall behind
Otherwise you'll be left behind
Who you are,
Your identity defines
Is the path you take,
The course of action you choose
And I'll find my way,
I will locate my route
Through your mistake
Learning from what you did wrong
Sometimes your tears,
At times your weeping
Are your bridge to the sky,
Can be an escape to freedom
But you can't trust souls,
However, do not rely on individuals
With no truth in their eyes
Who lack sincerity and honesty
Time will heal,
The passage of time will recover
And all we know,
The only thing we can appreciate
If nothing's learned,
If no lessons are gained
Baby, nothing grows
Nothing will progress
A man's not a man,
A man does not embody masculinity
When he takes the lower road,
If he chooses the simplest way
Dragging his tail,
Carrying his shame
To cover his tracks
To conceal his misdeeds
When you plant the seeds,
When you sow the seeds,
Of doubt in my mind,
Of confusion into me,
You know you run the risk,
You are aware of the potential
Of being left behind
Of being forgotten
When I turn the mirror,
When I reflect
I turn it back on myself,
I scrutinize myself with it,
I can see your way,
I notice your path,
Was a cry for help
Was a plea for support
Time will heal,
With time, healing ensues
For all we know,
We may assume
Everything stays the same,
Things remain unaltered,
Nothing changes,
No transformation occurs,
Nothing changes
Nothing will evolve
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOYCE, TRUCKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind