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 Know
The Derek Trucks Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
cold chills run up and down my spine
I wanna know how it feels to be talked to
Till the word drive me stoned out my mind
Well I know how it feels to be lonely
I know how it feels to be blue
And Iâ??ll spend my time lovin' you
I wanna know how it feels to be needed
I wanna know by the end of the night
I wanna know how is feels to have a girl
Who'll love me and treat me just right
Well I know how it feels to be cheated on
I know how it feels to be blue
Come show me how it feels to really be loved
And I'll spend my time lovin' you
Well I know there's pot-o-gold and the end of the rainbow
That was such a long time ago
Come show me how it feels to really be loved
And I won't be blue anymore
Hold on baby Hold on
Love me tighter babe
I wanna know I wanna know
I wanna know how it feels
To be loved
The lyrics of the song 'I Know' by The Derek Trucks Band reveals the yearning of a man to experience true love, affection, and attention from a woman, after having gone through tough times in relationships. The lyrics indicate the desire to feel the warmth, passion, and care that comes with being truly loved by someone. The singer wants to feel the excitement that comes with being kissed and talked to by someone who loves him, and to feel the need to be with someone. The lyrics bring out a longing for a connection that is deeper, more meaningful, and fulfilling than anything the singer has experienced before.
The lyrics also describe the pain of being cheated on, the loneliness that comes with it, and the feeling of being unloved. The singer wants to escape from this pain and find someone who truly loves him. The mention of the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow suggests that the singer has hope that true love exists and that he can find it one day. The final lines of the song indicate the singer's plea to be loved, and the need to feel the warmth and affection that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna know how it feels to be kissed
The singer desires to experience the sensation of being kissed.
Cold chills run up and down my spine
The thought of being kissed causes a physical reaction in the singer's body.
I wanna know how it feels to be talked to
The singer wants to experience the feeling of being engaged in conversation.
Till the word drive me stoned out my mind
The artist desires to be so engrossed in conversation that it alters their state of mind.
Well I know how it feels to be lonely
The artist is familiar with the experience of feeling alone and isolated.
I know how it feels to be blue
The singer is familiar with the experience of feeling sad and depressed.
Come show me how it feels to really be loved
The singer wants to experience being loved in a profound, genuine way.
And I'll spend my time lovin' you
The artist is willing to reciprocate the love they receive.
I wanna know how it feels to be needed
The artist desires to be an essential presence in someone else's life.
I wanna know by the end of the night
The artist wants to experience feeling needed by the conclusion of the day.
I wanna know how it feels to have a girl
The singer desires a romantic relationship with a woman who can provide the experience of feeling needed and loved.
Who'll love me and treat me just right
The artist wants to be loved in a way that satisfies their emotional needs and expectations.
Well I know how it feels to be cheated on
The singer has experienced the emotional pain of infidelity in a romantic relationship.
Come show me how it feels to really be loved
The singer wants to move past the hurt of being cheated on and experience genuine love.
And I'll spend my time lovin' you
The singer is willing to reciprocate the love they receive.
Well I know there's pot-o-gold and the end of the rainbow
The artist recognizes the hopeful symbolism of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.
That was such a long time ago
The artist acknowledges that this symbol of hope may no longer feel relevant or possible.
Come show me how it feels to really be loved
The singer desires to experience genuine love and hopes that it will reignite a sense of hope and possibility.
And I won't be blue anymore
The singer hopes that love will alleviate their feelings of sadness and depression.
Hold on baby Hold on
The artist is urging their partner to hold onto them tightly.
Love me tighter babe
The artist desires a physically affectionate display of love from their partner.
I wanna know I wanna know
The artist is emphasizing their desire to experience love.
I wanna know how it feels
The singer is emphasizing their desire to understand and experience the sensation of being loved.
To be loved
The ultimate desire of the artist is to experience genuine love from a romantic partner.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, THE ADMINISTRATION MP INC, Royalty Network, O/B/O CAPASSO, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dijon Isaiah Mcfarlane, Dwane Weir, Earl Patrick Taylor, Jhene Aiko Chilombo, Sean Michael Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind