In the mid-1960's Trout's instrument of choice switched to electric guitar after hearing an album which was to change his whole appreciation of music. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band featuring Mike Bloomfield cemented Walter's musical ambitions towards the blues genre and the electric guitar. In those vinyl grooves, Walter heard the guitar speaking to his soul, expressing what words could not. Walter Trout promised himself to learn this musical language and dedicate his life to the guitar. For hours, days, weeks, months he was locked in his bedroom practicing until his fingers bled - the obsession unfortunately turning the A-student into a high school dropout. As a shy teenager growing up in a turbulent household, his singular solace became his rapidly developing ability to express his feelings playing the guitar and his vision of becoming a professional musician.
In his late teens and early twenties, Trout played in numerous New Jersey bands, competing at the time for rank with "Steel Mill" featuring a young Bruce Springsteen. In 1973, he packed up his belongings in a VW Beetle and drove cross-country to the west coast, arriving in Los Angeles with only a few changes of clothes, a trumpet, a mandolin and his guitars.
He developed into an ace sideman, befriending and backing California blues artists, often being the only "white boy" in the black neighborhood clubs. His technique accelerated rapidly as he played with Finis Tasby, Pee Wee Crayton, Lowell Fulsom, and Percy Mayfield, among others. The extremely meager pay was compensated by the satisfaction musical expression brought the young musician. Unfortunatley he was also developing the detrimental habits of drug and alcohol abuse shared by many fellow artists. Walter often teamed with Hammond B3 wizard Deacon Jones and the apprenticeship continued in the bands of John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thorton and Joe Tex.
By 1981, Trout's reputation led to the invitation to join venerable blues rock band Canned Heat, where he remained through 1984. In Canned Heat he quickly learned the ways of a touring musician, traveling the US and abroad, further refining his already stunning abilities playing night after night, and confirming his reputation as a top flight lead guitarist. Trout's substance abuse was further enabled in a band with a history of hard-partying.
When the call came to join the legendary John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Trout jumped and found himself sharing the spotlight with fellow guitarist Coco Montoya. Trout and Montoya lifted the band to a new level, as Mayall's Bluesbreakers enjoyed unprecedented album sales and high profile tours in the US and abroad. Walter felt that playing with Mayall was as close to his childhood dream as he could get. At the same time Walter's unhealthy habits reached a fever pitch; the band's rider required a nightly bottle of Jack Daniel's for Trout's consumption. An epiphany came when the band was in East Berlin, doing shows along side of Carlos Santana. After seeing Walter playing in an intoxicated state, Carlos took him aside, and in a heartfelt conversation related that Trout was squandering the gift that God had given him. It was a turning point in Walter's life, as a master musician and idol confided an appreciation of the young man's talent and concerns of his self-destruction.... In fairly short order Walter Trout quit drugs and alcohol.
As Trout became clean, he felt he had more to give than a few blazing solos as a side man with the Bluesbreakers. A Danish record label and touring agency was already interested in his solo potential, after witnessing an inspired performance, when Walter led the Bluesbreakers band while Mayall was out with illness. Walter did much soul searching and decided it was time to go solo. He gathered musicians he knew from Los Angeles and called it The Walter Trout Band. The 1989 break with Mayall quickly segued into immediate extensive touring of Europe, playing large venues and music festivals, and his music was heard on mainstream radio. In the early 1990s Walter had several radio hits in Europe and charted with his unique style of blues rock. Throughout the decade, he continued a non-stop touring pace, releasing 8 recordings, steadily each lifting his profile higher.
His commercial and critical success in Europe kept him so busy outside of the US that his arrival back home found him only resting to go back to the frantic pace his popularity demanded overseas. Like many American blues and roots-music artists, Walter Trout had developed an incredible following in Europe, but came home to little fanfare. This was fine with Trout, as he now had started a family and his down time was a valuable escape from the world of touring and playing.
Amazingly, the self-titled WALTER TROUT, released by Ruf Records in 1998 was his first "official" domestic CD. Shortly after, the band renamed as Walter Trout and The Free Radicals and began an extensive touring pace state side, steadily building a fan base and bringing their high energy, impassioned live performances back home. It did not matter if he was on stage in front of 50,000 people, or performing in a small club for a couple hundred - what mattered to Walter was reaching people's hearts through his artistry and relaying the passion he had for all the musical styles which helped shape his sound.
Since then Ruf Records has released half a dozen CDs in the US and Walter effectively continued his frequent touring, splitting time more evenly between continents. His European fans have stuck with him as he has taken more time to build his fan base in America.
With the release of FULL CIRCLE, Walter Trout demonstrates his passion for music is just as great today as it was when he started his career as a teenager more than 35 years ago. He considers the new album a tribute to the people and the times that have helped shape his musical career, demonstrating how the many styles within the blues genre can co-exist and mutually enhance each other without fight for rank or authenticity. It's always been Trout's dream to break down the barriers between the labels which get attached to musical genres and show WHAT you call music is not important. Ultimately what the music makes one feel is the only thing that matters to Walter Trout.
Child Of Another Day
Walter Trout Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a young boy at war
Till one day he told Uncle Sam
He wasn't fightin' anymore
He did some time in prison
Now he's livin' all alone
Movin' town to town
Just tryin' to find a home
Slowly fade away
He's just a child of another day
I met a pretty dancer
She wore a Jimi Hendrix shirt
Her eyes advertised
All the ways that she'd been hurt
She told me she had three kids
And they were her joy in life
Then she cried when she told me
She used to be somebody's wife
But her children have all grown up
And moved away
She's just a child of another day
Teddy was a veteran
He'd served his country well
He'd seen it all
And he had stories he could tell
But his country had forgotten
And he was living on the street
Wearin' thriftshop fashions
Bummin' food to eat
But as he held out his hand
All the people turned and walked away
'Cause he's a child of another day
Here comes a guy
I've met a million times before
He tells me to slow it down
He says: "Remember, less is more"
He doesn't understand it
It don't sound like it should
It don't fit his preconceptions
So it can't be any good
But I just ignore him
I don't care what he say
'Cause he's a child of another day
But I just ignore him
I don't care what he say
He's just a child of another day.
Walter Trout's "Child of Another Day" is a song that captures the experiences of four different individuals, who have lost their way in life. The first character is a young soldier who has lost himself in Vietnam, and after a while, he decides to give up fighting. Unfortunately, he ends up spending some time in prison and has been living alone ever since, from town to town, trying to find a home. His childhood dreams have slowly faded away, and he's just a child of another day.
The second character, a pretty dancer, wears a Jimi Hendrix shirt that advertises all the ways she's been hurt. She has three kids, who are her source of joy in life, but she cries when she tells the singer that she used to be somebody's wife. All her children have now grown up and moved away, and she's left alone with the memories of her past. She's just a child of another day.
The third character is a veteran named Teddy, who has served his country well, but the country has forgotten about him. He lives on the streets, wearing thrift shop clothes and begging for food. As he holds out his hand, all the people around him turn and walk away, leaving him alone with his memories. He's just a child of another day.
Finally, the singer meets someone who tells him to slow down and that "less is more." This person doesn't seem to understand the singer's perspective and believes that the world works a certain way. However, the singer ignores him, knowing that everyone is just a child of another day.
Overall, "Child of Another Day" is a song that captures the essence of human experiences and the different paths that individuals take in life. The song is a reflection of society's shortcomings and its apparent lack of empathy towards people's struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
He lost himself in Vietnam
He became lost emotionally and mentally while fighting in the Vietnam War
Just a young boy at war
He was still a child when he was sent to fight in a war
Till one day he told Uncle Sam
Until the day he informed the US government that he would no longer fight
He wasn't fightin' anymore
He decided to stop participating in the Vietnam War
He did some time in prison
He was incarcerated for going AWOL or for other offenses committed during the war
Now he's livin' all alone
He lives without a family or close companionship in isolation
Movin' town to town
He frequently relocates to different locations
Just tryin' to find a home
He's searching for a place to belong
He'd seen his childhood dreams
His aspirations from childhood
Slowly fade away
Gradually disappearing as he focuses his attention on adjusting to the hardships of life
He's just a child of another day
He's a person struggling to get by and adapt to life's challenges like countless others
I met a pretty dancer
I encounter a beautiful performer
She wore a Jimi Hendrix shirt
She was wearing clothing with a Jimi Hendrix graphic or image
Her eyes advertised
Her gaze indicated or hinted at her hardships and vulnerability
All the ways that she'd been hurt
All the emotional and physical pain she's endured
She told me she had three kids
She mentioned having three children
And they were her joy in life
Her children brought her happiness and purpose
Then she cried when she told me
She shed tears while recounting her past
She used to be somebody's wife
She was once married to someone
But her children have all grown up
Her kids are now adults
And moved away
They've relocated to other places or started lives of their own
Teddy was a veteran
Teddy is a military veteran
He'd served his country well
He was a commendable soldier who did his best for his country
He'd seen it all
He'd witnessed all sorts of things during his service
And he had stories he could tell
He had many interesting tales to share
But his country had forgotten
His nation has failed to recognize or acknowledge his sacrifice and service
And he was living on the street
He was homeless and reduced to living on the streets
Wearin' thriftshop fashions
He had to buy inexpensive, discarded clothing from charity shops
Bummin' food to eat
He's seeking out charity or other means to get food to survive
But as he held out his hand
When he reached out his hand, asking for help
All the people turned and walked away
People ignored him or refused to offer assistance
'Cause he's a child of another day
He's an individual from a different era than most, who's been left behind by society
Here comes a guy
Another person arrives on the scene
I've met a million times before
This person is someone I've encountered numerous times
He tells me to slow it down
He offers advice to take things at a slower pace
He says: "Remember, less is more"
He advocates for reducing or simplifying things to make them better
He doesn't understand it
He doesn't comprehend my perspective or approach
It don't sound like it should
To him, it doesn't sound like it's supposed to
It don't fit his preconceptions
It contradicts his existing ideas or beliefs
So it can't be any good
He dismisses it as not worthwhile or valuable
But I just ignore him
I disregard his opinions or misgivings
I don't care what he say
I don't value or heed his input
'Cause he's a child of another day
He's a person who doesn't understand or appreciate the changing times or new approaches
He's just a child of another day
He's like many others who are stuck in the past and slow to embrace new concepts
Writer(s): TROUT WALTER C
Contributed by Bella T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.