Winger is an American rock band that has combined elements of glam metal an… Read Full Bio ↴Winger is an American rock band that has combined elements of glam metal and progressive metal. Formed in New York City, Winger gained popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's two platinum albums, Winger and In the Heart of the Young, along with charting singles "Seventeen," "Headed for a Heartbreak" and "Miles Away," put them on the top of the charts by the early 1990s. In 1990, the band was nominated for an American Music Award for "Best New Heavy Metal Band." As the music scene changed in the early to mid-1990s due to the popularity of grunge, their success faded after their third release Pull.

Winger disbanded in 1994. In 2001 they reunited and have since conducted several successful tours. In 2006, the band's 1993 touring line-up (minus Paul Taylor but including John Roth) reunited to record the band's first studio album in over 13 years, IV, and toured in support of the album into 2008.

In 2009, the band released their fifth album, Karma. As of 2013, Winger was performing on mini-tours, festivals and private events. Their most recent album, Better Days Comin', came out in 2014.

History:
Main career and break-up (1987–1994).
The debut album, Winger, was released on August 10, 1988 on Atlantic Records. The record was a success, achieving platinum status in the United States, and gold status in Japan and Canada. On February 11, 1989, the album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200, and was in various places on the chart for 63 weeks. Radio and MTV hits from the album included "Madalaine", "Seventeen", "Headed for a Heartbreak" and "Hungry". In 1990, the band was nominated for an American Music Award for "Best New Heavy Metal Band".

Shortly after that tour, Winger released its second album In the Heart of the Young, which went 1-and-1/2 platinum in the U.S. and gold in Japan. Hit radio tracks and MTV videos included "Can't Get Enuff", "Miles Away" and "Easy Come Easy Go".

Winger followed the release of its second album with a 13-month world tour, playing over 230 dates with Kiss, Scorpions, ZZ Top, Extreme and Slaughter. Paul Taylor left the band after the tour, citing exhaustion after years of touring. Their third studio album, Pull, produced by Mike Shipley, was recorded in 1992/1993 as a three-piece band. It was originally to be called Blind Revolution Mad, after the opening song. Reportedly, Kip Winger, anticipating that critics would dismiss the album out of hand, renamed it Pull as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the CD being used by critics as a skeet-shooting target. The album was not as successful as the previous albums sales wise, but gained solid reviews. On the following tour, John Roth was called in to replace Paul Taylor on rhythm guitar. The album coincided with the rise of grunge, which swept aside the brand of melodic pop metal that Winger represented.

In the 1990s, Winger was subject to mockery from MTV's animated series Beavis and Butt-head. Series creator Mike Judge later revealed that he had been incorrectly informed that Kip Winger had asked the network not to make jokes about the band on the series, which led to further jokes about the band, but later learned from Winger himself that he had never made any such stipulation. “Stewart”, an early character from the TV show, wore a Winger t-shirt during the shows original run on MTV during the early 90s.

After disbanding in 1994, bassist/lead vocalist Kip Winger went on to a solo career, guitarist Reb Beach went on to touring projects with artists Dokken, Alice Cooper and has held a permanent guitar spot in Whitesnake since 2002. The band's other members pursued or resumed careers as session musicians.

Reunions (2001–present)
In 2001, it was announced that all original members of the band would return to the studio to record the song "On the Inside" for The Very Best of Winger. In 2002, all five members embarked on a reunion tour of the U.S. and Canada on a bill with Poison. According to Kip Winger, in a 2008 interview with rock and roll comic C.C. Banana, it was important to include all five members because "it was the big, long-awaited reunion so I wanted to include everybody who had ever been in the band." In 2003, it was confirmed that activity had been halted due to Reb Beach's touring commitment with Whitesnake as well as his solo album "Masquerade" and involvement with "super-group" project The Mob with King's X frontman Doug Pinnick and Night Ranger drummer Kelly Keagy.

On July 16, 2005, it was announced that Kip Winger would perform as the lead singer for the Alan Parsons Live Project at the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing, Michigan. In May 2006, it was confirmed that Winger had reformed without one of its original members Paul Taylor, to record another album and tour Europe. The album, IV, was released in Europe in October and the nine-country "Winger IV Tour" ran in the last two weeks of the same month.

On February 25, 2008, the band performed in Providence, Rhode Island, as part of a benefit for survivors of the Station nightclub fire. The concert, along with other artists was debuted on VH1 Classic on March 23, 2008. In late 2009, it was confirmed that Winger would record a fifth album Karma, with a tour to support it. Most recently, John Roth became the guitarist for Giant and would appear on their forthcoming album Promise Land then set for release in February/March of 2010.

Winger released their sixth studio album titled, Better Days Comin' in April 2014, after teasers were published on Kip Winger's website and on the official Winger Facebook page as well.

As of late 2018, Winger was playing club dates. They were scheduled on Dec 29, 2018 in Westland, Michigan.

Style and influences.
The band's musical style combines elements of glam metal and progressive metal. Kip Winger, in description of the band's musical ability and style, said, "Our band was known to musicians, and a lot of musicians showed up to see me play — watching, trying to figure out how I'm playing. We were like the 'hair band' (version of) Dream Theater."

Blue Suede Shoes
Winger Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am the son who believed in the call
Standing beside you I witness it all
Walk hand in hand through cities of clay
Far from the ocean so far from the ocean

You wonder why
Don't you know someone you'd die for?

Put on my blue suede shoes all for you...

I'm not a trophy you hang on your wall
Levy illusion rob Peter pay Paul
I brave the distance I take the fall
Of extreme words unspoken with deeper devotion

Free to decide
Salute the lives laid down before me

Put on my blue suede shoes ah...
Red, white and blue suede shoes all for you...

One look around
Won't you see someone you live for?

Put on my blue suede shoes ah...
Red, white and blue suede shoes all for you...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Winger's song, Blue Suede Shoes, depict a sense of loyalty and devotion, particularly in the context of a father-son relationship. The first verse highlights the son's unwavering belief in his father's call, whereby both parties traverse through the cities made of soil, far from the ocean. The figurative language used to compare the cities to clay emphasizes the vulnerability and fragility of their journey.

The second verse introduces a sense of conflict and doubt, where the persona yearns to have a person they would die for. This poses the question of why that person isn't available in their life. The chorus, "Put on my blue suede shoes all for you," signifies the persona's determination to make an effort in the relationship, no matter how challenging the journey may be.

The third verse highlights the persona's sense of self-worth and agency, where they refuse to be treated as a mere accessory in someone's life. The use of the phrase "Levy illusion rob Peter pay Paul" emphasizes this idea of refusing to be taken advantage of or short-changed in any aspect of life. The fourth verse, "Free to decide Salute the lives laid down before me" showcases the persona's gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices that others have made in their life, which serve as a motivating factor to live the best version of his life. In essence, the song is an emotional roller coaster that stresses the importance of human relationships, vulnerability, and perseverance.

Line by Line Meaning

I am the son who believed in the call
I am a person who has faith in something and follows it like a son follows his father

Standing beside you I witness it all
I am present with you and I see everything that happens

Walk hand in hand through cities of clay
Together, we will move forward and face life's challenges head-on

Far from the ocean so far from the ocean
We are in a place that is very different from what we're used to

You wonder why
You may be confused, or have questions

Don't you know someone you'd die for?
Isn't there someone you care about enough to give your life for?

Put on my blue suede shoes all for you...
I'll do whatever it takes for you, even if it means wearing these special shoes

I'm not a trophy you hang on your wall
I'm not an object to be displayed and admired, but a person with my own identity and feelings

Levy illusion rob Peter pay Paul
Using deception, someone is taking from one person to give to another

I brave the distance I take the fall
I'm willing to go the extra mile and make sacrifices for what I believe in, even if it puts me in danger

Of extreme words unspoken with deeper devotion
My strong feelings and beliefs go beyond what I can express in words

Free to decide
I have the freedom to make my own choices

Salute the lives laid down before me
I honor and respect the people who came before me and sacrificed their lives for a cause

Put on my blue suede shoes ah... Red, white and blue suede shoes all for you...
I'm prepared to wear any kind of shoes, even those with patriotic colors, just for you

One look around
If you take a moment to observe your surroundings

Won't you see someone you live for?
Aren't there people you care about and want to live for?

Put on my blue suede shoes ah... Red, white and blue suede shoes all for you...
Once again, I'm willing to wear any shoes just for your sake

Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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