Sadly Luther Allison died on August 12 of 1997 of cancer, aged 57. He was born in Arkansas on 17 August 1939, moved to Chicago in his early teens where his blues skills "grew up" in the busy Chicago blues scene of the 'fifties. He made his first recording in 1969. In the early 1980's he settled in France. He will be remembered as one of the great guitarists of his time, not only in the blues field as he didn't limit himself to one style and played jazz, funk, soul when he felt like it.
Here's Luther Allison's page at the All-Music Guide.
This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):
From the CD: "Blue Streak" (1995) Note: many of the songs on this CD (and others that Luther recorded in the States with the backing of James Solberg and his band), are credited to Allison and Solberg. (James Solberg had been playing with Luther since back in '72). There is an interview with James Solberg in Blues Revue for March 1997 where he talks to Connie 'Crash' Humiston about the songwriting process: "[...] Luther blurts out whatever's on the top of his head, so we take whatever is blurted and write out those things to get them through the tracks. We pick out the clever lines to work off of, then we write the songs off of that. "We refer to those lines as 'Lutherisms.' For instance, once or twice, Luther would blurt out, 'All the king's horses, all the king's mules, and I'd use those lines to inspire me to write lyrics [...]" So now we know how this song came about...
ALL THE KING'S HORSES (Allison & Solberg) All the king's horses All the farmer's mules They can't even stop you From givin' me the blues That's wrong Little girl you are wrong You got my mind messed up darlin' You're gonna make me leave our happy home All the truckdrivers you know All the taxidrivers that take you to the town All the men you meet in the streets I'm the only one that didn't let you down That's wrong baby Little girl that's wrong You got my mind messed up darlin' You gonna miss me when I'm gone (guitar break) Don't you know that's wrong One morning you'll come home And I'll be gone Goin' back home Way down in Arkansas You know we got troubles baby But I ain't gonna get in trouble with the law I won't get in this trouble with the law baby (guitar break) I'm in trouble with you baby I guess it's because of what you do Whoah baby I feel I'm in trouble with you Goin' back home Way back down in Arkansas Said I got in trouble with you darlin' But I swear I won't get in trouble with the law (aside: I'm gonna get outa here) (guitar break)
Like All the King's Horses, this is off the CD "Blue Streak".
BIG CITY (Allison & Solberg) Sun sinking deep, fires burning down Hard to see the moon, when the smoke is all around I live in a big city And they tell me we are free I hear babies cryin' There'll be killing in these streets How many heartaches, how many years of pain Just how many funerals, before the streets be safe again I live in a big city And they tell me we are free I hear babies cryin' There'll be killing in these streets (guitar solo) Evening sun going down, police using his billy stick When the blood start to flowin', and it'll be flowin' till the mornin' come again I live in a big city And they tell me that we are free Now I hear these babies cryin' Do you know what that's doin' to me? Lord it's tearin' my heart apart
Like All the King's Horses, this is off the CD "Blue Streak".
WATCHING YOU (Allison) Watching you baby, watching you all the time Watching you baby, just watching you all the time Watching you destroy yourself woman, All you do is sit around drinkin' wine You're worryin' me baby, I'm sittin' here wonderin' what in the world can I do You're worryin' me baby, I'm sittin' here wonderin' what in the world can I do We got so much to live for darling, But I just can't sit here doin' nothin' and watchin' that wine destroy you (guitar solo) I'm takin' you to the doctor darlin', maybe the doctor knows what's goin' on in your head Yeah I'm takin' you to the doctor darlin', maybe he knows what's goin' on in your head You gonna keep on drinkin' that bad wine baby, Even the grass that grows on your grave will be cherry red
Blues Lyrics On Line by 
. Please
read the small print.