Gary Nicholson

Gary Nicholson (Whitey Johnson)

Gary Nicholson may be the only blues songwriter I’ve written about (so far) who has received more writer royalty payments than Willie Dixon.

Nicholson writes in a variety of genres and I will guess that he has made more money from Country music than anything else. He is a Nashville pro with hit songs dating back to 1980’s “Jukebox Argument” recorded by Mickey Gilley and featured in the movie “Urban Cowboy”.  

His long-time relationship with Delbert McClinton (as guitarist, producer and co-writer) has led to over 30 blues-soaked songs including Better Off with the Blues, If You Can’t Lie No Better and You Ain’t Lost Nothin’.  A prolific co-writer, he often gets called in to complete songs that other writers or artists need help with. His songs have been recorded by B. B. King, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and many other established blues performers.

We get a songwriting lesson from Gary Nicholson simply by listening to his songs and, especially, by reading his lyrics. No clichés, solid structure, storylines, everyday conversational language. He has recorded one album of blues tunes as Whitey Johnson; this might be the best place to start studying what Nicholson can teach us about blues songwriting and co-writing.

A number of songs on “Whitey Johnson” are about romance (or lack of romance) and there are several songs that deal with topics outside that framework. Since many songs are co-writes, you don’t know exactly what Nicholson’s contribution was. However, two songs are solo writes and they stand out.

Blues in Black and White is an autobiographical account of how he came to recognize and understand racism as a child. He presents three vignettes about a childhood friend, a fellow band member and Dr. Martin Luther King being victims of racism. “How long, how long, must we struggle on before we… find a way to rise above the blues in black and white?” Devil Goin’ Fishin’ is about temptation: “Devil goin’ fishin’, and he’s got all the good bait…”

Some random gems –

A co-write with Donnie Fritts gives us a little movie posing as a song - Memphis Women and Chicken:

“There's a woman up on the bluff make her living making pies

Got chocolate covered fingers and dark blueberry eyes

Got that light powdered sugar sprinkled all in her hair

Her apple turnover is beyond compare

When it's hot late and sticky and you want something cool and sweet

She keeps the handle crankin’ on that homemade ice cream

Memphis women and good fried chicken, Memphis women and chicken”

From Leap of Faith:

“I had to rise back up on the ashes of love

And jump back into the fire”

Better Off With the Blues:

“Since you been gone I've had time to myself 

Haven't even tried to find somebody else 

When you told me you were leavin' it almost came as good news 

It may sound funny but it's true 

I think I'm better off with the blues” 

One main lesson from Gary Nicholson is summed up by this quote from Michael Laskow’s Taxi interview with Gary Nicholson that underscores the importance of giving the songwriting aspects of our music the attention it needs. “When I got to Gary's studio, it became clear to me why he's "the man." He's one of the top writers in Nashville, yet he's still got books like "Cliches" by Eric Partridge, "The Songwriter's Idea Book" by Sheila Davis, "The New Comprehensive American Rhyming Dictionary" by Sue Young, "Write From The Heart" by John Stewart, a book on American slang, another book called "Metaphorically Speaking", "The Essential Songwriter's Contract Handbook", and a few others on his shelf. Why does a songwriter of Gary's stature need to have these books? Because they're the tools of his craft.”

And from Gary himself: “I think you have to give yourself up to it. I think it's like anything else, if you want to be a songwriter more than anything else, you have to bleed for it—you have to be willing to work at it as hard as anyone would work at any career. You have to get up in the morning, drink your coffee, and then start working at songwriting—all day long. You have to live it. You look for every possible way that you can write songs. If you put that much energy into it, there's no way that you cannot have some kind of results-something's going to happen—if you work at it.”