Mixerr Album Reviews #2,208

Lil Willie Johnson - Leave My Keys is a super rare deep soul album by gospel singer Li'l Willie Johnson that has been lost and forgotten with time. Not too many people know about this album. The album has that 70s soul sound mixed with 2000s deep soul as well. Southern soul and deep soul can’t get any better than this. So now this album is certainly something you would expect to hear from a powerful modern deep soul singer. His sound is similar to Bobby Bland, Lil Ed Williams, Blind Willie Johnson, and Z. Z. Hill. Leave My Keys was his first debut album as a soul singer and solo artist released in the year 2000. This album was issued on cassette and CD-r. Most of these songs are vintage recordings dating back to the 70s and 80s.


The title track Leave My Keys uses several layers of instrumentation with a powerful horn selection, loud drum kit, and rhythmic bass guitars. What stands out about this particular song is the loud powerful horn selection. Basically loudness is what sets the tone for this song of his.

She said she was leaving Lil Willie Johnson. She’s going away real soon. Willie stayed up all night long wondering what she meant be she was leaving him. He tells her, “Go on. Walk out the door. Leave my keys, baby. ” He also tells her, “Leave my keys to the car.”

All this midnight roaming and wondering around has got Willie wondering what’s going on. She said she was leaving him so many times before. But Willie thought she would never leave him this time for good. After he gave her everything after marrying her. He explicitly tells her to go on and leave him be. He explicitly tells her, “Go on. Leave me, baby. Walk out the door. Leave my keys.”


Lil Willie Johnson covers James Brown and The Famous Flames - Try Me with the song Try Me. Here on this particular cover song, Lil Willie Johnson sounds like Lil Ed Williams and Z. Z. Hill when he talks. This song is perfect for a very special night or a break up. Try Me is definitely perfect for the bedroom as things get sexual and sexy here.

Lil Willie Johnson is the “go-to” man when a lady is searching for good love, action, and satisfaction. He wants any to try being with him. He tells any lady, “When the hurt is strong and everything you do is wrong. You need someone to comfort you. Well, listen baby. I'll come first to you. So try me.” He explains why he is the “go-to man” in the lyrics to this song.

If you need satisfaction
Listen baby, I've got the action
Where I am, that's where it's at
So, listen baby, it's tit for tat, so
Try me, try me, try me

When the hurt is strong
And everything you do is wrong
You need someone to comfort you
Well, listen baby, I'll come first to you, so
Try me, try me, try me

Need good lovin'
I'm black, try me coming
Yes I'm black, try me and I'm coming
Try me, try me


Tears on My Pillow is cover song of Little Anthony & The Imperials - Tears On My Pillow. Willie explains in song form that love is not to be played around with. Love is not be fooled around with.

She doesn't remember Willie, but he remembers her well enough. It was not very long ago that the lady Willie loved so much broke his heart in two. There was pain in his heart and tears on his pillow caused by her. He wouldn’t hesitate to start all over again with their relationship. He would gladly take her back and tempt the hand of fate.

Willie explains to his listeners that love is not to be played around with in these lyrics.: “Love is not a gadget, love is not a toy” When you find the one you love, she'll fill your heart with joy.


Lil Willie Johnson does a beautiful job covering Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions - I Need You with his enigmatic deep soul styled singing.

Lil Willie Johnson doesn't want to be happy with somebody else. He knows this. He found a particular lady he knows he would be happy with. No need of fooling himself. Why be concerned if she doesn’t love him? He’d be wasting her time and his as well. But it’s clear that he desperately needs her. He wants her.

He doesn’t need "someone else”. He needs her. I guess he’s just a stubborn fool. Kind of hard headed like a mule. But how does Willie love someone else when he needs her? Well I guess these things just don't matter. “But how do I love someone else when I need you?” is the question he asking himself.

He apologizes as there is no love between them. He can tell from the look in her eyes that she is now with another man. Willie explain how she is with another man with these lyrics here: “And I apologize/There's no kind of love between us/I can see from the looks of your eyes/And now you're with another”


Where You Left Your Drawers is mixture of blues and deep soul. However this song is a blues song for the most part. He want to know what’s wrong with his woman as she has lost her mind. She left her drawers (underwear) in an unusual spot.

Don’t Cry is the chorus driven deep soul song which is backed by a lively xylophone and a marimba. A xylophone and marimba are what give this song a live feeling. The loud powerful energetic chorus is what stands out about Don’t Cry. You can feel the energy coming from the chorus as you listen to this song. This song is perfect for anyone who is going to a breakup in their relationship with a loved one.

I rate this album 5/5*****!!

*Lil Willie Johnson also has his name stylized as Li'l Willie Johnson.
*Li'l Willie Johnson was a gospel singer before he transitioned into being a soul singer.