'Jake Walk Blues' was one the Allen Brothers' [Austin & Lee Allen] most popular records, but not as popular as their 'New Salty Dog'. It was released on Victor and later on Victor's budget Bluebird label which alone sold more than 20 000 copies.

Partial paralysis afflicted more than 50 000 Americans in 1930 - mostly poor working-class men, farmers and unemployed men - in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, southern Ohio, southeastern Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and, later that year, in southern California. A Jamaica ginger extract medicinal tonic had been available since the Civil War. This beverage was nicknamed 'jake' and was consumed for its high alcoholic content. With Prohibition, only a government-approved extract was legally available – it had such a concentration of the ginger that it was unpalatable as a beverage. However, many illicit brands of the extract became available. These had small amounts of ginger, dissolved in 75% alcohol and mixed with various adulterants and, at 35 cents a 2-ounce bottle, provided more alcohol than 2 pre-Prohibition mixed drinks. John P. Morgan MD, the compiler of the collection of 1930s jake leg songs referred to below, writes:

In February of 1930, Harry Gross of the Hub Products Corporation in Boston adulterated a batch of jake with triorthocresyl phosphate – an ingredient of paint and lacquers. It seemed an ideal ingredient. It was cheap, tasteless and odourles, miscible with ginger and soluble in alcohol. He shipped most of the jake in bulk to rebottlers in larger cities. This single batch of TOCP-contaminated jake paralysed thousands of thirsty Americans. Gross served less than 2 years, charged only with breaking the pure food and drug law. Those poisoned were permanently paralysed and most never walked again without canes, crutches or walkers. They dragged their feet, rocking from one side to the other to swing their weakened legs forward, slapping their shoes to the pavement. This peculiar gait became known as the 'jake walk' and the illness as the 'jake leg'. [From liner notes to 'Jake Leg Blues' Jass J-CD-642]

In the early 1930s, about 13 songs, directly related to the jake walk and the jake leg, were recorded by both black and white musicians. This song by the Allen Brothers was one of the most popular. Thomas C. Tulloss wrote in 1978: 'Some jake leg victims in East Tennessee, who are still alive, clearly remembered the Allen Brothers' song, once owned the record, and could still quote lyrics freely and without prompting' [Old Time Music # 28, Spring 1978, p 20]. The song is far from sympathetic. Tony Russell has summed it up well as 'an uncompromising and blackly humorous piece which more or less says: if you live hard, you get hard breaks'.

Stewie.

JAKE WALK BLUES
(Austin Allen)

I can't eat, I can't talk
Been drinkin' mean jake, Lord, now I can't walk
Ain't got nothin' now to lose
'Cos I'm a jake walkin' papa, with the jake walk blues

Listen here, papa, can't you see
You can't drink jake and get along with me
You're a jake walkin' papa with the jake walk blues
I'm a red hot mama that you can't afford to lose

Listen here, daddy, while I tell you once more
If you're gonna drink jake don't you knock at my door
Listen here, mama, have to call your hand
I'm a jake walkin' papa from a jake walk land

I'm not good lookin' and I'm not low down
I'm a jake walkin' papa just a-hangin' around
Now I made this song and it may not rhyme
But I'm a jake walkin' papa just a-havin' a good time

My daddy was a gambler and a drunkard too
If he was living today, he'd have the jake walk too
When I die, you can have my hand
I'm gonna take a bottle of jake to the Promised Land

[Spoken]:
Now, I'm feelin' kind of drunk, brother
Be a'wearin' jake socks after a while
You know they call them iron socks ['iron socks' = braces]
You know, I bet you don't know one from the other, brother
Which is the other?

Source: Allen Brothers 'Jake Walk Blues' Victor. Recorded 5 May 1930. Reissued on Various Artists 'Jake Leg Blues' Jass J-CD-642. Also reissued on Allen Brothers 'Complete Recorded Works Vol 1' Document DOCD –8033.