Lyr Req: Jug Band Music (John Sebastian)

Subject: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: mactheturk
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 09:26 AM

Does anyone know the lyrics to "Jug Band Music" by the Lovin' Spoonful?

I think it starts off...

I was down in Savannah
eatin' cream and bananas
when the heat just knocked me out


Please help me out here..

Thanks, Mac

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 10:11 AM

I was down in Savannah eatin' cream and bananas when the heat justmade me faint I'd begun to get crose eyed I thought I was lost I'd begun t osee things as they ain't Then the relatives gathered to see what's the matter the doctor came to see was dyin' But the doctor said give him jugbadn music it seem to make him fell alright!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: GUEST,Banjo Johnny
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 10:17 AM

Wasn't it by Jim Kweskin?

Subject: Lyr Add: JUG BAND MUSIC (John Sebastian)
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 10:18 AM

JUG BAND MUSIC
(John Sebastian)

I was down in Savannah eatin' cream and bananas
when the heat just made me faint
I'd begun to get cross eyed
I thought I was lost I'd
begun to see things as they ain't
Then all the relatives gathered to see what's the matter
the doctor came to see was dyin'
But the doctor said give him jugband music it seem to make him feel alright!

I was told a little tale about a skinny as a rail
eight foot cowboy with a headache
he was hung in the desert swattin' rats
and tryin' a get a drink a water with his knees a gettin mudcaked
and I'll tell you in a sentence how he stumbled in into Memphis Tennessee
hardly crawlin looking dust baked
they gave him a little water, a little bit of wine
he opened up his eyes but they didn;t seem to shine
and the doctor said give 'im jugbadn music
it seem to make him feel just finr

... more comin

Subject: Lyr Add: JUG BAND MUSIC (John Sebastian)
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 10:26 AM

JUG BAND MUSIC (John Sebastian)

so if you ever get sickly, get sis to run quickly
to the dusty closet shelf
and pull out a washboard, and play a guitar chord
and do a little do-it-yourself
call on your neighbors to put down their labors
and come and play the hardware in time
cause the doctor says give 'em jugband music, seems to make 'em feel just fine.

I was floatin in the ocean, greased with suntan lotion
when I got wiped out by a beachboy
he was surfin' when he hit me
but jumped off his board to git me
and he dragged me by the armpits like a child's toy
then was stumbled into land with all the waiters eatin sandwiches
and tried to mooch a towell from the hoi polloi
he emptied out his ear drums
I emptied out mine, and evrybody knows that the very last line
is the doctor says give 'em jugband music, it seems to make him feel just fine!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 10:28 AM

I believe Kweskin and Lovin' Spoonful both recorded it in the late 60's. Gerat tune. I still sing it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: mactheturk
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 11:41 AM

Thanks for the quick response.

By the way... how would you define "Jug Band Music" and who are the main players? I love John Sebastians' music, always have but I know there are others.

It seems to make me feel just fine....

Mac

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 01:08 PM

Traditional Jug Band is built around that tubalike sound from a moonshine jug, often includes a washboard or a gutbucket. It's an informal phenomenon so I doubt you'll ever get a formal definiton.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Tiger
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 01:42 PM

Gus Cannon, Jim Kweskin, Dave Van Ronk come quickly to mind.

Gus was the grand-daddy, I'd say.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: mactheturk
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 03:14 PM

Tiger,

Did Gus call his group the Cannon Jug Stompers?

Ever heard of Washboard Sam?

how about Fritz Richmond?

MP

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Tiger
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 03:53 PM

Fritz Richmond played with Kweskin and does it on his own.

Right on with Cannon's Jug Stompers.

How could I forget Washboard Sam. Half-brother of Big Bill Broonzy.

Don't get me started!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: mactheturk
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 05:26 PM

how about...?

Mel Lyman...Geoffrey Muldaur...Maria D'Amato...Bill Keith ...Bruno Wolfe...Bob Siggins..????

oh well..

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Stewie
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 06:57 PM

Mac, for the examples of the great jugs bands that were the inspiration for Kweskin et alia check out the 2 jug band issues in the Yazoo 2000 series: Various Artists 'Ruckus Juice & Chitlins: The Great Jug Bands Vols 1 and 2' Yazoo 2032 and 2033.

-Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 08:18 PM

HELP HELP who had an album called Jug Band Music, with a song by that title that isn't this one, and also Blues my Naughty Sweetie Give to Me (I've queried that thread too), and Memphis Information get in touch with my Marie? Will post a separate query if these two lines don't catch anything. Thanks, all.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: GUEST,Barry Finn
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 08:23 PM

Jim's still around & playing, at least he makes it to the Boston area every so often, though I don't know what type of music he's doing. Barry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 08:40 PM

Mrrzy - when I forst saw the title to thi shread, thought the song referred to would be a different "jugband music ... it sounds so sweet, ahhhh it can't be beat" - I believe Kweskin recorded it - on a record along with Blues in the Bottle, and others ... this might be the recording you are lookkng for.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 08:47 PM

Kweskin, eh? I'll go ferreting. Thanks~!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 08:57 PM

Jed, you must be right since all the songs I recall from my album are on various ones listed on Amazon, but (surprise) none of them are THE album, so I'll get to go to a real record store! How fun! Thanks again!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Amos
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 09:49 PM

CHO: Because it sounds so sweet -- -unnnnhuh!
It can't be beat! (Nuuhhhhuh!)
That Jug Band Music certainly was a treat to nme!

Way down south, in Memphis, Tenessee
Jug Band Music sounds so good to me, (Cho).

I went to my room, turned on my rahdio,
Jug Band Music made me tap my toe, (Cho)

I took off my socks, took off my shoes
Danced all night to the Jug Band Blues, (Cho)



I think it was actually the Fugs that I learned that from. Or the Holy Modal Rounders.

A.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: mactheturk
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 11:09 PM

an the doctor said,"give em' jug band music, it seems to make em' feel just fine".....

MP

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 11:13 PM

You got it Amos!! Right on.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jul 00 - 12:18 PM

Please see related thread: "Lovin' Spoonful...again"....

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Wesley S
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 10:43 AM

For anyone who enjoys jugband music I would highly recommend the 2 newest John Sebastian CD's called "I Want My Roots" and "Chasing Gus's Ghost". Both are great examples of modern jug band music. Again - check out the Jugband Rag website and John Sebastians website.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 10:52 AM

Thanks! I think my version says Jug Band Music made me stomp on my flo' (instead of Jug Band Music made me tap my toe) - a little more enthusiastic, perhaps, but you definitely got the version I'm recalling, thanks, Amos!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 02:38 PM

Previous Kweskin Thread

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Mrrzy
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 06:23 PM

OK, I am listening to my new CD as I type! turns out to be Kweskin & The Jug Band's ACOUSTIC SWING AND JUG. Wht I great album. The Mudcat just solved a 15-year-old mystery...Now, what was on the flip side of the tape??

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: GUEST,stooball
Date: 02 Aug 00 - 04:41 PM

Additional verse in the Kweskin version:

I was with my gal, I put my hand on her knee If you can't play the jug, she said, you can't play with me...

Or may be it was

She said, if you can't play the jug, boy, you can't play with me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: GUEST,Earl
Date: 04 Aug 00 - 05:28 PM

Time for a link to Jug Band Rag where all questions are answered.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music
From: Genie
Date: 27 Dec 01 - 12:08 PM

I thought John Sebastian or somebody else from their group had written the Spoonful's "Jug Band Music" song, but a song circle buddy tells me the song goes back to the 20's or 30's. Anyone know its source?

Genie

Subject: Lyr Add: JUG BAND QUARTETTE (Memphis Jug Band)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 01:26 PM

From http://home.earthlink.net/~jugband/current/feature2.htm:

JUG BAND MUSIC was recorded by the Memphis Jug Band as JUG BAND QUARTETTE [sic], and the lyrics are a bit different from those with which we are most familiar. They recorded it in Chicago on November 8, 1934, and was the last time the group ever recorded together under that name. Musicians were:
* Will Shade (guitar, vocal)
* Charlie Pierce (violin)
* Jab Jones (jug)
* Charlie Burse (guitar, vocal)
* Robert Burse (drum)

JUG BAND QUARTETTE

You know, way down yonder in Memphis Tennessee.
The jug band music sounds sweet to me.
CHO: Sounds so sweet, it's hard to beat.
Jug band music certainly was a treat to me.

I heard the boys playing the other day.
You know those boys drove my blues away. CHO.

I went hone, turned on my radio.
I danced along until I broke in my floor. CHO.

You know that old lady down there, you know, sitting on a rock.
Had a 40 dollar razor trying to shave their knot. CHO.

I told those people way across that hall.
I'm playing this feast and you know that's all. CHO.

Now run here, doctor, won't you run here quick.
All he wants is trying to have my hammer fixed. CHO.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Jug Band Music (John Sebastian)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 22 May 23 - 06:02 PM

Do we have definitive lyrics to the John Sebastian song?

Subject: ADD: Jug Band Music (John Sebastian)
From: GerryM
Date: 22 May 23 - 09:22 PM

Joe, the lyrics Jed Marum posted way upthread mostly agree with what I hear when I listen to the Spoonful recording, a few typos aside. What I transcribed is this:

JUG BAND MUSIC
(John Sebastian)

I was down in Savannah
Eatin' cream and bananas
When the heat just made me faint
I began to get crosseyed
I thought I was lost
I'd begun to see things as they ain't
As the relatives gathered to see what's the matter
The doctor came to see was I dyin'
But the doctor said give him jug band music,
It seems to make him feel just fine

I was told a little tale about a skinny as a rail
Eight foot cowboy with a headache
He was hung up in the desert swattin' rats
And tryin' ta get a drink of water with his knees a'gettin' mud-caked
And I'll tell you in a sentence how he stumbled into Memphis Tennessee
Hardly crawlin', lookin' dust-baked
We gave 'im little water; a little bit of wine
He opened up his eyes but they didn't seem to shine
And the doctor said give him jug band music
It seems to make him feel just fine

So if you ever get sickly
Get Sis to run quickly to the dusty closet shelf
And pull down a washboard; and play a guitar chord
And do a little do it yourself
Call on your neighbors to put down their labors
And come and play the hardware in time
'Cause the doctor said give him jug band music
It seems to make him feel just fine

I was floatin' in the ocean
Greased with suntan lotion
When I got wiped out by a beach boy
He was surfin' when he hit me but jumped off his board to get me
And he dragged me by the armpit like a child's toy
As we staggered into land with all the waiters eatin' sandwiches
And tried to mooch a towel from the hoi polloi
He emptied out his eardrums; I emptied out mine
And everybody knows that the very last line is
The doctor said give him jug band music
It seems to make him feel just fine
And the doctor said give him jug band music
It seems to make him feel just fine


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvsmNcQcRn0
*****************************************************************

I'm a little worried about the phrase "hardware in time", but if it isn't that then I don't know what it should be. I also worry about "armpit" in the last stanza, and wonder whether it shouldn't be "arm just".

There are all kinds of crazy mishearings on the various internet lyric sites.