Topic: Memphis Jug Band Lyrics

[Jellyroll]

OK, here's what I have, can anybody fill in the blanks? I can't get those repeated lines after each phrase.

INSANE CRAZY BLUES



Now lookee here...

I just now changed my notion
Gonna dive right into the ocean
???Ain't any use in


Everybody falls inlove
With my little turtle dove
???Ain't any use in


(Chorus):

Why would I go insane
Standin' out inthe rain
Thinkin' 'bout my baby
It don't mean a thing

Everybody knows it well
She's my little mademoiselle
???Ain't any use in


(Intstrumental/scat break)

Now lookee here...
Everybody knows it's love
Me 'n' my little turtle dove
???Ain't any use in


Everybody knows an notion
All 'bout that deep blue ocean
???Ain't any use in


(Chorus):

I'm goin' insane
Still standin' out in the rain
Ten thousand dollars don't mean a thing

Everybody knows as well
She's my little mademoiselle
???Ain't any use in


(Intstrumental/scat break)

Now lookee here...

Everybody falls inlove
With my little turtle dove
???Ain't any use in


Everybody knows as well
She's my little mademoiselle
???Ain't any use in


(Chorus):

I'm goin' insane
Still standin' out inthe rain
Twenty thousand dollars yeah! don't mean a thing

Everybody knows as well
O me and miss mademoiselle
???Ain't any use in

[GhostRider]

WN:

Is there really a song with that title? By whom?

Alex

[Slack]

Assume it is "Insane Crazy Blues" by the Memphis Jug Band...?   Which I found on the Juke.

[Jellyroll]

Yessa, that's it. See my additions above.

[Montgomery]

I'm glad someone asked.  I've never been able to figure out what he's saying in the chorus.  "It ain't  no use takin' on an insane crazy plan?"  I have no idea.

[Johnm]

Hi,
Boy, that is a hard line to hear, but I think you have it, Montgomery.  I listened many times and came up with, "It ain't no use to take it on an insane crazy plan."  I like your "takin' on" better; it makes more sense.  So if the line is, "It ain't no use to takin' on an insane crazy plan.", then the sense of it would seem to be that there is no point in engaging in the extreme behavior associated with infatuation, like jumping in the ocean or standing out in the rain.  The Memphis Jug Band counsels a more restrained response to romantic feelings.  They always were a prudent bunch.
All best,
Johnm

[Jellyroll]

Kudos to Montgomery. I think that's it for sure after listerning closely with that line in mind. Thank you Johnm and Montgomery. So here's what it looks like:

INSANE CRAZY BLUES

Now lookee here...

I just now changed my notion
Gonna dive right into the ocean
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

Everybody falls in love
With my little turtle dove
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

(Chorus):

Why would I go insane
Standin' out inthe rain
Thinkin 'bout my baby
It don't mean a thing

Everybody knows it well
She's my little mademoiselle
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan


(Intstrumental/scat break)

Now lookee here...
Everybody knows it's love
Me 'n' my little turtle dove
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

Everybody knows an notion
All 'bout that deep blue ocean
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

(Chorus):

I'm goin' insane
Still standin' out in the rain
Ten thousand dollars don't mean a thing

Everybody knows as well
She's my little mademoiselle
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

(Instrumental/scat break)

Now lookee here...

Everybody falls in love
With my little turtle dove
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

Everybody knows as well
She's my little mademoiselle
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

(Chorus):

I'm goin' insane
Still standin' out in the rain
Twenty thousand dollars yeah! don't mean a thing

Everybody knows as well
O me and miss mademoiselle
It ain't no use takin' on an insane crazy plan

[waxwing]

I haven't listened to it, but it just occured to me that it could be "Ain't no use stakin'  on an insane crazy plan" meaning to put up money or interest, i.e, gambling, on this plan. The "s" in "use" could slur into the "s" in "stakin'". Does thus make any more or less sense?
All for now.
John C.

[Johnm]

Hi John C.,
I don't think your suggestion would work because there is a word or ellision in between the words "use" and "takin'", so they couldn't share the "s" sound from "use".  I hear "there ain't no use to takin' etc."
All best,
Johnm

[Jellyroll]

A friend and I have been working on these for a while, and here's what we've come up with, though we can't figure out the Jim Canaan reference, if that's correct. Any comments?



Black Woman's Like a Black Snake

Black woman's like a black snake
She will strike you and run
Black woman's like a black snake
She will strike you and run
You raise your hand to hit her
She'll kill you and call it fun
I mean and call it fun

O fish house women
They come from Jim Canaan's
O fish house women
They come from Jim Canaan's
When they get all hoodooed
They try to do the best they can
They do the best they can

 (Instrumental break)

I wouldn't marry a black woman
I'll tell you the reason why
I wouldn't marry a black woman
I'll tell you the reason why
She's so black and evil
She can't look you in your eye
Look you in your eye

O fish house women
They come from Jim Canaan's
O fish house women
They come from Jim Canaan's
When they get all hoodooed
They try to do the best they can
They do the best they can

(Instrumental break)

O fish house women
They come from Jim Canaan's
O fish house women
They come from Jim Canaan's
When they get all hoodooed
They try to do the best they can
They do the best they can

[Rivers]

I don't know the song but the reference to Jim Canaan's is about a notorious barrelhouse in Memphis which set the standard. Robert Wilkins wrote a great song about it, I have the lyrics handy which will tell you more about Jim Canan's:

Old Jim Canan's  Robert Wilkins

(Chorus: I wished I was back at old Jim Canan's,
I'd take my baby back to old Jim Canan's, x 2)

I wished I was back at old Jim Canan's,
I'd stand on the corner and wave my hand.
And if you don't believe that I'm a drinking man,
Then baby stop by here with your beer can.

(Chorus)
(Chorus, then...)

I'm going up town, buy me coke and beer
Coming back and tell you how these women is
They drink beer and whiskey, drink the coke and gin,
When you don't play the dozens they will ease you in.

(Chorus)
(Chorus, then...)

Three men and women running pain and pain (?)
Going to and fro to old Jim Canan's
Drinking beer whiskey, sniffing cocaine
That's been why I wished I was back at old Jim Canan's
I wish I was back at old Jim Canan's.

[Slack]

..Another Memphis Jug Band tune.  Well Now... it looks good to me!

[Jellyroll]

Rivers,
Thanks for that history on Jim Canan; I know that song and was just as puzzled by that reference as the MJB song.

[frankie]

Three men and women running pain and pain (?)

I always heard that as:

The men and women running hand in hand

"hand in hand" gets pronounced like "hain 'n hain"

[Alexei McDonald]

I noticed a while back that an American author, Margaret Skinner, has written a novel set in Memphis before the First World War, called Old Jim Canaan, and about the eponymous gentleman, an Irish-American vice kingpin.   I don't know if it's any good, but it might be interesting to people interested in the Memphis scene.