St Louis Blues
Artie Shaw Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hate to see that evening sun go down
I hate to see that evening sun go down
Cause my baby, he's gone left this town

Feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
If I'm feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
I'll pack my truck and make my give-a-way
St. Louis woman with her diamond ring
Pulls that man around by her, if it wasn't for her and her
That man I love would have gone nowhere, nowhere

I got the St. Louis blues, blues as I can be
That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me

I love my baby like a school boy loves his pie




Like a Kentucky colonel loves his mint 'n rye
I love my man till the day I die

Overall Meaning

In Artie Shaw's rendition of the classic blues tune, "St. Louis Blues," we hear the mournful voice of a man left behind by his lover. He speaks of his sadness, admitting that he hates seeing the sun go down because it makes him feel lonely and lost without his baby. The singer laments that he is likely to feel the same sorrow tomorrow as he does today, indicating that he is not hopeful that his situation will improve. In fact, he is already making plans to leave town and start over.


The woman who left him is described as a powerful figure in the song. She possesses a diamond ring and can easily control the man who loves her. The singer explains that if it wasn't for her, the man he loves would have gone "nowhere, nowhere," indicating that she is the source of both pain and pleasure in his life. The singer ultimately declares that he has the "St. Louis blues, blues as I can be," and that he will always love his man until the day he dies.


Line by Line Meaning

I hate to see that evening sun go down
It makes me sad to see the sun set, because my lover has abandoned me and left this town.


Feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
If I wake up tomorrow feeling the same as I do today, I'll leave town and start anew.


St. Louis woman with her diamond ring
The woman of St. Louis flaunts her wealth and uses it to control her man.


Pulls that man around by her, if it wasn't for her and her
If it wasn't for that woman and her manipulation tactics, the man I care about wouldn't be going anywhere with any purpose.


I got the St. Louis blues, blues as I can be
I'm feeling down and blue, and the city of St. Louis seems to represent that emotional state for me.


That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea
The man I love seems to have a heart as unchanging as a rock in the ocean, which is why he's gone so far from me.


Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me
The only reason he could have left me so far behind is because he has no heart or feeling for me anymore.


I love my baby like a school boy loves his pie
I love my lover with the pure, innocent love of a child for his favorite treat.


Like a Kentucky colonel loves his mint 'n rye
The love I have for my man is as strong and unyielding as the love a Southern gentleman has for his go-to beverage.


I love my man till the day I die
My love for my man is so strong and genuine that I will love him until the day I pass away.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, HANDY BROTHERS MUSIC CO.,INC., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: William Christopher Handy

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Corrie121

Wonderful !! Thanks for sharing this great Artie Shaw rendition of this W.C. Handy classic.

Lycia Maria

Maravilhoso demais

profitleads

haven't heard this Shaw rendition in a long time. Nobody else was Artie. Many thanks for posting this. What a masterful job.

Charles Burnham

Recorded in the winter of 38/39- in NYC either at the Hotel Lincoln or at the Hotel Pennsylvania. One of my favourite live recordings of the era.

tortolini47

Thank you so much! It's a bliss to hear this song again. I really appreciate this! quite a collection you have got. thanks again!

Charles Burnham

This was recorded in the winter of 1938/39 at either the Cafe Rouge in the Hotel Pennsylvania or at the Blue Room at the Hotel Lincoln. I have this on a double LP of those radio transcription recordings. It's a WONDERFUL addition to any collection of vinyl big band, if you can find it. I'm pretty sure there are copies floating around.

Moldy Oldie

RCA-BMG released the whole double album on CDs in Germany in the 1990s. I've seen it on Amazon.

High Tea

Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful music ,,, bless my ears ,, he is sure something great

Lourivaldo Martins

Bons e velhos tempos!!! quando existiam verdadeiros compositores da musica popular

Marcelo Diniz Nassif

Tem toda a razão. Não havia como enganar o público com muita eletrônica e efeitos.

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