Ross played various forms of the blues that have seen him compared to John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson I, and is perhaps best known for the recordings he made for Sun Records in the 1950s, notably "The Boogie Disease" and "Chicago Breakdown". Ross won a Grammy for his 1981 LP Rare Blues, and subsequently enjoyed a resurgence and much critical acclaim towards the end of his career.
In 1951 he began to be heard on Mississippi and Arkansas radio stations, now nicknamed Doctor because of his habit of carrying his harmonicas in a black bag that resembled a doctor's bag, and over the next three years recorded in Memphis, Tennessee for both Chess Records and Sun Records, creating exhilarating harmonica or guitar boogies made disctinctive by his sidemen playing washboard (with a spoon and fork) and broom.
In 1954 he took a job with General Motors in Flint, Michigan, and played less. Some singles, among them his first true one-man band effort, "Industrial Boogie", filtered into blues circles, leading to a Testament Records album and a 1965 AFBF booking. While in London he recorded what would be the first LP on Blue Horizon Records. Europe loved Ross and gave him work and recording opportunities; he was never as popular at home, and in the 1980s his performing profile was barely visible.
He died in 1993, at the age of 67, and was buried in Flint, Michigan.
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Ross
Good Thing Blues
Dr. Isaiah Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never got me anywhere just pissed my time away
Waited for a better life that never came along
Finally had enough and said it's time for moving on
Things got bad and things got worse
But soon we worked it out
And now we can't remember what the fuss was all about
Now and then I think about how many ways I've tried
Jesus was the oldest boy in his family
Picked up with his brother James and left from Galilee
A black man murdered by the state to make him go away
"Why have You forsaken me?" was all that he could say.
Things got bad and Things Got Worse
But soon we worked it out
And now we can't remember what the fuss was all about
Now and then I think about how many ways I've tried
That's when I put on my boots and kick my cross aside.
I don't know how many times it takes to get it right
But every day I move a little closer to the light
Now and then I think about how many ways I've tried
That's when I put on my boots and kick my cross aside.
I know I'm a sinner and
I say that without pride
That's why I put on these boots
And kick my cross aside.
Now and then I think about
How many ways I love tried
That's when I put on my boots
And kick my cross aside.
The lyrics to Dr. Isaiah Ross's song 'Good Thing Blues' describe the struggles and hardships faced by individuals in their quest for a better life. The singer in the song speaks of having been a lonely boy who worked hard every day, yet never seemed to make any headway in life. He lamented about waiting for a better life that never came and finally realized that he needed to move on. However, he acknowledges that his life took a turn for the better when he worked out his problems with whoever he had issues with. He emphasizes that he is no saint and considers himself a sinner who is trying hard every day to move a little closer to the light.
The second verse of the song draws a parallelism between the struggles faced by Jesus and the singer. The lyrics mention Jesus being the oldest boy in his family and how he was murdered by the state to make him go away. The line "Why have You forsaken me?" was all that he could say, highlights his struggle and plight, even as he faced immense pain and suffering with no relief in sight. The song lyrically emphasizes that despite the hardships and adversities faced by the singer or Jesus, perseverance and working towards a resolution can go a long way in resolving conflicts.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I was a lonely boy worked hard every day
I used to be a boy who worked hard every day, but I was lonely and it didn't get me anywhere, it just wasted my time.
Never got me anywhere just pissed my time away
My hard work didn't get me where I wanted to go, I wasted my time for nothing.
Waited for a better life that never came along
I hoped for a better future, but it never came.
Finally had enough and said it's time for moving on
I decided I had had enough and it was time for me to leave.
Things got bad and things got worse
Things became difficult, and then they became even worse.
But soon we worked it out
However, we managed to make things right.
And now we can't remember what the fuss was all about
Now we've made up, we can't even remember what the problem was in the first place.
Jesus was the oldest boy in his family
Jesus was the eldest child in his family.
Picked up with his brother James and left from Galilee
He left Galilee with his brother James.
A black man murdered by the state to make him go away
He was killed by the government to make him disappear.
"Why have You forsaken me?" was all that he could say.
His last words were, "Why have You abandoned me?"
I don't know how many times it takes to get it right
I'm not sure how many attempts it takes to succeed.
But every day I move a little closer to the light
But every day I get closer to the truth and understanding.
I know I'm a sinner and
I'm aware of my sins and wrongdoings.
I say that without pride
I don't say it with pride or arrogance.
That's why I put on these boots
That's why I put on my boots.
And kick my cross aside.
And I forget about the burden of my sins.
Now and then I think about
From time to time, I reflect on
How many ways I love tried
all the ways I've tried to love.
That's when I put on my boots
This is when I put on my boots.
And kick my cross aside.
And I forget about the burden of my sins.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Michael Sirles
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Modernbluesharmonica
Dr. Ross has always been one of my favorites, for two reasons: perfect tone--that wheezing country sound--and his own distinctive bounce-groove. He's an underappreciated player. Thanks much for posting this.
@sagnikpaul1811
Ahhh!!! The legend himself.
@darrellpetersen133
I saw him a bunch of times when I lived in Michigan. He was an old man, but still sounded the same. One time there was a photo exhibit of blues artists before the show, and he was walking around looking at them. I chatted briefly with him about some of the artists. He knew many of them, and had played with them. Including Mance Lipscomb. I said "I bet that sounded good." He said "It sure did."
@mr.rossross9177
my uncle singing that song!!!
@ValleyoftheRogue
What a lucky, lucky person you are to have had such a huge talent for an uncle.
@bobgardinger206
And he's still singing it! I wish I'd met him.
@catonthehowlingmoonrecords9529
That's wonderful! Your Uncle was a genius :)
@stonehand49
Mr.Ross Ross ...Lord I love him!!! Been a fan for years. All things at once!!! Gifted
@ionhunter
You happen to live in Flint?
@hilmarwensorra1215
yep, priceless footage by the ONE & ONLY Doctor Ross (1925 - 1993 R.I.P. Gone but NOT forgotten).