Scott was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and raised in Detroit, an Italian hillbilly who worshipped Hank Williams, and became a rock and roll star. His first album, entitled Jack Scott. One of the first album recorded in stereo, it contained a mixture of rockabilly and ballads of which 10 were Scott's own compositions.
Recording for Carlton he came up with a rocking song about a friend in prison titled Leroy. The other side of the record was a sad ballad called My True Love.
Both songs were a smash in the Summer of 1958, the first going to #11 and the other as far as number 3 in Billboard's and made the Top Ten in Britain.
He followed it with Geraldine backed by With Your Love, the latter of which was a minor hit, With Your Love made Number 28 in the US later that year, Goodbye Baby peaked at Number 8 early in 1959 and was followed by The Way I Walk, a Top Forty hit that Robert Gordon revived in 1978.
Scott transferred to the new Top Rank label in 1959 and scored another huge success in the New Year with "What In The World's Come Over You." The song gave Scott his second gold disc, reaching Number 5 in the USA and Number 6 in the UK. Further successes followed Burning Bridge" (Number 3), Cool Water"/"It Only Happened Yesterday" but Scott was by then being steered towards a mainstream country style.
Listen and compare his "Blues stay away from me" with Bob Dylan’s, "Rainy Day Woman Numbers 12 and 35".
Save My Soul
Jack Scott Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going to ask to save my soul
Going down the river John
Going to ask to save my soul
Going to get down on my knees
And there I'm gonna freeze
Going down the river
To save my soul
When moses opened up the waters
And he let the people through
Well now, moses opened up the waters
And he let the people through
Was a windy day and bearly drown
When the waters came dummlin' down
Came down to the rive to save my soul
Well, save my soul, save my soul
Save my soul, save my soul
Came down to the river, yaaa
To save my soul
(To save my soul)
Now listen brother Henry
Listen here to me
Forget about your jezabelle
And come, come, come to me
We'll go down to the river
We'll get down on our knees
And ask the Lord to save our souls
Save us if you please
Well, save my soul, save my soul
Save my soul, save my soul
Came down to the river, yaaa
To save my soul
(To save my soul)
Save my soul, save my soul
Save my soul, save my soul...
The song "Save My Soul" by Jack Scott tells the story of someone who is seeking redemption and salvation from God. The repeating refrain of "Going down the river John, going to ask to save my soul" creates a sense of urgency and desperation as the singer seeks to make amends for their past mistakes. The reference to Moses and the parting of the waters is used as a metaphor for the idea that God can provide a path to salvation, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
The second verse introduces the character of Brother Henry, who is urged to come to the river and seek salvation as well. The phrase "forget about your Jezabelle" likely refers to a character from the Bible who was associated with idolatry and sexual immorality, and is often used as a metaphor for temptation and sin. By contrast, the river represents a pure and cleansing force that can wash away these sins and offer a path to redemption.
Overall, the song presents a message of hope and renewal for those seeking to overcome their past mistakes and find salvation. It utilizes powerful imagery and metaphors to create a sense of urgency and importance, emphasizing the gravity of the singer's request to "save my soul."
Line by Line Meaning
Going down the river John
I am traveling along the river to seek redemption.
Going to ask to save my soul
I am going to prayerfully beseech the Lord for salvation.
Going to get down on my knees
I will humbly bow before God in prayer.
And there I'm gonna freeze
I will remain motionless, awed by the presence of God.
Going down the river
I am continuing my journey towards spiritual deliverance.
To save my soul
I am seeking God's intervention to save me from eternal damnation.
When Moses opened up the waters
I remember the miraculous event when Moses parted the Red Sea.
And he let the people through
And how God made way for the Israelites to flee from the Egyptians.
Was a windy day and barely drown
It was a tumultuous day and many could have drowned, but God protected them.
When the waters came dummlin' down
When the sea crashed back down on the Egyptian army.
Came down to the river to save my soul
All of this reminds me of my current situation, and my need to be saved from damnation.
Listen brother Henry
I am addressing my fellow man, who I hope will listen and understand my plight.
Listen here to me
I urge him to pay heed to my message.
Forget about your Jezebel
I implore him to let go of any sinful attachments he may have in his life.
And come, come, come to me
And join me on the path towards spiritual salvation.
We'll go down to the river
Together we will travel along the river to seek redemption.
And ask the Lord to save our souls
Together we will prayerfully beseech the Lord for salvation.
Save us if you please
We humbly request that God have mercy on us and grant us salvation.
Well, save my soul, save my soul
My repeated plea to the Lord for spiritual deliverance.
Came down to the river, yaaa
I journeyed to the river to seek God's mercy.
To save my soul
I am asking God to save me from eternal damnation.
Save my soul, save my soul
My repeated plea to God for spiritual deliverance.
Save my soul, save my soul
My fervent request to God to spare me from eternal condemnation.
Contributed by Elijah S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@enpakeksi765
Amazing! It's like gospel combined with rockabilly!
@MayasRock78s
rock n roll
@davetrent8612
My parents played this 45 when I was 3 years old. From that moment I was hooked on what music can do then realized as I grew up, there are MANY things and ways we can communicate and relate with music. My dad was a bartender as a second job at the NCO Club (he was USAF) in Waco,Texas and he met Duane Eddy. AT closing time Duane offered to come to our home and play for my Mom that was pregnant with me. I was named David Wayne after that performance that night. Music was my love interest since then. Mom would say over & over that I was going to be the next Dick Clark. Then, one evening I was offered a job as a DJ in a disco/dance nightclub. My name was in lights on the marque that said "DJ Dancing Dave". Took a picture. Send it to Mom living in Las Vegas. She called and said, "I told you so". My reply was, "But Mom, Dick Clark is dead now!" I later worked at a Rock & Roll nightclub and even an All-Nude nightclub called, "Wet & Wild". I did radio, public relations for bands, managed a band who together we got them an MCA/RCA record contract. Today I am 67 years old with a massive knowledge of music trivia that most would say it is all useless now. But the memories never go away~! I am working on getting right & closer to God like I was before ALL this happened. The devil knew what I wanted and I had fallen away for years. Then "Save My Soul" popped into my head and here I am thanking You and Blessing You for your channel. New Subscriber Professor.
@the45prof98
Welcome, Dave. Thanks for sharing.
@stopthehatechild
Something special about songs under two minutes. This goes as hard as any Misfits or Ramones song.
@danielburns987
this song only went to #73 on the pop charts in 1959!!!
@jimhilliker2450
Wow. This is good. I like it.
@lordmclovin3694
Baby Billy sent me
@madimi156
Uncle Baby Billy!!!
@PaulLangan
A scorcher!!