McShann was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and began working as a professional musician in 1931, performing around Tulsa, Oklahoma and neighboring Arkansas. He moved to Kansas City, Missouri in 1936, and set up his own big band, which featured Charlie Parker (from 1937 to 1942), Bernard Anderson, Ben Webster and Walter Brown. Although its book included both swing and blues numbers, the band played blues on most of its records; its most popular recording was "Confessin' the Blues." The group disbanded when McShann was drafted into the Army in 1944, and he was unable to successfully restart it when he got out.
After the war McShann began to lead small groups featuring blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon. Witherspoon started recording with McShann in 1945, and fronting McShann's band, had a hit in 1949 with "Ain't Nobody's Business." McShann then played in obscurity until 1969, when he became popular as a singer as well as a pianist, often performing with Claude Williams. He continued recording and touring through the 1990s. Well into his 80s McShann still performed occasionally, particularly in the Kansas City area and Toronto Ontario.
Crime-fiction writer Elmore Leonard featured McShann as a character in his 2005 novel, The Hot Kid.
On December 7, 2006, McShann died at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City.
Backwater Blues
Jay McShann Lyrics
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Yes, it rained 5 days and the clouds turned as dark as night,
Lord, the trouble's takin' place, Lord, in the lowland at night.
I got up one mornin', for me I couldn't even get out of my door,
Yes, I got up one mornin', for me I couldn't even get out of my door,
Lord, that was really enough trouble
to make a poor man wonder why and where to go.
And I waited, I stood upon a high, high old lonesome hill,
Lord, I waited, I stood upon a high, high old lonesome hill,
Lord, an' all I could do was look down on the house, baby, where I used to live.
Lord, it thunderin' an' it lightnin', Lord, and the wind begin to blow,
Lord, it thunderin' an' it lightnin', Lord, and the wind begin to blow,
Lord, at that time fourthousand-million people who have no place to go.
The song "Backwater Blues" by Jay McShann (with Duke Robillard and Maria Muldaur) is a blues ballad that describes the devastating impact of a severe flood. The first verse establishes the length and intensity of the rain, describing how it lasted for five days and turned the clouds as dark as night. The singer then laments the troubles taking place in the lowlands at night, referring to the flooding and its aftermath.
In the second verse, the singer describes his personal experience with the flood. He explains that he couldn't even leave his house one morning because of the water level. This kind of disaster is enough to make a poor man wonder why and where to go. The third verse sees the singer standing on a high hill, looking down on the house where he used to live. The flood has forced him to abandon his home and seek refuge elsewhere.
In the final verse, the singer highlights the immense scale of the disaster. Thunder, lightning and wind are all present, making the situation even more dire. The flood has affected millions of people, leaving them with no place to go. The song paints a bleak picture of the impact of natural disasters on people's lives and is a testament to the enduring power of the blues to capture human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
It rained 5 days and the clouds turned as dark as night,
Heavy rain fell for 5 consecutive days and the dark clouds made it appear as night during the day
Yes, it rained 5 days and the clouds turned as dark as night,
Reiterating the fact that it rained for an extended period of time and the clouds were very dark
Lord, the trouble's takin' place, Lord, in the lowland at night.
The issues and problems are happening in the low lying areas during the night
Yes, I got up one mornin', for me I couldn't even get out of my door,
In the morning, the artist could not even leave their house due to the negative effects of the heavy rain
Lord, that was really enough trouble
to make a poor man wonder why and where to go.
The difficulties caused by the rain and flooding were enough to make a poor person question their next steps and why they are in such a situation
Lord, I waited, I stood upon a high, high old lonesome hill,
The singer waited and stood on a high, desolate hill
Lord, an' all I could do was look down on the house, baby, where I used to live.
From the hill, the only thing the singer could do was observe their old house
Lord, it thunderin' an' it lightnin', Lord, and the wind begin to blow,
Thunder, lightning, and strong winds began to occur
Lord, at that time fourthousand-million people who have no place to go.
During this chaotic time, a significant amount of people did not have a place to seek shelter and safety
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lonnie Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind