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.
Evenin'
Jay McShann Lyrics
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And you always remind me that my baby's gone
Evening, you got me deeply in your power
Every minute seems just like an hour, now that my baby's gone
Shadows fall upon the wall, that's the time I miss your kiss most of all
Even though I try, how can I go on
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my baby's gone
Shadows fall upon the wall, that's the time I miss your kiss most of all
Even though I try, how can I go on
Evening, let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my man is gone
The song "Evenin'" by Jay McShann is a poignant reflection of heartbreak and loneliness. The lyrics are a lament about the singer's lover having left them, and the constant reminder of that loss every evening when the night falls. The repetition of the phrase "since my baby's gone" emphasizes the depth of sorrow and despair felt by the singer. The evening is personified as a powerful force tugging at the singer's emotions and making each minute feel like an hour.
The imagery of shadows falling on the wall further emphasizes the atmosphere of loneliness and isolation that the singer feels. The simple but effective lyric "that's the time I miss your kiss most of all" is a powerful way of conveying the yearning for physical contact that is typical of someone experiencing heartbreak. Despite the singer's attempts to move on, they feel trapped, unable to move past the pain of their loss.
The final lines of the song, "Let me sleep till glow of dawn is breaking/I don't care if I don't awaken, since my man is gone" highlight the singer's resignation to their situation. They have accepted that their happiness is tied to their lover's presence, and without them, life is not worth living.
Line by Line Meaning
Evening, every night you come and you find me
The singer addresses the evening and acknowledges that it always finds him. He emphasizes that he is alone and his baby is no longer with him.
And you always remind me that my baby's gone
The evening serves as a reminder every time that the singer's baby is no longer with him.
Evening, you got me deeply in your power
The singer is expressing that the evening enables him to feel his loneliness even more profoundly.
Every minute seems just like an hour, now that my baby's gone
The singer is saying that since his baby left him, time feels much slower and more painful.
Shadows fall upon the wall, that's the time I miss your kiss most of all
As the evening sets in, the singer recalls the moments with his baby and thinks about his kiss, which he misses the most.
Even though I try, how can I go on
Despite the singer's efforts to move on, he still finds it challenging to face the reality of his situation.
Oh evening, let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'
The singer is requesting the evening to let him rest until the morning light shines, signifying a new day.
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my baby's gone
The singer expresses his despair, saying that he doesn't care if he doesn't wake up because his baby is no longer with him.
Evening, let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'
The singer repeats his request to the evening to let him rest until a new day begins.
I don't care if I don't awaken, since my man is gone
The singer modifies the original text to relate personally to his situation, highlighting that his man is gone and he is not concerned if he wakes up.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles N. Daniels, Richard Whiting
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind