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.
Goin To Chicago
Jay McShann Lyrics
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Sorry, I can't take you
Going to Chicago
Sorry, I can't take you
There's nothing in Chicago
That a man like you can do
When you see me coming
When you see me coming
Raise your window high
When you see me going
Baby, hang your head and cry
You're so mean and evil
You do things you shouldn't do
You're so mean and evil
You do things you shouldn't do
And you've got my brand of honey
Guess I'll have to put up with you
I was going to Chicago but
now I'm not sure if I'll make it back alive with you around. These lyrics speak to a situation where the singer and their partner are going through a tumultuous time, and the singer decides to leave for Chicago alone. The partner is depicted as mean and evil, doing things they shouldn't do, and having the singer's brand of honey, which could refer to both their affection and their possession. The singer acknowledges that they'll have to put up with this behavior from their partner, implying a sense of resignation and perhaps even codependency.
The repetition of the phrase "Going to Chicago, sorry I can't take you" highlights the singer's need to escape their current situation and their partner's inability or unwillingness to accompany them. The lines "There's nothing in Chicago that a man like you can do" also speak to a fundamental incompatibility between the singer and their partner, as the latter's character is deemed unsuitable for life in the city. The subsequent lines about raising windows high and hanging heads to cry adds to the sense of finality and regret in the situation, as the partner has lost their chance to reconcile with the singer.
Overall, "Going to Chicago" is a blues song that speaks to themes of heartbreak, betrayal, and the need for escape. The lyrics capture a moment of emotional intensity between two people, where one decides to leave and the other is left to contemplate their actions and feelings. The song has been covered by various artists throughout the years and remains a classic example of the blues genre.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COUNT BASIE, JAMES RUSHING, JAMES ANDREW RUSHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind