James Columbus (Jay or Hootie) McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006… Read Full Bio ↴James Columbus (Jay or Hootie) McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American blues and swing pianist, bandleader, and singer.

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.

Lady Be Good
Jay McShann Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Listen to my tale of woe,
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.

I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,

With somebody just like you. So

Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.

Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,

So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Lady Be Good" are about a woman who is lonely and desperately seeking a romantic partner. She is tired of going out every evening all dressed up with no one to go with and feeling blue. She believes that if she could just find a handsome guy like the one she is singing to, she could blossom out and be happy. The woman is asking for the sweet and lovely lady to be good to her and have some pity, as she is lonesome in this big city. The lyrics are a plea for someone to see her and to love her for who she is.

One interesting fact about this song is that it was originally written by George and Ira Gershwin for their musical "Lady Be Good!" in 1924. The song was performed by Fred Astaire and became one of his signature songs. It has since become a jazz standard and has been recorded by many different artists, including Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

Another interesting fact is that this particular version of the song features the legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker, also known as "Bird." Parker was a pioneer in the bebop genre and is widely considered one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

Line by Line Meaning

Listen to my tale of woe,
Please pay attention to how sad my story is

It's terribly sad but true,
Although it is sad, it is also a true story

All dressed up, no place to go
I'm ready to go out, but I have nowhere to go

Each evening I'm awfully blue.
Every night, I feel sad and depressed

I must win some handsome guy
I need to attract a good-looking man

Can't go on like this,
I can't continue living like this

I could blossom out I know,
I have the potential to become a better person

With somebody just like you. So
With someone who is like you

Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Please be kind to me, my dear lady

Oh, lady, be good to me
I am hoping for your kindness and compassion

I am so awfully misunderstood
I feel that nobody understands my situation