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.
Then I'll Be Tired of You
Jay McShann Lyrics
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Darling your eyes are asking, "Will the flame burn out?"
Well, no one is sure of sun shine, no one is sure of dawn,
But I am sure my love will live on and on.
I'll be tired of you when stars are tired of gleaming
When I am tired of dreaming, then I'll be tired of you.
This I know is true, when winds are tired of blowing,
When grass is tired of growing, then I'll be tired of you.
Beyond the years,
'Til day is night, 'til wrong is right,
'Til birds refuse to sing,
Beyond the years, the echo of my only love
Will still be whispering, whispering.
And if my throbbing heart should ever start repeating
That it is tired of beating, then I'll be tired of you.
Jay McShann's song "Then I'll Be Tired of You" speaks about a love that is so strong and unbreakable that it transcends time and space. The song opens with the singer addressing their lover, who seems to doubt the intensity and longevity of their love. The lover's eyes ask if the flame that burns between them will fade out. However, the singer reassures them that their love will continue to shine for an eternity, even beyond the years when everything else has lost its luster.
The lyrics of the song convey the depth of feelings that the singer holds towards their lover. They say that they will only become tired of their lover once stars stop shining, and dreams stop coming. The singer is assuring their lover that they will never tire of them, no matter what. The lyrics are full of romantic imagery: "Beyond the years, 'Til day is night, 'til wrong is right," which suggests that the singer's love for their lover will endure through all trials and tribulations.
The song concludes with the singer's heartfelt declaration that even if their heart stops beating, they will never be tired of their lover. The lyrics are a powerful testament to the enduring quality of love and the promise of an unbroken bond between two people. Jay McShann's "Then I'll Be Tired of You" is a beautiful tribute to love that lasts a lifetime and beyond.
Line by Line Meaning
You look at me and wonder, you look at me and doubt,
You seem uncertain if our love will last.
Darling your eyes are asking, "Will the flame burn out?"
You're questioning if our love can remain as passionate as it is now.
Well, no one is sure of sun shine, no one is sure of dawn,
Just as we can't predict the future, we can't predict the fate of our love.
But I am sure my love will live on and on.
Despite the uncertainties of the future, I'm confident that our love will thrive.
I'll be tired of you when stars are tired of gleaming
My love for you will never fade, not even when the stars cease to shine.
When I am tired of dreaming, then I'll be tired of you.
Only if I lose the capacity to dream will I cease to love you.
This I know is true, when winds are tired of blowing,
My love for you is eternal, just as the winds that are never going to run out of breath.
When grass is tired of growing, then I'll be tired of you.
Nothing in this world is more changing than seasons, but my love for you is constant and unchanging.
Beyond the years, 'Til day is night, 'til wrong is right,
Even as time changes everything around us, my love for you will never fade.
Til birds refuse to sing, Beyond the years, the echo of my only love Will still be whispering, whispering.
When even the birds cease to sing, the memory of our love will continue to echo across time and space.
And if my throbbing heart should ever start repeating That it is tired of beating, then I'll be tired of you.
My love for you is as fundamental to my existence as my own beating heart; just as I can't stop my heart from beating, I could never stop loving you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CARLIN AMERICA INC, Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR SCHWARTZ, E. Y. HARBURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind