“Wonderful nonsense like ‘My Gal’ featured free-for-all vocals accompanied by kazoo and washboard, while ‘Borneo’ included some nifty steel guitar work. There are also oddly beautiful songs like ‘Newport News,’ a laid-back bit of blues with mandolin and harmonica, and the danceable ‘My Gal’…. The band's wide arsenal of unusual instruments, humorous material, and professional approach represented a quantum leap for folk music in 1963.”—All Music Guide
Jim Kweskin’s euphoric brand of folk, jazz, and blues was honed on early 78s by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton, Bessie Smith, and Fats Waller. These examples of his band in its prime include “Somebody Stole My Gal,” “Jug Band Music,” “Richland Woman,” “Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me,” “Eight More Miles to Louisville,” “Melancholy Baby,” and “Never Swat a Fly.”
Downtown Blues
Jim Kweskin & The Jug Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, listen mama, the world is done gone away
Hey, listen mama, the world is done gone away
I've got a bad-luck deal, get me troubles every day
SOLO
And I'm goin', I'm goin', pin a black crepe on your door
Tell 'er your man ain't dead, just ain't come to your house no more
And I'm goin' downtown, gon' stay 'round there 'til dark
And I'm goin' downtown, gonna stay 'round there 'til dark
I don't want no trouble, don't want you to drive me on
SOLO, 2 PASSES
Now when you lay down at night, set down early and try to take your rest
Now when you lay down at night, lay down early, try to take your rest
You get a call 'bout four o'clock, wake up and try to do your best
I've got a gal in the country, I've got two that stays in town
I've got a girl in the country, I've got two that stays in town
Reason, I can feel it so careful, 'cause nar' one don't thrown me down
The lyrics of Jim Kweskin's "Downtown Blues" talk about the singer's troubles in life. He starts by addressing his mother and says that the world has gone away, which could mean that he is facing a lot of problems and feels like he is left alone in the world. He then talks about his bad-luck deal that brings him troubles every day. This line suggests that he is the victim of unfortunate circumstances that keep hindering his life. In the following line, the singer tells his woman to put black crepe on her door and let people know that he's not dead, but he's not going to her house anymore. This line suggests that the singer is moving on from his current situation and may be leaving his woman behind.
The singer then decides to go to downtown and stay there until dark. This could mean that he is trying to escape his troubles and wants to have some quiet time by himself. He further adds that he does not want any trouble from anyone and does not want to be pushed around. The singer then advises the listeners to lay down early and take rest because they might receive a call around four o'clock asking for their help. This could be a metaphor for his personal experience, indicating that he has faced a lot of problems and has been the one to receive desperate calls in the middle of the night. Finally, the singer talks about his relationships and mentions that he has a girl in the country and two who stay in town, and he must be careful to not let any of them "throw him down."
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, listen mama, the world is done gone away
The world has become a crazy place and the troubles keep coming.
I've got a bad-luck deal, get me troubles every day
I'm having a tough time with constant bad luck and getting into trouble.
And I'm goin', I'm goin', put black crepe on your door
If you keep causing me problems, I'll symbolically mourn our relationship with a black crepe on your door.
Tell 'er your man ain't dead, just ain't come to your house no more
Let your new man know that I haven't actually died, but I won't be coming around anymore.
And I'm goin' downtown, gon' stay 'round there 'til dark
I'm headed downtown and I'll be around there until it gets dark.
I don't want no trouble, don't want you to drive me on
I'm not looking for any trouble, so please don't push me to it.
Now when you lay down at night, set down early and try to take your rest
If you want to get a good night's sleep, go to bed early and try to take some rest.
You get a call 'bout four o'clock, wake up and try to do your best
But be prepared to wake up around 4am and do your best if you receive a call.
I've got a gal in the country, I've got two that stays in town
I have a lady in the countryside and two in the city, but I'm trying to be careful because none of them really have my back.
Reason, I can feel it so careful, 'cause nar' one don't thrown me down
That's why I'm taking things slow and being cautious, because none of them have proven to be reliable.
Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.