James John (Jimmy) Witherspoon, also known by the nickname “Spoon”, was a versatile "blues shouter" who achieved commercial success and critical acclaim in the genres of blues, jazz, and rhythm and blues. His 1947 recording “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” was a hit in 1949 and became his signature song.
His date of birth is usually given as August 8, 1923, but some sources give the birth year as 1920, and more than one source gives the birth date as August 18, 1921, attributing the information to his son. Since he may have run away from home to Los Angeles, California, as early as 1935, the earlier dates seem more plausible. In a 1996 interview, he gave his age as seventy-four, which also corresponds with the 1921 date.
Jimmy Witherspoon was born in Gurdon (Clark County) Arkansas to Leonard Witherspoon, a Missouri Pacific Railroad brakeman, and Eva Tatum Witherspoon, a church pianist. The family was devoutly religious. His parents were members of the choir at their Baptist church.
He didn't pursue music professionally until after his stint in the Merchant Marines in World War II. On his return to the Unites States in 1944, he replaced Walter Brown in Jay McShann's band, and performed with Big Joe Turner and T-Bone Walker.
Witherpoon's first hit record was "Ain't Nobody's Business", which he followed in 1949 with a reworking of the Leroy Carr song "In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down". His hit "Ain't Nobody's Business" was one of the biggest records of the era, and stayed on the Billboard charts for 34 weeks. Spoon made at least 200 recordings, and was one of the few true giants of the post-war blues boom.
Witherspoon recorded for a variety of labels through the 1950s, including cornerstone sides with Swingtime, Federal, Chess, RCA, and even a Dixieland session with The Wilbur de Paris New Orleans Jazz Band for Atlantic in 1956. His long career included performances on jazz stages around the world, from Carnegie Hall to the Newport Jazz Festival, touring Japan with Count Basie, and European tours with Buck Clayton's All Stars. Witherspoon managed to span the worlds of blues, R&B, and jazz with his deep baritone voice and unique style.
Witherspoon died September 18, 1997 in Los Angeles, California.
Spoon first attracted attention singing with Teddy Weatherford's band in Calcutta, India, which made regular radio broadcasts over the U. S. Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II. Witherspoon made his first records with Jay McShann's band in 1945. In 1949, recording under his own name with the McShann band, he had his first hit, "Ain't Nobody's Business,"[2] a song which came to be regarded as his signature tune. In 1950 he had hits with two more songs closely identified with him: "No Rollin' Blues", "Big Fine Girl", as well as "Failing By Degrees" and "New Orleans Woman" recorded with the Gene Gilbeaux Orchestra which included Herman Washington and Don Hill on the Modern Records label. These were recorded from a live performance on May 10, 1949 at a "Just Jazz" concert Pasadena, CA sponsored by Gene Norman. Another classic Witherspoon composition is "Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough".
Witherspoon's style of blues - that of the "blues shouter" - became unfashionable in the mid-1950s, but he returned to popularity with his 1959 album, Jimmy Witherspoon at the Monterey Jazz Festival, which featured Roy Eldridge, Woody Herman, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Earl Hines and Mel Lewis, among others. He later recorded with Gerry Mulligan, Leroy Vinnegar, Richard "Groove" Holmes and T-Bone Walker.
Tours and successes
In 1961 he toured Europe with Buck Clayton and returned to the UK on many occasions, featuring on a mid-sixties live UK recording Spoon Sings and Swings (1966) with tenor sax player Dick Morrissey's quartet. In 1970, he appeared on Brother Jack McDuff's London Blue Note recording To Seek a New Home together with British jazz musicians, including Dick Morrissey, again, and Terry Smith. In the 1970s he also recorded the album Guilty! (later released on CD as Black & White Blues) with Eric Burdon and featuring Ike White & the San Quentin Prison Band. He then toured with a band of his own featuring Robben Ford and Russ Ferrante. A recording from this period, Spoonful, featured 'Spoon accompanied by Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Cornell Dupree, Thad Jones and Bernard Purdie. He continued performing and recording into the 1990s.
Other performers with whom Witherspoon recorded include Jimmy Rowles, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Vernon Alley, Mel Lewis, Teddy Edwards, Gerald Wiggins, John Clayton, Paul Humphrey, Pepper Adams, Kenny Burrell, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jimmy Smith, Long John Baldry, Junior Mance, Ellington bassist Jimmy Woode, Kenny Clarke, Gerry Mulligan, Jim Mullen, Count Basie, Van Morrison, Dutch Swing College Band, Gene Gilbeaux and others.
Acting
In the 1995 film Georgia, Witherspoon portrayed a traveling, gun-collecting blues singer, Trucker, who has a relationship with the troubled character Sadie, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Two Little Girls
Jimmy Witherspoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you can't when I go home
You can mistreat me here
But you can't when I go home
I've got a fine little girl there
Wanna make you leave me alone
I gave you all my money
I gave you all my money
Tell me what more can I do?
You're a fine little girl
But you just won't be true
Well, I know you didn't know me
When you lay down 'cross my bed
You were too intoxicated
To remember what you said
I know you didn't want me
When you lay down 'cross my bed
You were too intoxicated, baby
Can't remember what you said
The lyrics to Jimmy Witherspoon's "Sail On Little Girl" are a commentary on a love affair that has gone sour. The singer is being mistreated by his lover, and while he allows it to happen while he's in her presence, he knows that he won't tolerate it once he returns home. He has a "fine little girl" at home waiting for him who he hopes will make his lover leave him alone. This juxtaposition of his faithful lover and his unfaithful lover speaks to his inner conflict and perhaps sense of duty to the relationship despite the mistreatment.
The second verse moves into a more desperate tone, as he pleads with his lover to stop mistreating him. He's given her all his money but it's not enough to convince her to be true to him. The repetition of "fine little girl" becomes almost sarcastic in this context. He's acknowledging that his lover is beautiful and attractive, but that doesn't justify her behavior.
In the final verse, the singer admits to being seduced by his lover, but not enough to forget her behavior when she was "intoxicated." He knows that their relationship is not healthy and that he needs to set boundaries and expectations for how he is treated.
Overall, the song is a lament on the complexities of relationships, and the pain that can come from loving someone who doesn't treat you well.
Line by Line Meaning
You can mistreat me here
You may cause me trouble while I'm around but...
But you can't when I go home
...you won't be able to make any harm when I'm gone.
I've got a fine little girl there
I have a lovely lady waiting for me at home.
Wanna make you leave me alone
She's waiting for me, and I'm not interested in you anymore.
I gave you all my money
I have given you everything you have asked for..
Tell me what more can I do?
...what else can I do to please you?
You're a fine little girl
I think you're a wonderful lady...
But you just won't be true
...but, unfortunately, you don't seem to be trustworthy.
Well, I know you didn't know me
Maybe you don't remember who I am.
When you lay down 'cross my bed
But, the last night we were together, you were in my bed.
You were too intoxicated
However, you were too drunk to keep your words in mind.
To remember what you said
So you don't even know what you told me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Amos Easton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind