1) Josh White (born Jo… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Josh White.
1) Josh White (born Joshua Daniel White in Greenville, South Carolina, 11 February 1914 or 1915; died Manhasset, New York, 5 September 1969) was an American folk, blues, and gospel singer and guitarist.
White was amongst the first blues performers to attract a large white and middle-class African American following, transcending the typical barriers at the time associating blues with a rural and working-class African American audience, and performed in prestigious night clubs and theatres during the 1930s and 1940s. His best known song at the time was probably "Jelly, Jelly", He recorded in a wide variety of contexts, from recordings in which he was accompanied only by his own guitar playing to others in which he was backed by jazz groups and gospel vocal groups. He was prominently associated with the civil rights movement in the 1940s.
Some of his involvement in political causes in the 1940s resulted in him being blacklisted.Controversially, to escape the blacklist, he testified to the House Un-American Activities Committee regarding Communist influence in the entertainment industry and African-American community. He defended his testimony as a friendly witness to HUAC by claiming that the scope of his testimony was limited, that he did not state anything that was not already known, and that he was sincerely opposed to Communism. However, his testimony affected his posthumous reputation, which has only begun to recover in recent years.
From the mid-1950s until his death, he primarily performed at folk music venues and festivals. He was seen as an influence by Ray Charles, who similarly broke considerable barriers that had hampered blues musicians in the past.
On 26 June 1998, the United States Postal Service issued a 32-cent postage stamp honoring Josh White.
Josh White performed the version of "House of the Rising Sun" that influenced the famous version by The Animals. He also played a version of "In My Time of Dying" (also known as "Jesus Gunna Make Up My Dyin' Bed", which was covered by Led Zeppelin as In My Time of Dying.
Josh White's son, Josh White Jr., is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, educator, and social activist.
2) Josh White (born May 25, 1973) is a Christian musician who has been writing and releasing worship music for the Church for nearly a decade, under various different identities - Telecast, The Followers, & Pilgrim. His solo releases are stripped-down, raw-sounding folk worship music.
Jelly Jelly!
Josh White Lyrics
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Hello baby, I had to call you on the phone
`Cause I feel so lonesome
And daddy wants his baby home
It's a down-right rotten,
Low down dirty shame
It's a down right rotten
The way that you're treatin' poor me
I know I'm not to blame
Jelly jelly jelly
Jelly stays on my mind
Jelly jelly jelly
Jelly stays on my mind
Jelly roll killed my pappy,
And wrung my mama stone blind.
The opening lines of Josh White's song "Jelly Jelly!" immediately convey the sense of loneliness and yearning that the singer feels. He cannot bear his solitude any longer and is compelled to call his lover on the phone. The repeated refrain "daddy wants his baby home" suggests a certain possessiveness that borders on desperation. We are left to wonder what has happened between the two that has caused such a deep sense of unhappiness.
The second verse of "Jelly Jelly!" reveals that the singer has been mistreated by his lover. He uses the phrase "down-right rotten, low-down dirty shame" to describe the situation, suggesting that he has been betrayed or unfairly treated. At the same time, he acknowledges that he is not blameless in the matter. The lyrics are notable for their economy and the way they manage to convey a complex set of feelings in just a few words.
The third verse of the song is where the title comes in. The phrase "Jelly jelly jelly" is repeated three times, with the same melody and rhythm each time. The word "jelly" has a wide range of meanings, from a fruit preserve to a slang term for money. In this case, however, it seems to refer to a woman or a certain part of her anatomy. The line "Jelly roll killed my pappy, and wrung my mama stone blind" is a reference to the blues tradition of using food metaphors to describe sex. "Jelly roll" is a slang term for a woman's genitals, and the line suggests that the singer has been so affected by his lover that it has caused harm to his family.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello baby, I had to call you on the phone
I miss you so much that I had to contact you immediately
Cause I feel so lonesome
Feeling alone and empty without you
And daddy wants his baby home
I want you to come back to me
It's a down-right rotten,
Low down dirty shame
Your treatment towards me is terrible and shameful
The way that you're treatin' poor me
I know I'm not to blame
You mistreat me although I've done nothing wrong
Jelly jelly jelly
Jelly stays on my mind
I can't stop thinking about Jelly Roll Morton's music
Jelly roll killed my pappy,
And wrung my mama stone blind.
Jelly Roll Morton's music had a profound impact on my family, leading to tragic consequences
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EARL HINES, WILLIAM ECKSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind