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.
Take a Gal Like You
Josh White Lyrics
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Dress you in a dress of red,
Get you a house at the back of town, Baby,
Get you a folding bed, yes, buy you a folding bed
Buy you an great big diamond ring,
Buy you a dress of blue,
Buy you a pair of high heeled shoes, Baby,
Tell me
Where did you get your pretty little dress?
Shoes that you wear so fine?
Well I got my dress from a railroad man, baby
Shoes from a man down the line,
Yessir
Shoes from a man down the line,
Tell me
Who's gonna shoe your pretty little feet?
Who is gonna glove your hand?
Who's gonna kiss your rosy cheek, baby?
Who's gonna be your man?
Tell me
Who's gonna be your man?
Well
Papa's gonna shoe my pretty little feet
Mamma's gonna glove my hand
Sister's gonna kiss my rosy cheek, baby,
And you can be my man,
Yessir
You can be my man
Buy you a great big diamond ring,
Buy you a dress of blue,
Buy you a pair of high heeled shoes, baby
And I'll be true to you,
Yessir
I'll be true to you
The song "Take a Gal Like You" by Josh White tells a story of a man who promises to buy everything that his love interest needs, including a dress of red, a house at the back of town, and a folding bed. He offers to buy her a great big diamond ring, a dress of blue, and a pair of high heeled shoes, and he pledges to be true to her. The lyrics also portray a conversation between the singer and his lover, as she reveals where she got her pretty little dress and shoes from a railroad man and a man down the line, respectively.
The lyrics encapsulate the desire to provide for and satisfy one's partner, a romantic gesture that was prevalent in the era when the song was composed. The singer not only expresses his willingness to provide for his lover but also seeks to know and appreciate her tastes and preferences. The conversation about where she got her dress and shoes from is a playful way to learn more about one's lover and shows affection through attention to detail.
The mention of New Orleans and the use of blues-inspired melodies and guitar riffs reflect the origins of Josh White's music in the early 20th century, when jazz and blues were gaining prominence in the United States. The song was composed in the early 1940s, during a time of economic hardships, war, and social upheavals, which made the promise of love and devotion all the more significant.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a girl like you down to New Orleans,
I want to take you to New Orleans and show you a good time.
Dress you in a dress of red,
I want to dress you up in a red dress.
Get you a house at the back of town, Baby,
I want to get you a house at the back of town.
Get you a folding bed, yes, buy you a folding bed
I want to buy you a folding bed to put in the house we get.
Buy you an great big diamond ring,
I want to buy you a big diamond ring.
Buy you a dress of blue,
I want to buy you a blue dress.
Buy you a pair of high heeled shoes, Baby,
I want to buy you a pair of high heeled shoes.
I'll be true to you, yes, I'll be true to you
I promise to always be faithful to you.
Tell me
Where did you get your pretty little dress?
Shoes that you wear so fine?
I'm curious where you got your dress and shoes.
Well I got my dress from a railroad man, baby
Shoes from a man down the line,
Yessir
Shoes from a man down the line,
I got my dress from a man who works for the railroad and my shoes from a man somewhere else.
Tell me
Who's gonna shoe your pretty little feet?
Who is gonna glove your hand?
Who's gonna kiss your rosy cheek, baby?
Who's gonna be your man?
I'm wondering who will take care of you and be your partner.
Papa's gonna shoe my pretty little feet
Mamma's gonna glove my hand
Sister's gonna kiss my rosy cheek, baby,
And you can be my man,
Yessir
You can be my man
My family will take care of me but I want you to be my partner.
Buy you a great big diamond ring,
Buy you a dress of blue,
Buy you a pair of high heeled shoes, baby
And I'll be true to you,
Yessir
I'll be true to you
I want to buy you nice things and I promise to remain faithful to you.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROARK BRADFORD, JACQUES WOLFE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind