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.
When the Sun Goes Down
Josh White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Good morning blues, blues how do you do
Babe, I feel alright but I come to worry you
Baby, it's Christmas time and I wanna see Santa Claus
Baby, it's Christmas time and I wanna see Santa Claus
Don't show me my pretty baby, I'll break all of the laws
Santa Claus, Santa Claus, listen to my plea
Santa Claus, Santa Claus, listen to my plea
Don't send me nothing for Christmas but my baby back to
Me
The song "When The Sun Goes Down" by Josh White is a blues classic filled with layers of meaning and emotion. The opening verses "Good morning blues, blues how do you do / Babe, I feel alright but I come to worry you" depict a sense of confusion and melancholy. The singer has the blues and is struggling to cope with complicated emotions. He is pretending to be okay but deep down he is worried and anxious. He is addressing the blues himself as if they were an entity and trying to confront them head-on.
The song then shifts to a Christmas-themed verse. The singer wants to see Santa Claus but does not want to see his "pretty baby" as he fears it will cause him to break the law. The character's motives are not clear, but it can be inferred that he has had a past relationship with this partner and seeing them will make it difficult for him to resist getting involved again. The final verse is a plea to Santa Claus to not send the character any gifts except for his baby back to him. The blues motif continues throughout, and it's clear that the singer is in a troubled spot in his life.
Overall, "When The Sun Goes Down" captures the essence of the blues genre with its melancholic themes, simple rhythmic structure, and powerful storytelling.
Line by Line Meaning
Good morning blues, blues how do you do
Hello sadness, how are you?
Babe, I feel alright but I come to worry you
Although I may seem fine, I am still troubled by my thoughts
Baby, it's Christmas time and I wanna see Santa Claus
It's the holiday season and I desire to meet Santa Claus
Don't show me my pretty baby, I'll break all of the laws
If I am faced with the sight of my beloved, I may act recklessly
Santa Claus, Santa Claus, listen to my plea
Oh Santa Claus, please hear my request
Don't send me nothing for Christmas but my baby back to me
I don't want any gifts for Christmas, just my sweetheart by my side
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COUNT BASIE, EDDIE DURHAM, JAMES RUSHING, JAMES ANDREW RUSHING, WILLIAM COUNT BASIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind