Milton "Bags" Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American j… Read Full Bio ↴Milton "Bags" Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999) was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solos as a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet and his penchant for collaborating with several hard bop and post-bop players.

A very expressive player, Jackson differentiated himself from other vibraphonists in his attention to variations on harmonics and rhythm. He was particularly fond of the twelve-bar blues at slow tempos. He preferred to set the vibraphone's oscillator to a low 3.3 revolutions per second (as opposed to Lionel Hampton's speed of 10 revolutions per second) for a more subtle vibrato. On occasion, Jackson would also sing and play piano professionally.

He was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie, who hired him for his sextet in 1946. He quickly acquired experience working with the most important figures in jazz of the era, including John Coltrane, Woody Herman, Howard McGhee, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker. In the Gillespie big band one of his jobs was to play in a quartet with John Lewis, Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke while the horn section took a break from the demanding high-register horn parts. This group became the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ), which had a long independent career of 20 years until disbanding in 1974 over financial problems (though it reformed in 1981). Jackson then toured alone, performing in various small combos.

From the mid-70s to the mid-80s, Jackson recorded for Norman Granz's Pablo Records, including the classic, "Jackson, Johnson, Brown & Company" (1983), featuring Jackson with J.J. Johnson on trombone, Ray Brown on bass, backed by Tom Ranier on piano, guitarist John Collins, and drummer Roy McCurdy.

He also guested on recordings by many leading jazz, blues and soul artists, such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, etc.

His composition "Bags' Groove" ("Bags" was his nickname, from the 'bags' under his eyes from staying up late) is a jazz standard. He has been featured on the NPR radio program Jazz Profiles.

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Milt Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea

[Repeat: x2]
I ought to cross you off my list
But when you come a-knocking at my door

Fate seems to give my heart a twist
And I come running back for more
I should hate you, but I guess I love you
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea

You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
The devil and the deep blue sea

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Milt Jackson’s “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” deals with the internal conflict, and emotional turmoil that comes with a complicated relationship. The singer, who is torn between the love they feel for their partner and the desire to let go of them, finds themselves stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. The devil, in this context, seems to represent the temptation to stay in an unhealthy relationship, while the deep blue sea represents the daunting challenge of starting anew.

The first two lines of the song perfectly capture the singer's dilemma. They do not want to hold on to their partner, but they do not want to lose them either. The chorus sums up the whole song succinctly, reaffirming that they are between the devil (temptation) and the deep blue sea (a daunting challenge). The fact that the singer forgives their partner but still cannot forget them is another indication of the complexity of their relationship.

The song's message is relatable because everyone at some point in their lives has found themselves in an emotionally tricky place. We can all relate to the internal dialogue that the singer has with themselves as they struggle with the decision to stay or leave. The lyrics, therefore, serve as a reminder that sometimes, despite all the turmoil it may cause, the heart will not always let go.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you
I am in a struggle between my feelings towards you. Although I do not want you, I fear losing you.

You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I feel trapped in a difficult situation with no easy way out.

I forgive you, 'cause I can't forget you
Although I cannot forget the hurt you caused me, I choose to forgive you.

I ought to cross you off my list
I should remove you from my life and forget about you.

But when you come a-knocking at my door
Despite my intentions, when you come back into my life, I cannot resist the temptation.

Fate seems to give my heart a twist
It feels like fate is playing tricks on me, creating more confusion and emotional turmoil.

And I come running back for more
Even though I know I shouldn't, I come back to you time and time again.

I should hate you, but I guess I love you
Despite all the pain you've caused me, I cannot help but have feelings of love towards you.

You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea
I am still trapped in this difficult situation with no easy way out.

The devil and the deep blue sea
This phrase represents the two equally difficult choices I am faced with, both of which have potential negative consequences.

Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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