Dorset and Colin Earl had previously been members of The Good Earth. Soon after recruiting Paul King and Mike Cole, they made their national debut at the Hollywood Festival at Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire in May 1970, the week their first single, "In the Summertime" was released. They stole the show and the record topped the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks, made number one in almost every other country around the world, and to date has sold around 23 million copies. After John Godfrey replaced Cole, their second single "Baby Jump" also topped the UK chart in March 1971. A third hit, "Lady Rose" (also in 1971), gave the group the image as a band for producing summertime based hits.
In time Dorset found the group's good-time blues and jug band repertoire a little restricting, and in 1972 he released a solo album Cold Blue Excursion, with his songs backed by strings and brass and, in one instance, a jazz band. His intention to broaden the group's appeal by recruiting a drummer led to King and Earl trying to sack him, but the management, regarding Dorset as inseparable in the public eye from Mungo Jerry, fired them both instead. Dorset and Godfrey, the bassist, recruited new members and presented a new sound, heard on the fourth album Boot Power. King and Earl went on to form the King Earl Boogie Band.
Mungo Jerry's hits continued through to 1976 with "Open Up" (Top Twenty in Europe and number one in Brazil); "Alright Alright Alright" (a rewrite of an old French hit for Jacques Dutronc, and again a major hit worldwide reaching the Top 3 in the UK); "Wild Love"; "Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black"; "Hello Nadine" (European hit and Top Five in Canada); and "It's a Secret" (European hit).
In 1975 Earl, who had played piano with Foghat in between, returned to play keyboards, and percussion player Joe Rush, part-time member of the band in earlier days, also came back for a while.
The group's line-up has changed constantly over the years. Among those who have played with them are bassist Bob Daisley, drummers Dave Bidwell, Paul Hancox and Boris Williams, guitarist Dick Middleton and keyboard/accordion player Steve Jones. They have remained particularly popular throughout Europe. Mungo Jerry was the first western band who had live TV gigs, in all countries behind the Iron Curtain. Their famous "Golden Orpheus" gig in Bulgaria, also gave them a lot of new fans.
In 1980 another Dorset song, "Feels Like I'm in Love", originally written for Elvis Presley, and recorded by the band as a B side of a single, became a British number one hit for Kelly Marie. They remained successful with overseas hits like "On A Night Like This", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Sunshine Reggae" (British version by Mungo Jerry & Horizon). But Dorset had to wait until 1995 for a real comeback, when "In the Summertime" was recorded by reggae vocalist Shaggy, who topped the charts worldwide. The last UK chart entry for Mungo Jerry was "Toon Army", a song for Newcastle United F.C. in 1999.
In 1983 "Mungo Jerry" Ray Dorset was part of the blues supergroup Katmandu, which recorded A Case For The Blues, with guitarist Peter Green, formerly of Fleetwood Mac, and keyboard player Vincent Crane, formerly of Atomic Rooster and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.
In 2003, with German musicians, Dorset recorded Adults Only album under the name Mungo Jerry Blues Band, widely acclaimed as one of the best of his career. 2005 saw him performing with three Mungo Jerry line-ups: The British Mungo Jerry Band (pop/rock), the German Mungo Jerry Blues Band (blues/rock) and Mungo Jerry & the Goodtime Gamblers (jug/blues/skiffle).
Also in June 2005, Ray Dorset had a gig again as a duo with Mike Cole - the original double bass player from the early Mungo days - as a highlight of the "35 Years Of Mungo Jerry" event in both Newcastle and Stoke.
In March 2006 Mungo Jerry released their new single "Mr Midnight" from Phantom of the Opera on Ice (http://www.plazarecords.co.uk); produced by Roberto Danova - who had mixed in the past the old continental Mungo Jerry hits "Lana" and "It's a Secret" - and is well-known for his work with rock and pop music, in combination with big orchestras.
I Don't Wanna Go Back to School
Mungo Jerry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
creo que mundo esta en mis manos
me siento un ser divino y me olvido de los humanos
como a mi ellos olvidan
también son olvidados
por que se que es sufrir pensar en otro es demasiado
mi vos cambia de tono por que estoy solo y lloro
al saber que son tan falsas las personas que yo añoro
aunque estoy en medio de todo
soy tratado como un loco hasta en mi propio coro
cada vez estoy mas solo por que a mi nadie me quiere
llorando en mi cuarto y sin que nadie me consuele
solo yo se como duele conversar con las paredes y confiar
solo en ellas por que solo ellas me entienden,
solo caminando
en las calles mas oscuras
llorando en las noches de dolores y amarguras
solo yo se mi secreto y permanezco callado
por que se que estando solo yo se lo que hago
no necesito a frinki para tener el mundo conquistado
pues prefiero estar solo que estar mal acompañado
solo cada día
mañana tarde y noche
sin preocupación a que nadie me reproche
por que solo estoy
y para esto me educaron por que
siempre pedí ayuda y siempre me la negaron
me rechazaron y me bajaron mucha pila
y ahora para verme tienen que hacer una fila
solo vencí a dios en un partido de ajedrez
luche contra sansón y todo le salio al revés
solo yo lloro y solo me fortalezco
solo me aplaudo
por que se que lo merezco
no tengo que esperar que un ignorante me lo diga
por que son los culpables de que
solo yo siga
solo me felicito y solo me consuelo
por que solo estoy conmigo cuando solo caigo al suelo
solo nací y no tuve acompañante
era pequeño soñaba que Era gigante
tengo problemas
ya no puedo contarte
te di oportunidades me saliste farsante
solo con mis problemas que llenan
solo necesito un amigo no hay por eso soy solo
solo quiero estar en este mundo y no puedo
aya fuera ahí cuervos serpientes con veneno
solo solito aguantando buches de mi mais
sin el calor de mi pais
sin cualto pa compra ulu nais
muchos no le gusto por que monto lo que hay
hago un tema con tresolo ereyinestray
solo con mis penas mi sufrimiento y quejas
soy mi propio destacamento no tengo querellas
solo como un viajero que da viajes en la vida
viajero que busca la felicidad que esta escondida
vivo en la gravedad que me hace gravitar
en este espacio donde hay libertad condicional
solo viviré solo moriré
solo yo seré y solo el hip hop
respetare
Soooooooooo uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu SOOOOOOLOOOOO OOO OOO ME SIENTO SOLOOOOOOO
The lyrics to "I Don't Wanna Go Back to School" by Mungo Jerry are actually in Spanish, which might make it difficult for some listeners to fully understand the meaning behind them. The song speaks of the loneliness and isolation that the singer feels, as well as their distaste for the people around them. The singer describes retreating to their room to be alone and feeling like they are in control of the world when they are there. However, they note that in doing so, they forget about other humans and feel forgotten by them as well. The tone of the singer's voice changes as they sing alone and cry, realizing that the people they once cherished are fake and have abandoned them.
The singer of the song feels like a divine being, as disconnected from humans as they are from him. His voice changes tone when he cries alone, and the singer's voice is mournful, emphasizing his loneliness. Although he is in the middle of everything, he feels ignored and treated like a lunatic even by his own group. He thinks it is too much to make the effort to think of others or worry about them, as they do not reciprocate. The singer wishes somebody would understand his pain, but he has given up on asking for help because nobody was ever there for him. He only trusts the walls, which can't answer him back. In the end, he emphasizes that he is alone in his problems and needs a friend, but those seem unattainable, making him choose to remain solo.
Line by Line Meaning
Cuando me encierro en mi cuarto
When I lock myself in my room
creo que mundo esta en mis manos
I believe the world is in my hands
me siento un ser divino y me olvido de los humanos
I feel like a divine being and forget about humans
como a mi ellos olvidan también son olvidados
Just like they forget about me, they are also forgotten
por que se que es sufrir pensar en otro es demasiado
Because I know what it's like to suffer and thinking about others is too much
mi vos cambia de tono por que estoy solo y lloro
My voice changes tone because I'm alone and crying
al saber que son tan falsas las personas que yo añoro
Knowing that the people I long for are so fake
por eso me siento solo aunque estoy en medio de todo
That's why I feel alone even when I'm in the middle of everything
soy tratado como un loco hasta en mi propio coro
I'm treated like a crazy person even in my own choir
cada vez estoy mas solo por que a mi nadie me quiere
I'm getting lonelier because nobody loves me
llorando en mi cuarto y sin que nadie me consuele
Crying in my room without anyone to comfort me
solo yo se como duele conversar con las paredes y confiar
Only I know how painful it is to talk to walls and trust them
solo en ellas por que solo ellas me entienden,
Only in them because only they understand me
solo caminando en las calles mas oscuras
Walking alone in the darkest streets
llorando en las noches de dolores y amarguras
Crying in the nights of pain and bitterness
solo yo se mi secreto y permanezco callado
Only I know my secret and keep it silent
por que se que estando solo yo se lo que hago
Because I know that being alone, I know what I'm doing
no necesito a frinki para tener el mundo conquistado
I don't need anyone to conquer the world
pues prefiero estar solo que estar mal acompañado
I prefer to be alone than in bad company
solo cada día mañana tarde y noche
Alone every day, morning, afternoon and night
sin preocupación a que nadie me reproche
Without worrying that anyone will reproach me
por que solo estoy y para esto me educaron
Because I'm alone, and this is how they taught me
por que siempre pedí ayuda y siempre me la negaron
Because I always asked for help, and they always denied it
me rechazaron y me bajaron mucha pila
They rejected me and brought me down a lot
y ahora para verme tienen que hacer una fila
And now, to see me, they have to queue up
solo vencí a dios en un partido de ajedrez
I only beat God in a chess game
luche contra sansón y todo le salio al revés
I fought against Samson, and everything turned out the opposite way
solo yo lloro y solo me fortalezco
I cry alone, and I strengthen myself alone
solo me aplaudo por que se que lo merezco
I applaud myself because I know I deserve it
no tengo que esperar que un ignorante me lo diga
I don't have to wait for an ignorant person to tell me
por que son los culpables de que solo yo siga
Because they are the ones responsible for me being alone
solo me felicito y solo me consuelo
I congratulate and comfort myself alone
por que solo estoy conmigo cuando solo caigo al suelo
Because I'm alone with myself when I fall to the ground
solo nací y no tuve acompañante
I was born alone, with no companion
era pequeño soñaba que era gigante
I was small and dreamed of being giant
tengo problemas ya no puedo contarte
I have problems, and I can't tell you anymore
te di oportunidades me saliste farsante
I gave you chances, and you turned out to be a phony
solo con mis problemas que llenan
Only with my problems that fill me
solo necesito un amigo no hay por eso soy solo
I only need a friend, but there isn't one, that's why I'm alone
solo quiero estar en este mundo y no puedo
I just want to be in this world, but I can't
aya fuera ahí cuervos serpientes con veneno
Out there, there are crows, snakes with venom
solo solito aguantando buches de mi mais
Alone, enduring the hardships of my cornfield
sin el calor de mi pais sin cualto pa compra ulu nais
Without the warmth of my country, without money to buy food
muchos no le gusto por que monto lo que hay
Many don't like me because I ride the wave of what's popular
hago un tema con tresolo ereyinestray
I make a song with three simple chords
solo con mis penas mi sufrimiento y quejas
Only with my sorrows, suffering, and complaints
soy mi propio destacamento no tengo querellas
I am my own detachment, I have no quarrel
solo como un viajero que da viajes en la vida
Alone like a traveler who takes journeys throughout life
viajero que busca la felicidad que esta escondida
A traveler who seeks the hidden happiness
vivo en la gravedad que me hace gravitar
I live in the gravity that makes me gravitate
en este espacio donde hay libertad condicional
In this space where there is probationary liberty
solo viviré solo moriré
I'll live alone, and I'll die alone
solo yo seré y solo el hip hop respetare
I'll be alone, and I'll only respect hip-hop
Contributed by Stella A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.