Mungo Jerry is an English folk/classic rock group from Ashford, Englandwhos… Read Full Bio ↴Mungo Jerry is an English folk/classic rock group from Ashford, Englandwhose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most instantly recognisable song. Their name was inspired by the poem Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, from T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. According to Joseph Murrell's "The Book of Golden Discs" (1978), 'Mungomania' was possibly the most startling and unpredicted pop phenomenon to hit Britain since The Beatles.

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.

Take Me Back
Mungo Jerry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like
Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like

I'll chop your wood, chop your wood, I'll light your fire, treat you good
I'll chop your wood, chop your wood, I'll light your fire, treat you good

Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like
Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like

I'll bring you water, I'll bring you wine,
I'll bring you love girl, all the time
I'll bring you water, I'll bring you wine,
I'll bring you love girl, all the time

Take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like
Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like

I'll chop your wood, chop your wood, I'll light your fire, treat you good
I'll chop your wood, chop your wood, I'll light your fire, treat you good

Take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like
Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like

Take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like
Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mungo Jerry's song Take Me Back reflect a humble, almost submissive tone from the singer towards an unknown individual. The chorus repeats the plea "take me back" twice, implying a longing to go back to a previous state or relationship. The singer then promises to not do anything the other person does not like, implying regret for past actions that may have caused strife or conflict.

The verses describe the singer's willingness to perform manual labor for the other person. Chopping wood and lighting a fire were essential tasks in a time before modern conveniences, and the singer is offering to take on these duties as a demonstration of his commitment to the other person. The promise to "treat you good" also suggests a desire to make up for past transgressions.

The second verse introduces the idea of bringing the other person water, wine, and love. These are all symbols of sustenance and affection, and the promise to provide them suggests a desire to provide for the other person's basic needs and emotional fulfillment. The repetition of the chorus and the promises from the verses reinforce the singer's plea to be taken back and given another chance.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, take me back, take me back, won't do nothing you don't like
The singer is begging to be taken back, promising to never do anything that the listener wouldn't approve of.

I'll chop your wood, chop your wood, I'll light your fire, treat you good
The singer is willing to perform manual labor and take care of the listener in any way necessary.

I'll bring you water, I'll bring you wine, I'll bring you love girl, all the time
The singer promises to provide for the listener's basic needs and to love them unconditionally.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RAY DORSET

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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