1996 they released an album which is regarded as their masterpiece, "Now I Got Worry". An unwieldy mess of an album, Now I Got Worry, starts with a series of piercing screams and never stops confounding until the end. Featuring the legendary Rufus Thomas howling and barking on Chicken Dog, and The Dub Narcotic Sound System on Fuck Shit Up, Now I Got Worry was a glorious celebration of what an open mind(s) could do with white trash rock and roll.
Touring endlessly, JSBX gained a small but enthusiastic global audience. Subsequent albums were "Acme" (1998), "Xtra Acme USA" (1999), "Plastic Fang" (2002), "Damage" (2004) and the earlier "Crypt Style" (1992) and "Jon Spencer Blues Explosion" (1992).
Jon Spencer as well as the other members of the band had several side-projects. They recorded an album together with The Dub Narcotic Sound System. Jon Spencer played together with R.L. Burnside ("A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey"), David Holmes ("Bow Down to the Exit Sign"), The Honeymoon Killers ("Hung Far Low") and other artists. He is also a member of Boss Hog, along with his wife Cristina Martinez. Together with Matt Verta-Ray of Speedball Baby Spencer formed a rockabilly revival band called Heavy Trash which has released three albums. The band has also been associated in various ways with The Beastie Boys, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and others.
On the Blues Explosion's album "Damage" (2004) they left out the "Jon Spencer" prefix of the band's name to show that they are a genuine band.
Ditch
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She got a shovel and a hoe
She got some new improved shit
That can get a man go
Said I mess up
Damn
Get it from her
Gonna ride you on to hell
Down on by the street
Down on Ludlow street
Avenue A, B, C, D
Get it all for you
Get all the people on
Oh baby, baby please
Get all the score to go
Ill take it in
Gonna ride this fiddle-de-dee
Check it bucket
Is it a good?
Sho' 'nuff, money good enough
Take a look at this
All over
She got me standin'
You got me standin'
You got me, begging, playing
Shot
I got the hard up early in the mornin'
Oh baby, til twelve
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
The overall theme of the song seems to be centered around power dynamics and a sort of dependence on someone else. The singer describes a woman who has tools to get things done and can "get a man go", which could potentially refer to some sort of sexual energy or control over someone else. The lines "She got me standing / You got me standin' / You got me, begging, playin'" further emphasize this idea of the singer being at the mercy of someone else's power.
The repeated refrain of "I'm gonna dig that ditch" could symbolize a sort of subservience or willingness to do whatever the woman wants in order to please her or maintain her power over the singer. The mention of digging also carries connotations of hard work and possibly even punishment, further emphasizing the theme of being subservient to someone else's power.
The verses also make reference to various street names in New York City, including Ludlow Street and Avenues A, B, C, and D. This could potentially allude to a sense of urban grittiness and the struggle for power and survival within a city environment.
Overall, the specific meaning of the lyrics is somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation, but they seem to convey a sense of dependence on someone else's power and the willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain that power dynamic.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking now at a pearl
The singer is admiring something beautiful.
She got a shovel and a hoe
The person being referred to has tools for digging.
She got some new improved shit
The person being referred to has new and better equipment or tools.
That can get a man go
The equipment can help someone be more productive.
Said I mess up
The artist admits to making mistakes.
Damn
The singer is frustrated or disappointed with themselves.
Get it from her
The singer wants to learn from the more experienced person.
Gonna ride you on to hell
The artist plans to work hard until they achieve success.
And baby then I do
The artist is determined to achieve their goal.
Down on by the street
The artist is on a city street.
Down on Ludlow street
Specifically, the singer is on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Avenue A, B, C, D
The artist is in the Alphabet City neighborhood, which is bordered by Avenues A, B, C, and D.
Get it all for you
The singer is willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.
Get all the people on
The singer wants others to join in their hard work and success.
Oh baby, baby please
The singer is pleading with someone else to help or support him/her.
Get all the score to go
The artist is urging everyone to work together and achieve a common goal.
Ill take it in
The artist is willing to accept any challenge or obstacle.
Gonna ride this fiddle-de-dee
The singer is planning to work hard and make progress.
Check it bucket
The singer is checking a container for something.
Is it a good?
The artist is questioning the quality of something.
Sho' 'nuff, money good enough
The artist is satisfied with the quality or worth of something.
Take a look at this
The artist is showing someone else something.
All over
The singer has completed a task or achieved a goal.
She got me standin'
The person being referred to has commanded the artist's attention or respect.
You got me standin'
The person being referred to has commanded the singer's attention or respect.
You got me, begging, playing
The singer is fully invested in pleasing the person being referred to.
Shot
The singer is expressing excitement or satisfaction.
I got the hard up early in the mornin'
The artist is willing to work hard and start early in the day.
Oh baby, til twelve
The artist is willing to work for many hours until late at night.
I'm gonna dig that ditch
The singer is determined to accomplish a task, possibly involving manual labor.
I'm gonna dig that ditch
The singer is determined to accomplish a task, possibly involving manual labor.
I'm gonna dig that ditch
The artist is determined to accomplish a task, possibly involving manual labor.
I'm gonna dig that ditch
The artist is determined to accomplish a task, possibly involving manual labor.
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-dh6xk7pq9z
I'm looking now at a pearl
She got a shovel and a hoe
She got some new improved shit
That can get a man go
Said I mess up
Damn
Get it from her
Gonna ride you on to hell
And baby then I do
Down on by the street
Down on Ludlow street
Avenue A, B, C, D
Get it all for you
Get all the people on
Oh baby, baby please
Get all the score to go
Ill take it in
Gonna ride this fiddle-de-dee
Check it bucket
Is it a good?
Sho' 'nuff, money good enough
Take a look at this
All over
She got me standin'
You got me standin'
You got me, begging, pleading
Shot
I got the hard up early in the mornin'
Oh baby, til twelve
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
@IvanisIvan
this song is so good!
@blueblousedesigns
I got into Jon Spencer back in 2017, when I was on my Kindle Fire while shopping at JoAnn fabrics in Macon. This song and "Bellbottoms" were my favorites
@vicentguerola6905
In my opinion, Jon Spencer's best song
@blueblousedesigns
That's my opinion too
@TheSouthernfried45
Ooh it's tough. His vocals and lyrics are on mad point here fer sure.
@user-dh6xk7pq9z
I'm looking now at a pearl
She got a shovel and a hoe
She got some new improved shit
That can get a man go
Said I mess up
Damn
Get it from her
Gonna ride you on to hell
And baby then I do
Down on by the street
Down on Ludlow street
Avenue A, B, C, D
Get it all for you
Get all the people on
Oh baby, baby please
Get all the score to go
Ill take it in
Gonna ride this fiddle-de-dee
Check it bucket
Is it a good?
Sho' 'nuff, money good enough
Take a look at this
All over
She got me standin'
You got me standin'
You got me, begging, pleading
Shot
I got the hard up early in the mornin'
Oh baby, til twelve
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
I'm gonna dig that ditch
@jbush187
I got the heart. Up early in the morning.
@TheSouthernfried45
I would dig a ditch under John's instruction.
@lyndonlee9276
I got the horn surely
@Dutchgraves
"take your monkkey = fist
:"