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.
Ghetto Mom
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While, in the baby, the dead of night
What can I see in a grand cafe
Put a little poison about an hour ago(?)
I've been a shit for days, come on!
*Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
I wanna suck it to you baby, get it all night long
Well, I got it right down and this base is up
And they always tell me, rhythm & blues
I got no alone and no cologne
Just a lot of them cheese, come on!
*Repeat
1965, I was born and trimmed alive
A red bullet female covers the crash
Shake my daddy, come on, and jive, come on!
Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
What the hell, Adam's ball
Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
I say, hey, come on!
Yeah, it's cool!
All around the world, every travellin' gay
Across the dozen flame, You're gonna know my name
You're gonna, you're gonna know my name
All right!
Yeah, now that I'm looking, look at my eyes
Can we all dogs on the hide?
Dadada, dadada dadada, let me free or die
Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
What the drop, Adam's ball
Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
I wanna sock it to you baby, get it all right now
I;ve been a wizard on you honey, come on, get it
I've got to do it for you good, all night long!
All night long, good!
All night long, good!
All night long, good!
All night long, come on, good!
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's song Ghetto Mom is a high energy rock and roll song that appears to focus on the pleasure-seeking and hedonistic lifestyle of the singer. The lyrics describe a scene in which the singer has taken some kind of drug ("Put a little poison about an hour ago?") and is feeling the effects of it. Despite being a "shit for days," the singer then proceeds to sing about his desire for a woman he refers to as "Ghetto Mom." He wants to "suck it to [her] baby, get it all night long," indicating a lustful desire for sexual pleasure.
The lyrics also contain references to the singer's childhood and upbringing ("1965, I was born and trimmed alive") and a sense of rebellion against societal norms ("You're gonna know my name"). The song seems to celebrate living life on one's own terms, indulging in pleasures and pursuing personal desires without caring about the consequences.
Overall, the lyrics of Ghetto Mom are somewhat ambiguous and open to interpretation. They could be interpreted as an anthem to hedonism or rebellion, or simply as a celebration of the rock and roll lifestyle itself.
Line by Line Meaning
While, in the baby, the dead of night
Late at night, while with a baby
What can I see in a grand cafe
Observing things in a fancy cafe
Put a little poison about an hour ago(?)
Possibly consumed a small amount of poison not too long ago
I've been a shit for days, come on!
Been acting badly for a while now
Ghetto Mom, Ghetto Mom
Making reference to someone
Just to tell you, want you, Adam's ball
Intending to convey an important message regarding someone or something called Adam's ball
I wanna suck it to you baby, get it all night long
Wanting to provide pleasurable experiences all night long
Well, I got it right down and this base is up
Understanding something well and having it ordered correctly
And they always tell me, rhythm & blues
Being advised about a genre of music, rhythm & blues
I got no alone and no cologne
Not having time to be alone or put on cologne
Just a lot of them cheese, come on!
Having many pieces of cheese or possibly an idiom along the lines of 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'
1965, I was born and trimmed alive
Being born in the year 1965 and possibly a reference to circumcision
A red bullet female covers the crash
Referring to a woman as a bullet or being intimate
Shake my daddy, come on, and jive, come on!
Encouraging someone to dance or do something else fun with the singer
What the hell, Adam's ball
Expressing confusion about or disbelief in something or someone called Adam's ball
I say, hey, come on!
Encouraging someone to join in on something or getting them to focus
All around the world, every travelling' gay
People all around the world, regardless of sexuality
Across the dozen flame, You're gonna know my name
Possibly swearing or emphasizing the importance of the singer being known
You're gonna, you're gonna know my name
Further enforcing the importance of being known
Yeah, now that I'm looking, look at my eyes
Pointing out someone else looking at the artist's eyes
Can we all dogs on the hide?
Asking if everyone is fearful or hiding like dogs
Dadada, dadada dadada, let me free or die
A mishmash of sounds or possibly an ultimatum to be freed or they will make it known they are dying
I've been a wizard on you honey, come on, get it
Being very skilled with or interested in someone called honey and wanting them to engage with the singer
I've got to do it for you good, all night long!
Need to perform well or for good throughout the night
Contributed by Allison M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.