Jesse Colin Young got his start as a solo act on the folk circuits of Boston and New York and had already cut a couple of unsuccessful albums before deciding to form a band with guitarist Jerry Corbitt. After a failed single called "My Babe", they hired aspiring jazz drummer Joe Bauer and guitarist/pianist Lowell Levinger III, better known simply as "Banana". Young began playing bass when several candidates-- including Felix Pappalardi and Harvey Brooks (later of The Electric Flag)--proved incompatible, and the quartet took the name 'Youngbloods' from the singer's second solo album.
The group was eventually selected as the house band at New York's famed Cafe Au Go Go and established itself as a leading folk rock/good time attraction. Their sound would temper their blues and jugband influences with gentle California psychedelia, particularly after they moved to the San Francisco Bay area.
While Young was always the focal point of the band, their first two albums also had songwriting contributions from Corbitt. Their first single, Grizzly Bear, was a local hit. Their second attempt, Get Together, didn't do much better when it was first released. This Dino Valenti song had previously been recorded by the Jefferson Airplane, but The Youngbloods' slow, soulful interpretation of "Get Together" was definitive. The record faded quickly but suddenly rocketed to the Top 10 when it was re-released in 1969 after being used in a television public service ad. The tune was subsequently adopted as a counterculture anthem.
By that time, Corbitt had left. The Youngbloods, reduced to a trio, were living in Marin County, CA. 1969's Elephant Mountain was produced by country artist Charlie Daniels. Reflecting the mellowing influence of San Francisco psychedelia, it was their best effort, featuring some of Young's best songs. They released a few more albums in the early '70s (some live), but on these, the mellow California rock sound had begun to turn lame and wimpy.
Further albums by Bauer, Levinger and Young were marred by inconsistency. A friend from the Boston days, Michael Kane, joined the band in the spring of 1971, but they split the following year when Young left the band. Levinger, Bauer and Kane continued as Banana And The Bunch, but this occasional venture subsequently folded.
Jesse Colin Young went on to have a long and moderately successful career as a solo singer-songwriter.
Four in the Morning
The Youngbloods Lyrics
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Stove don't work and my baby has just left town
I'm lying on my back cause there just ain't nothing to drink
Empty bottles on the floor dirty dishes in the sink
Watching the cockroach crawling in an old bean can
He said when your baby left you I bet it's tough to be a man
Saw her again and she took back all she said
Jimmie Joe with her legs and knees all bandaged up
He came asking for some money all I had was a buck
Four in the morning and the water is pouring down
The Youngbloods' song Four in the Morning is about a man who is going through a tough situation. The song starts with the man lying on his back with no water or electricity. He is reflecting on how his baby has left town and how he has nothing left to live for. The man is surrounded by empty bottles and dirty dishes and is watching a cockroach crawling in an old bean can. He is feeling helpless and out of control. According to the cockroach, the man is finding it tough to be a man, now that his baby has left him. This shows that the man is struggling to cope with his current situation and is feeling emasculated by it.
Later in the song, the man reveals that he has shot his baby and she is dead. The man is in a state of shock and confusion. He is reflecting on how his baby had come back and taken back all she had said, but it didn't make any difference since he had already taken her life. The man then encounters Jimmie Joe, who is hurt, and asks him for some money, but all the man has is a buck. The song ends with the man still lying on his back, with nothing to drink, and the water pouring down. The overall tone of the song is one of sadness, isolation, and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Four in the morning and the water is pouring down
It's 4 am and it's raining heavily outside.
Stove don't work and my baby has just left town
My stove is broken down and my partner has recently broken up with me.
I'm lying on my back cause there just ain't nothing to drink
I am lying down because there is no beverage left to drink and I'm feeling helpless.
Empty bottles on the floor dirty dishes in the sink
There are empty bottles lying on the floor and dirty dishes in the sink, signifying the state of messiness of the surroundings.
Watching the cockroach crawling in an old bean can
I am observing a cockroach crawling inside an old bean can.
He said when your baby left you I bet it's tough to be a man
An imaginary person said that being a man is tough when your partner leaves you.
Saw her again and she took back all she said
I met my partner again and she retracted her previous statements.
It don't make no difference now cause I shot her yes she's dead
It doesn't make any difference now because I have killed her.
Jimmie Joe with her legs and knees all bandaged up
Jimmie Joe is present with bandages on her legs and knees, indicating that she has been injured.
He came asking for some money all I had was a buck
Jimmie Joe asked for some money, but all I could offer was a dollar.
Four in the morning and the water is pouring down
It's 4 am and it's raining heavily outside.
Contributed by Charlie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.