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.
Statesboro Blues
The Youngbloods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
You got no nerve baby, to turn uncle john from your door.
I woke up this morning, I had them statesboro blues,
I woke up this morning, had them statesboro blues.
Well, I looked over in the corner, and grandpa seemed to have them too.
My poppa died and left me,
I ain’t good looking baby,
Want someone sweet and kind.
I’m goin’ to the country, baby do you wanna go?
But if you can’t make it baby, your sister lucille said she wanna go.
(and I sure will take her).
I love that woman, better than any woman I’ve ever seen;
Well, I love that woman, better than any woman I’ve ever seen.
Well, now, she treat me like a king, yeah, yeah, yeah,
I treat her like a dog gone queen.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
You got no nerve babe, to turn uncle john from your door.
The Youngbloods’ “Statesboro Blues” is a classic blues song that highlights themes of depression, poverty, and social isolation. The song begins with the singer calling out to his mother to turn her lamp down low. The repetition of this phrase suggests that the singer is in a constant state of anxiety and wanting to keep things quiet.
The singer then goes on to describe his “Statesboro Blues,” a feeling of melancholy that seems to be contagious as his grandfather has it too. He laments the loss of his parents and expresses his desire for someone sweet and kind to be with him. The song ends with the singer stating his intention to go to the country and take his lover, Lucille, with him.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of helplessness and disillusionment with the world. The repetition of the phrase “Wake up momma” reinforces the idea that the singer is trying to break free from his sense of isolation and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low;
I am asking my mother to turn the lamp down low while she sleeps.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
I am again asking my mother to turn the lamp down low as it is still bright and interfering with my sleep.
You got no nerve baby, to turn uncle john from your door.
You cannot turn Uncle John away from your door because he has been very helpful and generous to you.
I woke up this morning, I had them statesboro blues,
I woke up this morning feeling a sense of sadness, guilt and remorse for something that I may or may not have caused.
I woke up this morning, had them statesboro blues.
I feel so lost and confused this morning, I cannot seem to shake off that sad feeling.
Well, I looked over in the corner, and grandpa seemed to have them too.
I noticed my Grandpa in the corner also seems to be feeling sad and overwhelmed by the blues.
Well my momma died and left me,
My mother passed away and left me all alone in this world.
My poppa died and left me,
My father has also died leaving me to deal with life's challenges alone.
I ain’t good looking baby,
I am not physically attractive, that's why I am struggling to find someone caring and loving.
Want someone sweet and kind.
I need someone who understands my situation and is willing to be sweet and kind to me.
I’m goin’ to the country, baby do you wanna go?
I am planning to go to the countryside and I am asking if you would like to come along.
But if you can’t make it baby, your sister lucille said she wanna go.
In case you cannot make it, your sister Lucille said she would love to join me.
(and I sure will take her).
I would love to have Lucille as my company and wouldn't mind taking her.
I love that woman, better than any woman I’ve ever seen;
I love that woman so much, more than any other woman I have ever met in my life.
Well, I love that woman, better than any woman I’ve ever seen.
There's something special and unique about her that I cannot find in any other woman I have ever met.
Well, now, she treat me like a king, yeah, yeah, yeah,
My special woman treats me like a king, she loves me unconditionally and I can feel that.
I treat her like a dog gone queen.
In return, I treat her like a queen, showing her unconditional love and respect.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
I am reminding my mother again to turn off the lamp while she sleeps.
Wake up momma, turn your lamp down low.
The lamp is still on and interfering with my sleep, I am asking my mother to turn it off once again.
You got no nerve babe, to turn uncle john from your door.
It's hard for you to turn Uncle John away from your doorstep despite some of the problems he can bring.
Contributed by Callie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.