Julia Lee / The Spinach Song

[teenonator]

Man, why isn't this on my dirty blues records??

[MSTCND]

A prime example of 20's and 30's "Reefer Jazz". It may be green; but, she ain't sigin' about spinach! LOL

[friedharper]

"I Didn't Like It The First Time (The Spinach Song)" reached #4 R&B in 1949. Don't know when it was recorded.

[8052U]

No Gary, I even played in a JA cover band when I was a kid and I just learned that fact right now... If it is in fact a fact. Sounds very plausible though!!!!!

[zepthompson1]

according to a book I'm looking at - this song came out prbly late 48 or early 49 - it was reviewed by Billboard Feb 1949 - also it could be a "triple entendre" ; spinach was a reference to opium as well as sex

[shormanka]

this song is about reefer ...

[vector867]

this song is about marijuana. "spinach" was a common code word for weed back in the 20s and 30s

[horarwgt]

Julia (1902-1958) specialized in what she called "songs my mother didn't want me to sing" -- in other words, double entendre material. This was the fourth of Julia's tracks to become a pop hit -- which it did in April 1949, peaking at #29 as Capitol Americana 15367. The opening lines about spinach, of course, are simply to throw off censors who would otherwise object what she's really singing about, which, of course, is sex.

[sopaman1234]

Or it could be cunt Juice>>>

[VORFAS]

Love

[clinch44]

well maybe the first time someone that didn't know how to cook it served it to you. It all depends on who's cooking it.

[seymourbbest]

Could be weed. Could be sex. Even semen. Who knows? Its unique.

[howlingsandy]

what is the 1944-1947 referring to ?

[1Bluesboy1]

@howlingsandy

That's the closest I can come up with a release year.

[sweetbooski]

@howlingsandy she's singing about tree, weed, marijuana!



[howlingsandy]

@sweetbooski I dont think so. Too many other implications and references far closer to sex than dope.

[Vic561]

Well, folks . . . I doubt very much that Julia is crooning about mootah . . . the inference here is certainly . . . uh . . .uh . . . oh yeah--CARNAL RELATIONS! . . . On the other hand, I could be wrong . . . I only recently learned that the original meaning of the term "Jefferson Airplane" refers to a type of roach clip . . . Am I the only aging 60's-child alive who DIDN''T know this? . . .

Gary in Arizona . . . courtesy of Vic 561.

[petergarofalo]

well I think its about spinach, could be a green anthem

[GanarfGeorgie]

AHA! The "other" woman in Popeye's life!(don't tell Olive!)

[slickwillywize]

weed????!! pft

[slickwillywize]

awesome. 

[BioAdam123]

So obviously about weed.

[Doderhultarn89]

is this about sex or drugs?

[Fedemgo]

está hablando del FAAASO

[xlinwenx]

this is so about sex. awesome song

[RevGreen]

it's about weed........

[petergarofalo]

@RevGreen , i actually like spinach,

[thebun]

@RevGreen It's not about weed.

[FreeFiggyTree]

@thebun oh but it is.

[kateomoore1]

@RevGreen How I loved listening to my parent's 78 recording of this! My mother finally told me it meant sex. Her exact words were "Honey, I don't think they are talking about spinach. I think they are talking about---you know." This was after several years after I had begun listening to it regularly. :-)

[bloodanddajugs]

Spinach = Good penis

[tayishere202]

lol

[BigBagOfPus]

@bloodanddajugs : thanks for clearing that up.

[dreamer1996]

lolllllllllooooooooooolllol

[koblack]

this is popeye´s song

[LSDiana3psik]

spinach=marihuana,,jajaja,love this song

[caswell2629]

what a great song...i love ms. lee

[RevGreen]

same here, can't get enough.......

[Direness]

Kansas City's own Julia Lee - magnificent!

[bogdy72000]

i love spinach too (:

[JumpnJiver]

yesssssssssssssss great R&B/swingsong!!!! THX perfect for dancing. geetz from south germany