Kokomo by The Memphis Jug Band

Alan Lomax Blues Project recording of Kokomo by The Memphis Jug Band.

Original Lyrics for comparison:

OLD ORIGINAL KOKOMO BLUES

One and one is two, mama
Two and two is four
You mess around here, pretty mama
You know you got to go
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

Now four and one is five, mama
Five and one is six
You mess around here, pretty mama
You're going to get me tricked
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

Now six and one is seven, mama
Seven and one is eight
You mess around here, pretty mama
You're going to make me late
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

Says I told you, mama
When you first fell across my bed
You been drinkin' your ole bad whiskey
And talkin' all out your head
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

I don't drink because I'm dry, mama
Don't drink because I'm blue
The reason I drink, pretty mama
I can't get along with you
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

Now eight and one is nine, mama
Nine and one is ten
You mess around here, pretty mama
I'm going to take you in
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

Now ten and one is eleven, mama
Eleven and one is twelve
You mess around here, pretty mama
You going to catch a lot of hell
Cryin', oooh, baby don't you want to go
Back to the Eleven Light City
To sweet old Kokomo

Source: Kokomo Arnold 'Blues Classics by Kokomo Arnold: Peetie Wheatstraw' Blues Classics 4. Recorded 10 September 1934 Chicago Decca De 7026. PS.

Paul Oliver gives Arnold's version of the 'Eleven Light City' with reference to Arnold's only interview given to French blues historian, Jacques Demetre:


Generally, they [versions of Arnold's 'Old Original'] were recorded as 'Eleven Light City Blues' and in all instances the strange phrase of 'Eleven Light City', apparently unrelated to any of the listed nicknames for towns, remained. Arnold explained the significance of the words in part to Jacques Demetre, telling him that Eleven Light City was the name of a drugstore near 35th and State where a girl with whom he was consorting was working. The store sold a brand of coffee labelled 'Koko' and it was from this, with an alliteration of his own, that he devised the phrase 'sweet Kokomo'. Mayo Williams however saw the commercial possibilities in exploiting the association of the brand name with Arnold and dubbed him 'Kokomo Arnold' for this and his subsequent records. He thought that Big Bill Broonzy's belief that he owned a grocery store stemmed from this, for in fact he never owned nor worked in one. There still remain certain problems not wholly explained by this - not least of which is the significance of Eleven Light City as a name itself, or whether in fact a brand of coffee called 'Koko' was so marketed. [Paul Oliver 'Off The Record' The Baton Press 1984 pp 105-106]

Category:

Music

Tags:

• blues
• hillary
• clinton
• bill
• billary
• huma
• politics
• obama
• president
• campaign
• 1984

[chubbytown]

u r obssessed with her or somethin

[willshadetribute]

This is from the "Alan Lomax Blues Songbook" (not "Project") and it is indeed credited to the Memphis Jug Band, circa 1959. The singer does sound like Charlie Burse in some parts, including his trademark laughing. Do you have a personnel list for this?

[MrJLHooker]

Dat's a ugly woman!!!

[Bumblebee38]

Where is the Memphis Jug Band in this ? in the Loo may be ?

[glowingnipple]

tnx for the vid!

[nichmars]

You almost ruined the song with that hillaryface!! I do appreciate the notes though.n.

[papadoom]

O.o

[RoyFive]

This was quite a band. I'm grateful to both John and Alan Lomax for their efforts in keeping this great music alive.