Here is the All-Music Guide's page on J.B.
This page contains lyrics to the following song(s):
On L+R LP LR 42.001
I never will go back to Alabama, that is not the place for me (2x) You know they killed my sister and my brother, and the whole world let them peoples go down there free I never will love Alabama, Alabama seem to never have loved poor me (2x) Oh God I wish you would rise up one day, lead my peoples to the land of pea' My brother was taken up for my mother, and a police officer shot him down (2x) I can't help but to sit down and cry sometime, think about how my poor brother lost his life Alabama, Alabama, why you wanna be so mean (2x) You got my people behind a barbwire fence, now you tryin' to take my freedom away from me
J B recorded in the Sixties, around the period of the race riots in the States, a number of blues addressing race issues in words that were uncommonly direct for the blues. "Born Dead" is probably the "sharpest" of those songs.
Lord why was I born in Mississippi,
when it's so hard to get ahead
Why was I born in Mississippi,
when it's so hard to get ahead
Every black child born in Mississippi
you know the poor child is born dead
When he came into the world
the doctor spank him, the black baby cry
When he came into the world
the doctor spank him, the black baby cry
Everybody thought he had a life
and that's why the black baby died
He will never speak his language
the poor baby will never speak his mind
Lord he will never speak his language
the poor baby will never speak his mind
The poor child will never know his mind
why in the world he's so poor
Lord why was I born in Mississippi
when it's so hard to get ahead
Lord why was I born in Mississippi
when it's so hard to get ahead
Every black child born in Mississippi
you know the poor child was born dead
J B recorded this song in 1954 for the small Parrot label; it was later reissued on Chess. My source is a ROOTS CD sampler.
EISENHOWER BLUES (J. B. Lenoir) Hey everybody, I was talkin' to you I ain't tellin' you jivin', this is the natural truth Mm mm mm, I got them Eisenhower blues Thinkin' about me and you, what on earth are we gonna do? My money's gone, my fun is gone The way things look, how can I be here long? Mm mm mm, I got them Eisenhower blues Thinkin' about me and you, what on earth are we gonna do? Taken all my money, to pay the tax I'm only givin' you people, the natural facts I only tellin' you people, my belief Because I am headed straight, on relief Mm mm mm, I got them Eisenhower blues Thinkin' about me and you, what on earth are we gonna do? Ain't go a dime, ain't even got a cent I don't even have no money, to pay my rent My baby needs some clothes, she needs some shoes Peoples I don't know what, I'm gonna do Mm mm mm, I got them Eisenhower blues Thinkin' about me and you, what on earth are we gonna do?
This blues dates from 1951. The lyrics had a strong echo in the next blues about the war in Vietnam, fourteen years later...
Lord I got my questionnaire, Uncle Sam's gonna send me away from here Lord I got my questionnaire, Uncle Sam's gonna send me away from here He said J. B. you know that I need you, Lord I need you in South Korea Sweetheart please don't you worry, I just begin to fly in the air Sweetheart please don't you worry, I just begin to fly in the air Now the Chinese shoot me mdown, Lord I'll be in Korea somewhere I just sittin' here wonderin', who you gonna let lay down in my bed I just sittin' here wonderin', who you gonna let lay down in my bed What hurt me so bad, think about some man has gone in your bed.
Another blues about Vietnam, from 1966. This time J B Lenoir links it to the racial murders in the Southern States at the time.
Vietnam Vietnam, everybody cryin' about Vietnam
Vietnam Vietnam, everybody cryin' about Vietnam
The law all the days (?) killing me down in Mississippi, nobody seems to give a damn
Oh God if you can hear my prayer now, please help my brothers over in Vietnam
Oh God if you can hear my prayer now, please help my brothers over in Vietnam
The poor boys fightin', killin' and hidin' all in holes,
Maybe killin' their own brother, they do not know
Mister President you always cry about peace, but you must clean up your house before you leave
Oh how you cry about peace, but you must clean up your house before you leave
How can you tell the world how we need peace, and you still mistreat and killin' poor me.
This was recorded in 1965, two years before his untimely death.
VIETNAM (J. B. Lenoir)
Lord I got my questionnaire
Uncle Sam gonna send me away from here
Lord I got my questionnaire
Uncle Sam gonna send me away from here
He says JB you can hide but you cannot run
Now lately you have to be in Vietnam
Sweetheart please don't you worry
I'm just beginnin' to fly in the air
Sweetheart please don't you worry
I'm just beginnin' to fly in the air
Now they in Vietnam shootin' 'em down over there
Lord you'll find my body there somewhere
Oh Lord I wonder
I wonder when will all wars come to an end
Oh Lord I wonder
I wonder when will all wars come to an end
Now in Vietnam, shootin' 'em down and sayin'
My son Jebra(?) will rise up and fight again
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