Query: Bob Dylan
While scrounging around a flea market/antique dealer joint in Syracuse, NY today, I came across (and bought) a piece of sheet music from 1918 entitled: “When That Mobile Boy Sings the Memphis Blues.” Words and music are by Joe Bren. It was published by the Ted Browne Music Co. of Chicago. I am still researching its background, but apparently it was not a hugely popular tune.
My query is: given his encyclopedic knowledge of roots music – then and now – is it too much to think that Bob Dylan got at least the title -the lyrics are very dissimilar, but the original does reference Southern music a lot (see below) – of the title of his famous 1966 song “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again” from this song? It seems on its face to be too much of a coincidence that the titles are so similar. Then again, I cannot find a reference to a recording of the original (it was once part of a show.)
The lyrics of the original are the following:
Now when you hear some harmony
if it’s a ragtime melody
And if a ragtime singer sings
you know it always brings
But when you hear it sung in every cabaret
then it takes the harmony all away
What you want is someone to come and say
“take a trip down south”
You’ll never know what ragtime is
or how it makes you feel
“Till you take a trip to New Orleans
stop off at Mobile
CHORUS:
‘Cause when I heard that Mobile boy sing the Memphis blues
Then I went and bought a pair of ragtime shoes
And I went and hired a big “jass” band
the finest music in the land
And I hurried ’round to spread the joyful news – to everybody
That wasn’t all – I hired a hall – to give that big ragtime ball
And brought my Mobile boy there to amuse
I never had such a time in my life
I danced with everybody but my wife
When I heard that Mobile boy sing the Memphis blues
When I blues [sic]
I’ll have to make a change I fear
I’ll have to get away from here
And if I had my heart’s delight
I’d be away down south tonight
I’d be away down south where every day it seems
some good old ragtime melody reigns supreme
I’d be happy if I could only dream ’bout that southern land
There aint no use to have the blues but that’s just how I feel
So I’ll bless the day when I can pay my fare back to Mobile
CHORUS
END
I have read about a dozen biographies of Bob Dylan and his motor trip through the South in 1964 (a Kerouacian “On the Road,” so to speak) was a seminal event in his viewpoint and songwriting (among other things, it was during this trip that he first heard the Beatles, and was apparently quite impressed.) “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” also obviously emerged from this trip, as it ended up in Texas/Mexico.
Does anyone have any comments on this? Any and all welcome
Doug Macdonald
Hamilton, NY