Jimmy Cox
Peter Paul and Mary, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Janice Joplin, BB King, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke and John Lennon (his version, reflective of his times, "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" no doubt), all recorded it, the song “Nobody knows you when you’re down and out” has discretely traversed the Blues musical landscape.
This melody, like a beacon to the poor, the washed-up, the musician and the poet, is a metaphor for the blues as a whole and an enigma as to who was its author: Jimmy Cox.
The following is the forth verse of the song sung and re-written by the musician listed.
Lord, soon as I get up on my feet again,
everybody wants to be my long-lost friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody wants you when you're down and out
That's what I mean, when you're down and out
Jimmy Cox, lyrics and music - 1922
"Nobody knows you when you down and out
In my pocket not one penny
And my friends I haven't any
But If I ever get on my feet again
Then I'll meet my long lost friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody knows you when you down and out
I mean when you down and out"
Bessie Smith, 1929.
Nobody knows you when you're down and out
In your pockets not one penny
And your friends, you don't have any
But if I ever get on my feet again
I hope I don't need my lost long friend
It's mighty strange, without a doubt
Nobody knows you when you're down and out
Nobody knows you when you're down and out
Nobody wants to know you when you're, huh, broke
Jimmy Witherspoon, 1962.
But oh just as soonas the money roll in
Here they all come sayings
That they're you're long lost friends
But if I ever get my handsOn a dollar again
I believe, I believe I'll hold on
Till the eagle winsCause I found out
Nobody wants youWhen you're down and out
Nobody wants youWhen you're down and out
Otis Redding from “The Soul Album” 1966.
Interesting is the biblical allusion in Jimmy Cox’s version and the divorce court-like setting of Otis Redding’s.
There is even a musical revue featuring Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows you when you’re down and out” entitled Blues In The Night.
Rialto Theatre, Broadway 2 June, 1982 (53 perfs)
Donmar Warehouse, London 12 June, 1987
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“A tremendous West End success, this dynamic compilation of 26 hot and torchy blues frames and comments on three women's relationships with one snake of a guy. With no spoken text, the interweaving stories are defined through music alone - and what music! Ranging from Bessie Smith through Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen, Alberta Hunter, Jimmy Cox, Ida Cox and more, the evening's music is raunchily forthright, infectiously good-humoured and always classically blues. Songs include "When A Woman Loves A Man", "Wasted Life Blues" and the title song.”
The question then becomes, who was Jimmy Cox. At times the song is credited to Ida Cox (long time blues legend d. 1967, popular from the 20’s – 40’s) and to Count Basie, Bessie Smith and even ‘Traditional’. The song however is officially credited to Jimmy Cox and it is assumed that it was Jimmy Cox who actually wrote it. Credited with 1922, 1923 and 1929 Jimmy (or Jimmie) Cox, is an unusual mystery.
Maybe it will be solved… Who was Jimmy Cox?
Stay tuned…
Click here to find out more: http://filigreeshadow.blogspot.com/2004/08/jimmy-cox-saga-unfolds.html
