The Panic Is On

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The Panic Is On is a blues that Hezekiah Jenkins (1883-1941) wrote and published in 1931.

background

The minstrel tradition of blues singer Hezekiah Jenkins recorded his song on January 16, 1931; it was released on March 14 as Columbia 14585. The song title took up the name used at the time, which was also used to speak of the panic of 1907 . The song addresses the consequences of the Great Depression for ordinary people in the United States. The first two stanzas read as follows:

What this country is comin 'to -
I sure would like to know
If they don't do something bye and bye,
The rich will live and the poor will die
Dog-gone, I mean the panic is on.
Can't do my work, can't draw no pay,
Unemployment getting worser every day
Nothing to eat and no place to sleep.
All nights long folks walkin 'the street
Dog-gone, I mean the panic is on.

First recordings and later cover versions

Musicians who covered the song in the 1930s included Fats Waller , Connie Boswell , Mezz Mezzrow and Tommy Dorsey . The discographer Tom Lord lists a total of 17 (as of 2016) cover versions in the field of jazz , in later years also by Marty Grosz , Dick Wellstood and Dick Hyman / Bucky Pizzarelli .

Notes and individual references

  1. ^ Bob L. Eagle, Eric S. LeBlanc Blues: A Regional Experience 2013, p. 521
  2. ^ A b Steve Sullivan's Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings . Volume 2, 2015, page 670
  3. ↑ Republished on the compilation Blues and Jazz Obscurities (1923-1931) ( Document Records )
  4. ↑ a b Tom Lord: Jazz discography (online)