I Got The Jake Leg Too, song lyrics

Song: I Got The Jake Leg Too
Lyrics: Willie E. Ray ⁽²⁾

Music: Willie E. Ray
Year: 1930
Genre:
Country: USA

I went to bed last night,
Feeling mighty fine,
Two o'clock this morning,
The sickness was down my spine.

I had the jake leg⁽³⁾ too,
I had the jake leg too.

I woke up this morning,
I couldn't get out of my bed,
This stuff they call jake leg,
Had me nearly dead.

It was the jake leg too,
It was the jake leg too.

Looks like old Aunt Dinah,
Been in a hive of bees,
This stuff they call jake leg,
Has gone down in her knees.

She got the jake leg too,
She got the jake leg too.
This song was originally posted on protestsonglyrics.net
A preacher drank some ginger, ⁽⁴⁾
He said he did it for flu,
That was his excuse,
For having the jake leg too.

He got the jake leg too,
He got the jake leg too.

Talk about your liquor,
Talk about your booze,
This stuff they call jake leg,
Has gone down in my shoes.

I got the jake leg too,
I got the jake leg too.
This song was originally posted on protestsonglyrics.net
Boys, Jamaica ginger,
Sure will do its part,
Boys, Jamaica ginger,
Will kill your honest heart.

You got the jake leg too,
I got the jake leg too.

Now you've heard my story,
But I haven't told you half,
This on your tomb
Will be your epitaph.

I had the jake leg too,
I had the jake leg too.

My song has grown monotonous,
One more thing I'd say,
For all you jake leggers,
I will always pray.

I had the jake leg too,
I had the jake leg too.

Notes:

1 - Transcribed in June 2012, from the Ray Brothers, (and sung by brother Vardaman Ray), November 21, 1930, Victor record 23508.

2 - We don't have any information on Willie E. Ray. If you do, please pass the informatin along to us. Thank you.

3 - Jake Leg. With changes the government imposed to prevent the abuse of Jake, some bootleggers adulterated Jake but with a substance that turned out to be a neurotoxin that if it did not kill them gave them a very peculiar gait that became known a "Jake walk". This partial paralysis affected some 50,000 Americans in 1930.

4 - "Jake" was a Jamaican ginger extract used as a patent medicine and contained 70-80% ethanol and was drunk during the years of Prohibition as a way to get around the ban on alcohol.