I first heard “In the Jailhouse Now” on the oldies enviornment after I modified into a exiguous one but didn’t inaugurate taking half in it till entering into venerable country as a working musician within the ’90s. Webb Pierce’s monster hit model from 1955—which spent 21 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard country chart—modified into a staple of every retro honky-tonk band with a aid line of venerable tube amps and a closet paunchy of vintage cowboy shirts and cuffed denims.
“In the Jailhouse Now” is mostly credited to Jimmie Rodgers, who in his 1928 recording had the major main hit with the song. But its historic past goes intention aid; performed in vaudeville presentations and by jug bands, the song modified into first recorded by the theater performers Davis and Stafford in 1915.
“Jailhouse” has been recorded repeatedly over the years—veritably in very divergent kinds—by the likes of Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, and others, and has been featured in main circulate images treasure O Brother, Where Art work Thou? and Assist within the Saddle. The lyrics contain numerous, but the song is known as a pair of man who gets caught dishonest in playing cards and ends up being thrown in detention heart, along with a girl he met while out on the town.
Here is an effortless song with glorious a pair of easy inaugurate chords, the I, IV, V, and II, or C, F, G, and D7 within the important thing of C main. I play it with a straightforward voice-chuck sample (bass notes on beats 1 and 3 and chord strums on 2 and 4) and the occasional walkup, treasure the one confirmed here within the pickup bar of the accompaniment sample. Allege that while in my scheme I stick nearly totally to fashioned time, the sooner versions veritably had a looser sense of building. Don’t be taken aback for folk that’re taking half in along with an venerable recording and come across a stray bar of 2/4 here and there. You are likewise free to complete the same because the lyrics compel you.
Maurice Tani
Maurice Tani is a inclined singer-songwriter and alt-country band chief based totally in California.
