Jitterbugging for Jesus

People walking up to you
Singing glory hallelulia
And they’re tryin to sock it to you
In the name of the Lord…

Look around tell me what you see
What’s happening to you and me
God grant me the serenity
To remember who I am

‘Cause you’ve given up your sanity
For your pride and your vanity
Turned your back on humanity
And you don’t give a da da da da da

— From “The Games People Play,” Joe South

Joe South was one of the greatest rockers you never heard of.

Even if you never did, here’s a bit of his 2012 obituary in Rolling Stone:

His Greatness Joe South. One of the forgotten greats of rock and country music.

He recorded with Dylan on his 1966 classic Blonde on Blonde, played on Franklin’s 1967 single “Chain of Fools” and saw Elvis Presley sing his “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” on Presley’s’ 1970 live album On Stage. South’s track “Hush” later became a hit for Deep Purple, and he won two Grammys in 1969 for his single “Games People Play.” South’s biggest hit came in 1971 when Lynn Anderson covered “(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden).”

So if you never heard of him, kids, he was big back in the day.

(And here’s the RS obituary.) … And a bit more detailed obit from The Guardian.

Too bad his underrated music has been largely forgotten. He was a a talented guy with booming chops and a keen social critic who did some edgy music that won high hosannas from that edgy social critic Bob Dylan..

What’s interesting to me is… South’s music is as relevant to our turbulent times as it was in the helter-skelter sixties when he was on top.

He urged us in his seminal song to “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.”

We would all do well to imagine ourselves walking in the shoes of “the other” — that other person we despise because he or she is not of our race, religion, or economic-social status.

Another of my personal faves… a song that’ll make a country boy ache to go back home.