Who Is He And What Is He To You?
U.S. Army-Jody (mp3)
Quincy Jones-Boogie Joe The Grinder
"Jody Calls"
The military use of jody was introduced to the U.S. Army by African-American soldiers. Jody is a clipping of the name of Joe the Grinder, a slightly older character in jazz and blues mythology.
Joe the Grinder is the name of mythical ladies man in blues tunes who seduces the wives and sweethearts of prisoners and soldiers. He’s also known as Joe De Grinder and Joe D. Grinder. The term dates to at least 1939. Grinder is from an old slang verb, to grind, meaning to copulate.
Jean Knight-Don't Talk About Jody
Darker Shades Ltd-Trackin' Down Jody
James Reese And The Progressions-Jody's Freeze
More Jody after the jump!
Bobby Newsome-Jody Come Back And Get Your Shoes
Ann Sexton-You've Been Gone Too Long
Johnny Taylor-Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone
Johnny Taylor-Standing In For Jody
Bonus tracks for the ladies:
Barbara Mason-From His Woman To You
There's also "G.I. Fever" by Mercy Dee Walton and Joe Williams Jr's "Don't Let Me Catch You Jody". Are there more Jody songs? Is anyone still recording "Jody" songs for the current war?
Is it too obvious to mention the band The Jody Grind? If so, I'm sorry!
Posted by: andy | February 09, 2008 at 10:55 AM
The Jody Grind rocks, Andy! Viva Bill Taft & Co.
Posted by: Debbie D | February 09, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Johnnie Taylor - Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe9hg3riBfM
...and, alternatively:
Johnnie Taylor- Standing In For Jody
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUoXbwsfu9U
Posted by: lord infamous | February 09, 2008 at 12:16 PM
Is That Redd Foxx about to tap him some Pam Grier badonkadonk?
Posted by: Fatherflot | February 09, 2008 at 12:44 PM
No, Fatherflot. That would be Luther "Don't Wanna Be Right" Ingram and "unidentified" at Stax 1972.
Posted by: Debbie D | February 09, 2008 at 12:58 PM
"Jody" is the name of the ballad (to a female, though) on Jeff Beck's LP, circa 1971 or so.
Posted by: Peter | February 10, 2008 at 07:48 AM
The first (and only other) time that I heard this term was in "Coming Home" when Bruce Dern calls Jon Voight a "jody fuck". I always wondered what that meant. Thanks, BotB!
Posted by: the GRD | February 10, 2008 at 08:51 PM
In "Old man from the mountains" Merle Haggard says "get rid of Joe the grinder". I never knew what that meant.
Posted by: bb | February 10, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Nice post, Debbie. You asked about other Jody-related tunes, so here are a couple country efforts for ya.
1. Red Sovine's Go Hide John on Starday, a Viet Nam war tune where the grinder in question is a draft dodger. Sample lyrics:
I wrote you how I fell from Cam Ranh Bay
He burned his card then stole you away
Now I'm back on the sweet side of the pond
I thought I'd call to tell you go hide John
2. A guy named Dick Bruce recorded A Letter From Home for the K-Ark label. It's a recitation of a letter to a soldier (again in Viet Nam) and the soldier/recipient obviously has the worst wife ever: she's given away her husband's best suit, thrown beer-guzzling parties funded by the soldier husband, sold his movie camera and golf clubs and wrecked his car AND is carrying on with another man.
Posted by: Greg G. | February 11, 2008 at 10:34 AM
there are references to 'jody' on those famous recordings of prison worksongs from Angola State Prison in Louisiana (recorded in '59, i think) - always assumed they were about an actual individual thus named ... guess not!
Posted by: bill | February 11, 2008 at 10:40 AM
Damn, Greg! Now THAT'S the "Cold Hard Facts Of Life"!!
Posted by: debbie daughtry | February 11, 2008 at 10:42 AM
My favorite Jody song is "Uncle Sam Blues," which is by Sonny Thompson's band though someone else sings (I can never remember his name). You can get it on a Sonny Thompson compilation on the Blue Moon label. The singer urges Uncle Sam to draft Jody for Korea, because otherwise he's going to take everyone else's girl. Musically it's really hot--great jump blues.
Posted by: Pete Wilson | February 12, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Thats my dad, John Hanes, playing drums on the Fillmore Slim tune.
My dad is very cool all of the sudden.
Posted by: Simon Hanes | February 13, 2008 at 08:00 PM
I can think of one...a song-poem, no less. "Joedy Is A Wise Guy", with lyrics by White-Dienna, sung by Bob Gerard. Here are the lyrics, in all their grammatically-creative/awkward splendor:
"Joedy is a wise guy
He steals a girl and tells her lies
What makes him so cool
He tries to be smooth
And with you away, you're bound to lose
Joedy doesn't fake
He'll ask your girlfriend for a date
And when you receive the news, you'll be blue
'Cause your love is gone without you being clued
He seeks the girls whose guys told Uncle Sam "Hi"
What makes it so bad
He's got a boss pad
And then you receive a letter from her
Labelled "Hi, Dad"
Labelled "Hi, Dad"!
Joedy's no machine
He's cool and smart and tough and mean
But he can be licked
And he can be whipped
Because Uncle Sam will get him just like you
He seeks the girls whose guys has told Uncle Sam "Hi"
What makes it so bad
He's got a boss pad
And then you receive a letter from her
Labelled "Hi, Dad"
Labelled "Hi, Dad"
Joedy's no machine
He's cool and smart and tough and mean
But he can be licked
And he can be whipped
Because Uncle Sam will get him just like you"
Posted by: Galliard | February 19, 2008 at 01:55 PM
I'm a little late to the party, but readers interested in learning more about Jody, aka Joe the Grinder, might enjoy my podcast on the subject...
http://www.dreamtimepodcast.com/2008/08/episode-58-jodys-got-your-girl-and-gone.html
which includes many of the songs listed here.
Posted by: Fred@Dreamtime | August 25, 2008 at 09:36 AM