Ignored, Maligned, and Forgotten Music

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Grits Ain't Groceries - Little Milton and More

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I first heard Grits Ain't Groceries when I was working on my article about the Homemade Jamz Blues Band. I knew it wasn't original to them so I started looking. Apparently the song originated with Little Milton in the 1960s but it's been covered quite a few times.

Today I've got seven versions for you, naturally including the Little Milton original and the Homemade Jamz Blues Band cover. Of note, both hail from Mississippi. The song caught my interest for the intriguing lyrics. In essence, it's a version of the "pigs fly" sort of promise. The singer swears "If I don't love you, baby, grits ain't groceries, eggs ain't poultry, and Mona Lisa was a man."

I don't know about you, but that stuck the song right in my head. It also made me consider whether eggs are, in fact, poultry and whether or not Mona Lisa might have been a man. But while my mind wandered I kept chair dancing through The Commitments, Titus Turner, and John Mayall. It's got everything I love: a little funk, a little soul, some horns, and lyrics that keep you interested. Enjoy, and if you've a version I missed out on please drop a note and tell me!

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