‘Jackie Blue’ is a song recorded by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils for their second album It'll Shine When It Shines released in 1974. Released as a single in February 1975 – subsequent to the album's unsuccessful lead single ‘Look Away"’ – ‘Jackie Blue’ became the band's second Top 40 hit – their 1974 debut single ‘If You Wanna Get to Heaven’ having reached #25. ‘Jackie Blue’ reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, while spending two weeks at #1 (May 10–17, 1975) on the Cashbox Singles Chart. It was also a hit internationally: #2 in Canada, #9 in New Zealand, #10 in South Africa, and #27 in Australia.
Ozark Mountain Daredevils drummer Larry Lee wrote ‘Jackie Blue.’ Lee was inspired by a male drug dealer and bartender whom he'd once known. He later remarked he never saw him during the day. Daredevil Mike Granda would recall Lee previewing the song for the band as "Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Jackie Blue/ He was dada, and dada doo/ He did this, he did that/ He went here, he went there/ Blah, blab, blab Ooh ooh Jackie" and despite its obviously rough-form lyrics the song was deemed catchy enough to be performed "as is" at the live shows that the Daredevils played prior to recording the bulk of their next album in the barn at Ruedi Valley Ranch near Bolivar (Missouri) in the summer of 1974.
Even in rough form, Lee's song greatly impressed producer Glyn Johns that he ensured it make the final cut for album inclusion. The Daredevils had completed rough tracks for all of the album's potential cuts when they left Missouri for Los Angeles to mix the favored tracks at Sunset Sound. The exception was ‘Jackie Blue,’ which had only been recorded as an instrumental. At Sunset Sound, Lee and fellow band member Steve Cash assisted in re-writing the lyrics: "We started over with some of [Lee's] lyrics, switched them around, and I wrote a couple of verses. We just knocked some new lyrics out in about thirty minutes. From some drugged-out guy, we changed Jackie into a reclusive girl." This turned the song into a tale about a woman who is in pursuit of happiness but never gives anything a long enough time to make her happy. She gets bored too easily - she's flighty, or indifferent.
Label – A&M
Songwriters – Steve Cash, Larry Lee
Producers – Glyn Johns, David Anderle
SONG LYRICS
[Chorus]Ooh-hoo, Jackie blue
Lives her life from inside of a room
Hides that smile when she's wearin' a frown
Ooh Jackie, you're not so down
[Verse 1]
You like your life in a free-form style
You'll take an inch but you'd love a mile
There never seems to be quite enough
Floating around to fill your lovin' cup
[Chorus]
Ooh-hoo, Jackie blue
What's a game, girl, if you never lose
Ask a winner and you'll prob'bly find
Ooh Jackie, they've lost at sometime
[Verse 2]
Don't try to tell me that you're not aware
Of what you're doing and that you don't care
You say it's easy, just a nat'ral thing
Like playing music but you never sing
[Chorus]
Ooh-hoo, Jackie blue
Making wishes that never come true
Going places that you've never been
Ooh Jackie, you're going again
[Break]
{guitar solo}
[Chorus]
Ooh-hoo, Jackie blue
Lives a dream that can never come true
Making love is like siftin' through sand
Ooh Jackie, it slips through your hand
[Verse 3]
Every day, in your indigo eyes
I watch the sun set but I don't see it rise
Moonlight and stars in your strawberry wine
You'd take the world but you won't take the time
[Chorus]
Ooh-hoo, Jackie blue
Lives her life from inside of a room
Makes you think that her life is a drag
Ooh Jackie, what fun you have had
Ooh Jackie, ooh Jackie
Ooh Jackie, ooh Jackie, ooh Jackie
Hey, hey, hey, hey
{guitar solo}