Ain't It Crazy

"Ain’t It Crazy" (Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins) AKA "The Rub"

This riotously raunchy Pigpen vehicle steeped in sexual innuendo was one of the earliest tunes in the Grateful Dead's repertoire, one they drew from their embryonic jug band, Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions. Lightnin' Hopkins is credited with the song's authorship but its roots lie in vaudeville at the very latest and most probably in the murk of minstrelsy.

Grateful Dead

Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead (2000)

<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/aint-it-crazy-the-rub-live/id307793560?i=307793594&uo=4" target="itunes_store"><img src="http://r.mzstatic.com/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-sm.gif" alt="Ain't It Crazy (The Rub) [Live] - Ladies and Gentlemen... The Grateful Dead - Fillmore East, New York City, April 1971" style="border: 0;"/></a>

Road Trips Volume 3 Number 3 May 15, 1970 (2010)

http://store.dead.net/1970s/road-trips-vol-3-no-3

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Trips-Vol-Fillmore-5-15-70/dp/B003TTYBVI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1315857711&sr=8-3

Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions

Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions/'64 (1998)

http://www.amazon.com/Mother-McCrees-Uptown-Jug-Champions/dp/B000VFJV90/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1315857891&sr=1-1

Lightnin' Hopkins

Hootin' The Blues (1962)

<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/aint-it-crazy/id207993829?i=207993844&uo=4" target="itunes_store"><img src="http://ax.phobos.apple.com.edgesuite.net/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-lrg.gif" alt="Ain't It Crazy - Hootin' the Blues (Live) [Remastered]" style="border: 0;"/></a>

Lightnin! (1990)

<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/aint-it-crazy/id415269765?i=415269769&uo=4" target="itunes_store">Ain't It Crazy - Lightnin'!</a>

The Complete Prestige/’63 (1991)

Sam Theard (1934)
<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/new-rubbing-on-that-darned/id78401280?i=78401257&uo=4" target="itunes_store"><img src="http://r.mzstatic.com/images/web/linkmaker/badge_itunes-sm.gif" alt="New Rubbing On That Darned Old Thing - Lovin' Sam Theard (1929-1936)" style="border: 0;"/></a>

Listen:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/lovin-sam-theard/tracks/rubbin-on-that-darned-old-thing-rub-that-thing--23429366

Singles:

Oscar's Chicago Swingers (1936)

State Street Swingers (1936)

Lyrics:

http://www.dead.net/song/aint-it-crazy-rub

Notes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightnin_hopkins

Watch:

 

 

Stream/Download:

http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-07-12.aud.unknown.sirmick.24663.sbefail.shnf

http://www.archive.org/details/gd71-12-01.aud.minches-vernon.24765.sbeok.shnf

Stream:

http://www.archive.org/details/gd71-03-18.sbd.yerys.1663.sbeok.shnf

Learn to Play on Guitar:

Ain't It Crazy (The Rub)
Lightnin' Hopkins)

      E7
Well, mama got the rub board, sister got the tub
E7
They're goin' around doing the rub, the rub
         A7              E7
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
         B7            A7                      E7     B7
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.

Two old maids, they was layin’ in the bed
One turned over and this is what she said,
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.

Mama killed a chicken, thought he was a duck
Put him on the table with his feet sticking up
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.

There was two old ladies layin’ in the sand,
Each one wonderin’ if the other was a man
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.

Well I see that woman goin behind the hill
I'm gonna find that girl, I'm gonna do my will
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.

Well I feel so good, well I feel so fine
All I gotta do is drink that wine
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.

I said the little old rooster saw the little old hen
He said, "I’ve had no lovin’ since God knows when"
Ain't it crazy, ain't it crazy
Ain't it crazy one day keep on rubbin' at that thing.