Alan Jackson landed a No. 2 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart with his 1993 single "Mercury Blues." The fixture of Jackson's greatest hits collections was released as the fourth single from his album A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love).
Who Wrote 'Mercury Blues'?
The song, originally titled "Mercury Boogie," was written by Robert L. Geddins and blues musician and songwriter K.C. Douglas and first recorded by Douglas in 1948. It was influenced by the Mercury Eight model, which James Dean drives in Rebel Without a Cause. The song has been performed or recorded over the years by The Steve Miller Band, Meat Loaf, David Lindley, Jackson Browne, Roy Rogers, Jimmy Thackery, Finn Pave Maijanen and Dwight Yoakam.
In the context of the same singles discography as summertime banger "Chattahoochee" and other '90s country playlist musts, "Mercury Blues" and prior Top 5 hit (and Randy Travis co-write) "She's Got the Rhythm (and I Got the Blues)" puts into better context the early overlap of country and blues before recording industry interference. Jackson's a student of music history, so of course he knows that "Mercury Blues" broadcasts his honky tonk roots no less than "(Who Says) You Can't Have It All" and other could-be George Jones singles.
The rights to the song were purchased by Ford Motor Company, which used it for a television commercial with Jackson's slightly tweaked vocals: "I'm crazy 'bout a Ford truck."
There's a fun Easter egg in the song's official music video. The long-haired guitarist whose face is never clearly shown is none other than Keith Urban. Watch the full video below.
"Mercury Blues" Lyrics
Well, if I had money
I'd tell you what I'd do
I go downtown buy a Mercury or two
Crazy bout a Mercury
Lord, I'm crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury & cruise it up & down the road
Well, the girl I love
I stole her from a friend
He got lucky stole her back again
She heard he had a Mercury
Lord, she's crazy 'bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury & cruise it up & down the road.
Hey now mama
You look so fine
Driven round in your Mercury 49'
Crazy bout a Mercury
Lord, I'm crazy bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury & cruise it up & down the road
Well, my baby went out
Didn't stay long
Bought herself a Mercury, come a cruisin' home
She's crazy bout a Mercury
Yeah, she's crazy bout a Mercury
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury & cruise it up & down the road
(Ahhh, cruise now)
Well, if I had money
I'd tell you what I'd do
I go downtown buy a Mercury or two
Crazy bout a Mercury
Lord, I'm crazy bout a Mercury
This story previously ran in Sept. 2021.
