Poor Boy
No recording artist has more impeccable street credentials than Joe Bataan,… Read Full Bio ↴No recording artist has more impeccable street credentials than Joe Bataan, the originator of the New York Latin Soul style that paralleled Latin boogaloo and anticipated disco. His musical experience began with street corner doo-wop in the 1950s, and came to include one of the first rap records to hit the charts, 1979's "Rap-O, Clap-O". In between these milestones, he recorded classic albums like St. Latin's Day Massacre, a perennial favorite in the salsa market, Salsoul, which gave the record label its name and helped spark the national explosion of urban dance music, and Afrofilipino, which included one of the very earliest New York disco hits, an instrumental version of Gil Scott Heron's "The Bottle".

Born Peter Nitollano, of African-American/Filipino parents, Joe Bataan grew up in Spanish Harlem, where he ran with Puerto Rican gangs and absorbed R&B, Afro-Cuban and Afro-Rican musical influences. His music career followed a pair of stints in Coxsackie State Prison. Self taught on the piano, he organized his first band in 1965 and scored his first recording success in 1967 with "Gypsy Woman" on Fania Records, . The tune was a hit with the New York Latin market despite the English lyrics sung by Joe, and exemplified the nascent Latin Soul sound. In early anticipation of the disco formula, "Gypsy Woman" created dance energy by alternating what was fundamentally a pop-soul tune with a break featuring double timed hand claps, . Joe would take this tendency even further on his influential Salsoul, which fused funk and latin influences in slick yet soulful orchestrations. Salsoul remains influential as a rare groove cult item, but pointed to the future at the time of its release. The LP embodied the artist's highly deliberate and culturally aware musical concept. Bataan theorized the '70s next big thing as a hybrid: an Afro Cuban rhythm section playing Brazilian influenced patterns over orchestral funk. In many ways, his vision was on the money, though most of the money would go to others, and mainstream stardom would elude him. He did, however, get in on the ground floor of the new trend as an early hit maker. His biggest commercial move was a Salsoul production released under the Epic umbrella, and promoted to the new disco market as Afrofilipino, which included 1975's "The Bottle", a much anthologized classic that drives an R&B horn arrangment with a relentless piano montuno.

Always in touch with the street, Joe Bataan picked up on rap very early in the game. His minor rap hit, "Rap-O, Clap-O" was a bit more successful in Europe than in the States, and is remembered as rap's debut in the European market. Nevertheless, his legacy remains his gritty and realistic Latin soul lyrics, his self identification as an "Ordinary Guy", and his highly personal and prophetic merger of Latin and soul influences.
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Poor Boy
Joe Bataan Lyrics


We have lyrics for 'Poor Boy' by these artists:


Animal Years Say you want me Say you need me Be my best friend Love…
Antifreeze I saw you standing alone, so I said "Hi" with…
Asaf Avidan One boy grew up different from the rest Without the insides…
Belle and Sebastian Poor boy, I could never live up to your imagination Poor…
Blind Pilot Poor boy Why don't you try getting water? Poor boy Why do…
Box Of Frogs Got a letter just the other day From the man downtown All…
Brian Eno & David Byrne A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frien…
Buck-O-Nine He's a poorboy he lives on the street He's got…
Byrne David & Brian Eno A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frien…
byrne david and brian eno A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frie…
Canning And here we said that you could never play With the…
Carr New York boy in the grass Blue eyes, black hair, all…
Casey Kelly Well, I'm just a poor boy Wandering through There's holes in…
Cliff Richard It won't work, poor boy, don't you try again Fate took…
Cliff Richard & The Shadows It won't work poor boy, don't you try again. Fate took…
David Byrne & Brian Eno A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frie…
David Byrne; Brian Eno A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frien…
David ByrneBrian Eno A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frie…
Diego DeadMan Potron 'coz i'm a poor boy a long way from my home 'coz…
Drake Nick Never sing for my supper I never help my neighbor Never do…
E.Clapton/B.Wyman/C.Watts/S.Winwood/Howlin´Wolf I'm a poor boy, I'm a long way from home I'm…
Electric Light Orchestra Me I'm just a poor boy, from across the far…
Elvis & Friends Hey there, poor boy, lost your honeycomb One thing's sure, b…
Eno Byrne A truck parked this morning, outside the grocery store Frien…
Gill Landry Poor boy ain't got no home Walk in the junkyard, a…
Howlin' Wolf I'm a poor boy, I'm a long way from home I'm…
Howlin' Wolf Eric Clapton Steve Winwood Bill Wyman Charlie Watts I'm a poor boy, I'm a long way from home I'm…
Howlin’ Wolf I'm a poor boy, I'm a long way from home I'm…
Jamie McDell I went to school with the sharpest of the knives…
Jandek Well it's a poor boy, a poor boy It's a poor…
Jason Joshua & The Beholders I′m just a poor boy I came from the streets I'm just…
Jeff Beck feat. Imelda May Like a poor boy I′m a long way from home Like…
Joan Baez As I walked down to the river poor boy, to…
John Lee Ziegler Poor boy, I ain't got nowhere to go I'm worried, I'm…
Lawrence Taylor Would you still love me if I was a poor…
Leo Kottke Fahey-White (Instrumental)…
Lords When I was born you know I couldn't speak "I'll go" My…
M. Ward Poor boy Head against a pillow Fast asleep Poor girl Hea…
M.B.R Poor boy Head against a pillow Fast asleep Poor girl Head ag…
Maclean Tara Poor boy No one on his arm He's got tongue for talent Head…
Mat Kearney Like a breath of fresh air and the wind at…
Mechanical Bride On the wind we'll taste the innonce also secret sweet and we…
Michael Ruff Listen to the rain, like glass breaking slowly My heart's br…
Nick Drake Nick Drake - Poor boy Never sing for my supper I never…
O.C. Holt He's a poorboy he lives on the street He's got…
Pete Seeger Who's gonna shoe your pretty little foot? Who's gonna glove…
Pharis Romero One hard thing I know about a wandering mind Never contented…
Puhdys When I was born, you know I couldn't speak and go My…
R.L. Burnside I'm a poor boy, I'm a long way from home I'm…
Red Molly Poor boy, poor boy Where did you learn your song? From the…
September 67 شب تا صبح به فکر فردایه خودتی که چی میشه…
Shane Nicholson Never sing for my supper I never help my neighbour Never do…
Shocking Blue Poor boy, poor boy are you long way from home Poor…
Split Enz My love is alien, I picked her up by chance She…
Split Enz (Finn Brothers) My love is alien, I picked her up by chance She…
Split Enz and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra My love is alien, I picked her up by chance She…
Stan Webb Chicken Shack They call me Poor Boy, oh you let me down Oh…
Steve Earle I was born on the other side of town Everybody over…
Steve Forbert He's always alone, wrapped up in his plight With his hands…
Such A Surge Mind is empty like a six pack If we could we…
Supertramp Can you believe me when I say, there's nothing I…
Tara MacLean Poor boy No one on his arm He's got tongue for talent Hea…
The Bates When I was born you know I couldn't speak and go My…
The Clean Ven bailame riko asi porque yo le pego clen y…
The DeFranco Family Don't need no champagne or caviar Don't need no Rolls Royce…
The Fabulous Thunderbirds Wilson I'm a poor, poor boy But that don't worry me…
The Lords When I was born you know I couldn't speak and…
The Slip I'm just a poor boy in love with you and…
Tim Finn My love is alien, I picked her up by chance She…
Tyler Farr I used to drive my truck 'cross the train tracks A…
U.I.C. the less you know the better off you'll be keep your head…
Vices I Admire The less you know The better off you'll be Keep your h…
Wolf Howlin I'm a poor boy, I'm a long way from home I'm…
Woody & Paul My mother called me to her bedside These words she said…


We have lyrics for these tracks by Joe Bataan:


Always & Forever Always and forever Each moment with you Is just like a dream…
Bilingual Girl Oye, look who is there Está super hot será latino ó…
Call My Name Before the setting sun and I'll appear And know that I'm…
Chick a Boom Boom boom, chick-a-boom boom boom Chick-a-boom, chick-a-boom…
Chick-A-Boom Boom boom, chick-a-boom boom boom Chick-a-boom, chick-a-boo…
Crystal Blue Persuasion Look over yonder (better get ready) What do you see? (Crysta…
Cycles of You In the morning, as I make my way down the…
Freedom 3RD STOREE Miscellaneous Get Wit' Me"(feat. Joe Budden [Intr…
Gypsy Woman From nowhere through the caravan Round the campfire light A …
I Wish You Love I wish you bluebirds in the spring To give your heart…
If I Were A King If I were a king (if I were a king) I'd…
It's A Good Feeling Everybody is doing it. That's right! Everybody is doing it.…
Mestizo Mestizo, you're the air, Mestizo, you're the world, Latino…
Mestizo (12" Mix) Mestizos throughout the earth Stand tall **about your birth …
Mi Nube Gracias Señor por la nube que hiciste para mí Para que…
More Love Ooh, ooh, ooh. Let it be soon, don't hesitate, make love,…
Muchacho Ordinario Yo no guio un carro que es gran cosa Yo no…
Mujer Mujer mía... Mira este amor; Cómo pasa. Después que te fuist…
Mujer Mia Mujer mía Mira el tiempo como pasa Después que te fuistes de…
My Cloud Thank you lord for the cloud you made for me I…
Ordinary Guy I can't move a mountain top Everything's ordinary on my bloc…
Para Puerto Rico Voy Desde lejos yo oigo Un canto suspirar El zumbido de tus play…
Rap-O Clap-O Just clap your hands, everybody Everybody, come on, clap yo…
Sad Girl Sad girl Sad girl You look so sad Did he break your heart? …
Subway Joe (oh is this the right car? Boss street is coming up…
The Prayer In the name of the Father, and of the Son,…
Under The Street Lamp Standing around telling jokes We can't go no where because w…
Uptown Hey! Hey! Uptown Shoop shoo dooby dooby Uptown How! Uptown S…
What Good Is A Castle What good is a castle Way high upon a hill If you're…
When Sunny Gets Blue When Sunny gets blue, her eyes get gray and cloudy, Then…
When We Get Married Darlin' oh-oh-oh When we get married we'll have a big celeb…
You're Driving Me Right out of My Mind Now that you've taken, all the love that I could…


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