Buddy Johnson, (born Woodrow Wilson Johnson in Darlington, South Carolina, … Read Full Bio ↴Buddy Johnson, (born Woodrow Wilson Johnson in Darlington, South Carolina, January 10, 1915 – New York, February 9, 1977) was an American jazz and blues pianist and bandleader, active from the 1930s through the 1960s. His songs were often performed by his sister Ella Johnson, most notably "Since I Fell for You" which later became a jazz standard.
A prolific composer of rhythm and blues who stayed on the road in his bus playing well over 125 one nighters a year throughout the 1940’s thriving and surviving until finally slowing down in the latter 50’s.
He first appeared on Decca's "race music" imprint in 1939, and he stayed with the label until 1953, then recording for Mercury until 1958, and his last album was on Roulette in 1958. When not on the road, or in the studio, he had a long standing gig at the Savoy Ballroom in New York City where his popular 17 member band held numerous box office records. Johnson's musical style was primarily swinging R&B directed towards black audiences, characterized by exhuberant, driving and danceable sounds, often aided by his little sister Ella on vocals or male singer Arthur Prysock who left for a solo career in 1952. His touring group at it's peak had 4 trumpets including Gil Askey, four trombones including Slide Hampton, five saxophones, string bass, guitar, drums and Johnson directing matters, often from the piano.

As brassy big band R&B sounds fell out of favor, Johnson fought the times and kept a steady road retinue up, particularly in the south, but his sound was perhaps too sophisticated to ever crossover to the modern teeny bop rock n roll crowd. In 1950, at his commercial apex, he told an interviewer of his apathy about the music he had to play to please crowds "Personally I like the classics, but i can't eat classics."

Johnson's band was known as the "Walk 'Em Rhythm" orchestra which desribed the relaxed pace that encouraged patrons to dance. His music was recorded by other artists as well including The Ink Spots, The Harptones, Lenny Welch, The Sonics, and Nina Simone.

Johnson's death after a painful battle with a cancerous brain tumor in 1977 triggered an acrimonius legal battle for control of publishing that was lost by his sister and son vs a new common law wife he lived with near the end of his life in Georgia. Buddy's impoverished sister Ella Johnson who had sung numerous hit Buddy Johnson records and toured with him for two decades, received scant royalties, and lived in public housing until her death in 2004.

from wikipedia:
Johnson took piano lessons as a child, and classical music remained one of his passions. In 1938 he moved to New York, and the following year toured Europe with the Cotton Club Revue, being expelled from Nazi Germany. Later in 1939 he first recorded for Decca Records with his band, soon afterwards being joined by his sister Ella as vocalist.
By 1941 he had assembled a nine-piece orchestra, and soon began a series of R&B and pop chart hits. These included "Let's Beat Out Some Love" (#2 R&B, 1943, with Johnson on vocals), "Baby Don't You Cry" (#3 R&B, 1943, with Warren Evans on vocals), his biggest hit "When My Man Comes Home" (#1 R&B, No. 18 pop, 1944, with Ella Johnson on vocals), and "They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool" (#5 R&B, 1946, with Arthur Prysock on vocals). Ella Johnson recorded her version of "Since I Fell for You" in 1945, but it did not become a major hit until recorded by Lenny Welch in the early 1960s.
In 1946 Johnson composed a Blues Concerto, which he performed at Carnegie Hall in 1948. His orchestra remained a major touring attraction through the late 1940s and early 1950s, and continued to record in the jump blues style with some success on record on the Mercury label like "Hittin' on Me" and "I'm Just Your Fool". Rock and roll eventually halted Johnson's momentum, but his band (tenor saxophonist Purvis Henson was a constant presence in the reed section) kept recording for Mercury through 1958, switched to Roulette the next year, and bowed out with a solitary session for Hy Weiss's Old Town label in 1964.

Fine brown frame
Buddy Johnson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You got a fine brown frame

And i wonder what could be your name
You look to me, ′cause all I can see
Is your fine brown frame
Tell me how long have you been around

Baby when did you hit this big town

Now i wanna scream 'cos I′ve never seen
Such a fine brown frame
Now all that I have is a broken down chair

But I make you queen on my throne
Don't be a square, why don't you come over here
Together we would be gone
Baby! You got a fine brown frame

Oh baby won′t you tell me your name
You solid with me, ′cause all I can see
Is the fine brown frame
-Strumental-

Now all that I have is a broken down chair
But I make you queen on my throne
Don't be a square, why don′t you come over here
Together we would be gone
Baby! You got a fine brown frame
Oh baby won't you tell me your name

You solid with me, ′cause all I can see
Is your fine brown frame

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Buddy Johnson's song "Fine Brown Frame" are a classic example of the beauty and admiration of a man for a woman's looks. The song talks about a woman who has a stunning brown frame and the singer is immediately smitten by her appearance. He is curious to know her name and how long she has been around. He acknowledges that he has a broken-down chair, but he offers to make her his queen on his throne, and he urges her to come over to him so that they can be together.

The song is a classic example of the blues and jazz genre, which was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but the rhythm and melody are catchy and memorable. The instrumental interlude in the middle of the song is a nod to the jazz style of music, and it showcases the skills of the musicians. The use of the word "frame" to describe a woman's body is not only romantic but also poetic.

The song is a declaration of love and admiration from a man to a woman, and it is a testament to the power of attraction and beauty. The singer marvels at the woman's elegance and poise, and he is willing to give up anything just to be with her. The song is a classic example of the timelessness and universality of love and desire.

Line by Line Meaning

You got a fine brown frame
The singer is admiring the physical qualities of the person they are addressing.

And I wonder what could be your name
The singer is curious about the person's identity.

You look to me, ′cause all I can see
The singer is focused on the physical appearance of the person, unable to see past it.

Is your fine brown frame
The artist is emphasizing the beauty and attractiveness of the person's physical frame.

Tell me how long have you been around
The artist is asking the person how long they have been in town or city.

Baby when did you hit this big town
The singer is asking the person when they arrived in the city.

Now I wanna scream 'cause I've never seen
The singer is expressing their excitement and enthusiasm for the person's physical beauty.

Such a fine brown frame
The artist is once again emphasizing the person's physical beauty and attractiveness.

Now all that I have is a broken down chair
The artist is acknowledging their lack of material possessions or social status.

But I make you queen on my throne
The artist is expressing their willingness to elevate the person to a higher social status or position of power.

Don't be a square, why don't you come over here
The singer is encouraging the person to come closer, perhaps for conversation or intimacy.

Together we would be gone
The artist is suggesting that they both leave their current situation behind and go somewhere else together.

Baby! You got a fine brown frame
The singer is once again expressing their admiration for the person's physical beauty and attractiveness.

Oh baby won't you tell me your name
The singer is once again asking the person to reveal their identity.

You solid with me, ′cause all I can see
The singer is emphasizing their attraction to the person's physical appearance and implying that they would like to form a relationship with them.

Is the fine brown frame
The artist is once again emphasizing the person's physical beauty and attractiveness.

Writer(s): Williams J Mayo, Cartiero Geadalope

Contributed by Jake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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