Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands, Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Doc Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Chu Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.
Calloway was born to a middle-class family in Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1918. He later lived in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Cabell Calloway II, was a lawyer, and his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist. His parents recognised their son's musical talent, and he began private voice lessons in 1922. He continued to study music and voice throughout his formal schooling. Despite his parents' and vocal teachers' disapproval of jazz, Calloway began frequenting and eventually performing in many of Baltimore's jazz clubs, where he was mentored by drummer Chick Webb and pianist Johnny Jones.
After graduating from high school, Calloway joined his older sister, Blanche, in a touring production of the popular black musical revue Plantation Days (Blanche Calloway herself went on to become an accomplished bandleader before her brother did, and he often credited his inspiration to enter show business to her). Calloway attended Lincoln University, Pennsylvania , and left in 1930 without graduating.
When the tour ended in Chicago in the autumn, Cab decided to remain in Chicago with his sister, who had an established career as a jazz singer in that city. His parents had hopes of their son becoming a lawyer like his father, so Calloway enrolled in Crane College. His main interest, however, was in singing and entertaining, and he spent most of his nights at the Dreamland Cafe, the Sunset Cafe, and the Club Berlin, performing as a drummer, singer, and emcee. At the Sunset Cafe he met and performed with Louis Armstrong who taught him to sing in the scat style.
The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Cab Calloway and his Orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930) were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring. Calloway quickly proved so popular that his band became the co-house band with Ellington's, and he and his group began touring nationwide when not playing at the Cotton Club. Their popularity was greatly enhanced by the twice-weekly live national radio broadcasts on NBC at the Cotton Club. Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at the Paramount Theatre. As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network colour barrier.
Unlike many other bands of comparable commercial success, Calloway's gave ample soloing space to its lead members, and, through the varied arrangements of Walter 'Foots' Thomas, provided much more in the way of musical interest.
In 1931, he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". That song, together with "St James Infirmary Blues" and "The Old Man of the Mountain", were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White, and The Old Man of the Mountain respectively. Through rotoscoping, Cab not only gave his voice to these cartoons but his dance steps as well. Cab took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher" he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man". He also performed in a series of short films for Paramount in the 1930s (Calloway and Ellington were featured on film more than any other Jazz Orchestra of the era). In 1943 he appeared in the high-profile 20th Century Fox musical film, Stormy Weather.
In his later career, Calloway became a popular personality, appearing in a number of films and stage productions that utilised both his acting and singing talents. In 1952, he played the prominent role of Sportin' Life in a production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. Another notable role was Yeller in The Cincinnati Kid (1965). In 1967 Calloway co-starred as Horace Vandergelder in an all-black revival of Hello, Dolly! (even though the original production was still running) starring Pearl Bailey. This was a major success, and led to a cast recording released by RCA. In 1973-1974 he was featured in an unsuccessful Broadway revival of The Pajama Game.
Calloway attracted renewed interest in 1980 when he appeared as a supporting character in the film The Blues Brothers, performing "Minnie the Moocher", and again when he sang "The Jumpin' Jive" with the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street. This was also the year in which the cult film Forbidden Zone was released, which included rearrangements and parodies of Cab Calloway songs written by Danny Elfman, a Calloway fan.
On 18th November 1994 Calloway died, having suffered a major stroke six months earlier. In 1998, The Cab Calloway Orchestra (directed by Cab's grandson C. "CB" Calloway Brooks) was formed to honour Cab Calloway's legacy nationally and internationally.
Hey Joe
Cab Calloway Lyrics
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Hey Joe, I said where you goin' with that gun in your hand, oh
I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man
Yeah, I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man
Huh! and that ain't cool
Huh hey hoe, I heard you shot your mama down
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down
You shot her down in the ground yeah!
Yeah!
Yes, I did, I shot her
You know I caught her messin' round messin' round town
Huh, yes I did I shot her
You know I caught my old lady messin' 'round town
And I gave her the gun
And I shot her
Alright
Shoot her one more time again baby!
Yeah!
Oh dig it
Oh alright
Hey Joe,
Where you gonna run to now where you gonna go
Hey Joe, I said
Where you gonna run to now where you gonna go
I'm goin' way down south
Way down to Mexico way
Alright
I'm goin' way down south
Way down where I can be free
Ain't no one gonna find me
Ain't no hang-man gonna
He ain't gonna put a rope around me
You better believe it right now
I gotta go now
Hey, Joe
You better run on down
Goodbye everybody
Hey hey Joe
The lyrics to Cab Calloway's song Hey Joe tell a story of a man named Joe who catches his old lady cheating on him with another man. He then decides to take matters into his own hands and shoots her down. The song is dark and paints a picture of the violent and dangerous consequences of infidelity. Joe does not express any regret or remorse for his actions, but instead decides to flee from the law by heading down to Mexico to escape the consequences of his actions.
The song is a commentary on the destructive power of jealousy and the lengths it can drive a person to. Joe's jealousy is so extreme that he resorts to murder, which is a reflection of his inner turmoil and the pain he is experiencing. The lyrics also suggest that Joe is aware that his actions aren't justified, as he acknowledges that "that ain't cool." However, he proceeds with his actions anyway, indicating that he is consumed by his emotions and unable to control his behavior.
Overall, the song highlights the destructive power of jealousy and the consequences that can result from acting on extreme emotions. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of controlling our emotions and the danger of unchecked jealousy.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun of your hand
Joe, where are you planning on going with that gun that you're holding?
Hey Joe, I said where you goin' with that gun in your hand, oh
I'm asking again Joe, where are you headed with that gun in your possession?
I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
I'm heading somewhere to take my gun and shoot my wife.
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man
I witnessed her cheating on me with another man, and that's what triggered this decision.
Huh! and that ain't cool
What she did was not acceptable, and I'm not going to tolerate it.
Huh hey hoe, I heard you shot your mama down
People are saying that you shot your mother, Joe. Is that true?
You shot her down now
Did you actually shoot her down? Is that what happened?
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down
Now they're saying that you've done the same to your wife, Joe. Is it true?
You shot her down in the ground yeah!
You did indeed shoot your wife and now she's lying in the ground.
Yes, I did, I shot her
Yes, I'm responsible for her death. I'm the one who pulled the trigger.
You know I caught her messin' round messin' round town
I caught my wife cheating on me while she was out on the town.
Huh, yes I did I shot her
It's true, I shot her dead because of what she did to me.
And I gave her the gun
I provided her with the weapon that would eventually be used against her.
And I shot her
And as a result, she was fatally shot.
Hey Joe, where you gonna run to now where you gonna go
Now that you've committed this terrible act, where do you think you can hide?
Hey Joe, I said where you gonna run to now where you gonna go
I'm asking you again Joe, where do you plan to go now that you've done this?
I'm goin' way down south
I'm heading way down south for safety.
Way down to Mexico way
Specifically, I'm planning on going to Mexico where I hope to avoid getting caught.
I'm goin' way down south
I'm making a conscious decision to leave everything I know and head somewhere far away.
Way down where I can be free
I hope that by running away, I can finally feel free and unencumbered by my past.
Ain't no one gonna find me
I don't think anybody is going to find me, at least not for a while.
Ain't no hang-man gonna
Even if the authorities were to find me, there's no way they're going to put me on trial.
He ain't gonna put a rope around me
I won't let them put a noose around my neck; I'd rather keep running than face justice.
You better believe it right now
I'm serious about this. I'm not going to stick around and let them throw me in jail.
I gotta go now
I've got to run and leave all of this behind me. There's no other way.
Hey, Joe
Hey Joe, I hope you know what you're doing. You've made some serious mistakes.
You better run on down
If you're going to flee, you better get going now before it's too late.
Goodbye everybody
I'm saying goodbye to everyone and everything I've ever known.
Hey hey Joe
Goodbye, Joe. You're on your own now.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Billy Roberts
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind