In the late 1940s a rising demand for blues was driven by an increasing white teenage audience in the South which quickly spread north and west. Blues shouters got the attention, but also greatly influential was what writer Charles Keil dubbs "the postwar Texas clean-up movement in blues" led by stylists such as T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn and Charles Brown. Their singing was lighter, more relaxed and they worked with bands and combos that had saxophone sections and used arrangements.
As a child Brown demonstrated his love of music and took classical piano lessons. Early on, Brown moved out to Los Angeles, where the great influx of blacks created an integrated nightclub scene in which black performers tended to minimize the rougher blues elements of their style. The blues club style of a light rhythm bass and right-hand tinkling of the piano and smooth vocals became popular, epitomized by the jazz piano of Nat King Cole. When Cole left Los Angeles to perform nationally, his place was taken by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, featuring Charles Brown's gentle piano and vocals.
Brown signed with Aladdin Records and his 1945 recording on that label of the bestseller "Driftin' Blues" with a small combo was a typical club blues song. The single was on the R&B charts for six months, putting Brown at the forefront of a musical evolution that changed American musical performance. His style dominated the influential Southern California club scene on Central Avenue during that period and he influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles.
"Driftin'" was the first of several hits Brown subsequently released "Get Yourself Another Fool", "Black Night", "Hard Times" and "Trouble Blues", all major hits in the early 1950s on such labels as Modern Records as well as Alladin. He was unable to compete with the burgeoning rock and roll sound, though he maintained a small and devoted audience.
Brown's approach was too mellow to survive the transition to rock's harsher rhythms, and he faded from the national limelight. His Please Come Home for Christmas, a hit in 1960 on the King Records remained seasonally popular. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, he occasionally recorded and tried to regain some prominence. This continued until the 1980s, when Bonnie Raitt helped usher in a Charles Brown comeback tour.
He began a recording and performing career again, under the musical direction of guitarist Danny Caron, to greater success than he had achieved since the 1950s. Several records received Grammy Award nominations.
He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received both the National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship and the W. C. Handy Award.
Brown died in 1999 in Oakland, California.
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Christmas Questions
Charles Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At Christmas time
My head is in a whirl
All the children want to know
What makes Santa go
How old are you, Santa Clause
How much do you weigh
How do you feed your reindeer
Why don′t you get a haircut
And why did your whiskers grow
Do you put wheels on your sleigh
When there isn't any snow
Do the children ever story bout if
They been good or bad
What do you do then, Santa Clause,
Ask your Mom and Dad
Do you always feel so jolly
Ain′t you never, never sick
Is your name really Santa Clause
Or is it Old Saint Nick
Do you eat all the cake that's left from
All the kids like me
Do you leave any presents where
There's not a Christmas Tree
How many letters do you get each year
At Christmas time
Do you remember everyone
Do you know which one is mine
I hope you do cause, Santa Claus
I really want to know
How do the reindeer pull your sleigh
When there isn′t any snow
Do you ever get stuck in the chimney
With your bag of toys
Please let me know so I can tell
The other girls and boys
I hope Old Santa can answer these
Questions, cause I can′t answer one!
In the song "Christmas Questions," Charles Brown sings about the many questions children have about Santa Claus during Christmas time. The lyrics are innocent and curious, reflecting the innocence of childhood and the magic of the holiday season. The song captures the excitement and wonder of children as they imagine Santa with his reindeers, sleigh, and bag of toys, and are mystified by how he manages to deliver presents to every child in one night. The lyrics also show how children are eager to understand how Santa operates and the logistics of his annual deliveries to millions of children around the world. The sense of curiosity and wonder is captured perfectly in the lines "I hope Old Santa can answer these Questions, cause I can′t answer one!"
Overall, "Christmas Questions" is a lighthearted, charming, and whimsical song that captures the essence of Christmas, evoking the innocence and wonder of childhood, and reminding us of the magic of the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
At Christmas time
During the holiday season
At Christmas time
During the holiday season
My head is in a whirl
I'm feeling overwhelmed
All the children want to know
Kids have many questions
What makes Santa go
How does Santa travel
How old are you, Santa Clause
Age of Santa
How much do you weigh
Weight of Santa
How do you feed your reindeer
Santa Claus' care of his animals
How heavy is your sleigh
Weight of the sleigh
Why don′t you get a haircut
Query about Santa's hair
And why did your whiskers grow
Question about Santa's beard
Do you put wheels on your sleigh
How does Santa make it work when there is no snow
When there isn't any snow
When there is no snow
Do the children ever story 'bout if
Do kids ever fib that they've been good
They been good or bad
They have been good or bad
What do you do then, Santa Clause,
How does Santa react to the truth
Ask your Mom and Dad
Ask your parents
Do you always feel so jolly
Does Santa always feel happy
Ain′t you never, never sick
Is Santa ever sick
Is your name really Santa Clause
Is Santa's name really Santa Claus
Or is it Old Saint Nick
Or is his name Old Saint Nick
Do you eat all the cake that's left from
Does Santa eat the treats left for him
All the kids like me
All the kids like me
Do you leave any presents where
Does Santa still leave presents if there's no tree
There's not a Christmas Tree
If there is no Christmas tree
How many letters do you get each year
How many letters does Santa receive
At Christmas time
During the holiday season
Do you remember everyone
Does Santa remember every kid
Do you know which one is mine
Does Santa remember which gift goes to each child
I hope you do cause, Santa Claus
I hope so, Santa Claus
I really want to know
I'm really curious
How do the reindeer pull your sleigh
How do the animals transport the sleigh
When there isn't any snow
When there is no snow
Do you ever get stuck in the chimney
Does Santa ever get stuck in the chimney
With your bag of toys
While carrying his bag of gifts
Please let me know so I can tell
I want to inform others
The other girls and boys
Other children
I hope Old Santa can answer these
I hope Santa Claus can answer these
Questions, cause I can′t answer one!
Because I don't know the answers!
Writer(s): Charles Brown
Contributed by Allison K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.