Rumble
Chick Corea Elektric Band Lyrics


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I'm wearing second hand shoes
Second hand hose
All the girls hand me
Their second hand clothes
Even my pajamas when I darn 'em
Have somebody else's
Initials on 'em
Second hand rings
Mmm... second hand things
I never get what other girlies do

Once while strolling
Through the ritz a girl got my goat
She nudged her friend
And said oh look there goes
My old fur coat

I don't believe in
Frettin' and grievin'
Why mess around with strife
I never was caught out
To step and strut out
Give me the simple life
Some find a pleasant dining on pheasants
Those things roll off my comb
Just serve me tomatoes
And mashed potatoes
Any place I hang my hat is home

Oh, I got plenty o' nothin'
And nothin's plenty for me
I got no car, I got no mule
I got no misery
Don't you see
I got no lock on my door
That's okay with me
Cause the things that I prize
Like the stars in the skies are all free
I got plenty o' nothin'
And nothin's plenty for me

Once I built a railroad
Made it run,
Made it race
Against time
Once I built a railroad
Now it's done
Brother can you spare a dime?
Say don't you remember
They called me al
It was al all the time
Say don't you remember
I'm your pal
Buddy can you spare a dime?

Nobody knows you
When you're down and out
In your pocket's
Not one penny
And your friends
Well, you haven't any
Soon as you get on your feet again
Everybody
Everybody
Is your long lost friend
It's mighty strange
Without a doubt
But nobody knows you
When you're down and out

Oh every one knows
That I'm just second hand rose
From second avenue
Ya can't beat the egg-creams
From second avenue
There is more between me
And fifth avenue
Than three blocks
I tell ya
Second avenue

The flowers in spring
The robins that sing
The sun beam that shines
They're yours, they're mine




And love can come to anyone
Because the best things in life are free

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Chick Corea Elektric Band's song "Rumble" may actually be a bit of a mystery to those who have given them a listen. The song features a mashup of a variety of lyrics from different songs, including "Second Hand Rose," "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out." The song seems to be a commentary on wealth and status, with the singer recognizing the value of simplicity and life's free pleasures. They proudly proclaim their love for second-hand items and their lack of possessions, suggesting a rejection of materialism and societal expectations.


The inclusion of these different lyrics and themes from classic songs from various eras can also be interpreted as a commentary on the cyclical nature of societal issues. The struggles of poverty and classism have been present throughout history, and the song seems to acknowledge that while also promoting the idea that love and simple pleasures can prevail in even the darkest of situations.


Overall, the lyrics of "Rumble" promote a message of anti-materialism and simplicity, while acknowledging the struggles of poverty and the cyclical nature of societal problems.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm wearing second hand shoes
I cannot afford new shoes


Second hand hose
I cannot afford new hosiery


All the girls hand me Their second hand clothes
I do not have the means to buy new clothes so I accept hand-me-downs


Even my pajamas when I darn 'em Have somebody else's Initials on 'em
I have to fix my pajamas that I got from someone else, which have their initials on them


Second hand rings Mmm... second hand things
I do not have enough money to buy new jewelry or anything else


I never get what other girlies do
I cannot afford the luxuries and material goods that others can


Once while strolling Through the ritz a girl got my goat She nudged her friend And said oh look there goes My old fur coat
A woman saw me in my second-hand clothes and was amused. I overheard her comment on my appearance


I don't believe in Frettin' and grievin' Why mess around with strife
I do not worry or grieve over material goods, it is not worth it


I never was caught out To step and strut out Give me the simple life
I don't need fancy things or attention, I am content with simplicity


Some find a pleasant dining on pheasants Those things roll off my comb Just serve me tomatoes And mashed potatoes Any place I hang my hat is home
I am not interested in fancy foods, I will eat simple meals. As long as I have a place to stay, I am happy.


Oh, I got plenty o' nothin' And nothin's plenty for me I got no car, I got no mule I got no misery Don't you see I got no lock on my door That's okay with me Cause the things that I prize Like the stars in the skies are all free I got plenty o' nothin' And nothin's plenty for me
I am content with having nothing, as the things I really care about in life are free and priceless.


Once I built a railroad Made it run, Made it race Against time Once I built a railroad Now it's done Brother can you spare a dime?
I used to have a job and build railways, but I lost it and now I am asking for help.


Say don't you remember They called me al It was al all the time Say don't you remember I'm your pal Buddy can you spare a dime?
I am reminding someone of our past relationship in the hopes that they will give me some money or assistance.


Nobody knows you When you're down and out In your pocket's Not one penny And your friends Well, you haven't any Soon as you get on your feet again Everybody Everybody Is your long lost friend It's mighty strange Without a doubt But nobody knows you When you're down and out
When you are struggling and broke, it's hard to find true friends. Once you get back on your feet, everyone wants to be your friend again. It's a strange phenomenon.


Oh every one knows That I'm just second hand rose From second avenue Ya can't beat the egg-creams From second avenue There is more between me And fifth avenue Than three blocks I tell ya Second avenue
Everyone knows that I am poor and have to rely on hand-me-downs for clothing. I prefer the cheap but delicious egg creams from Second Avenue. There is more to me than my poverty or where I come from.


The flowers in spring The robins that sing The sun beam that shines They're yours, they're mine And love can come to anyone Because the best things in life are free
Nature, sunshine, and love are all free and available to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.




Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NIGEL ANDREW STAFF, DONOVAN BENNETT, WAYNE MCGREGOR, ADIDJA PALMER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

WarhawkBeyond2040

Cheesy robotic on stage moves aside, this has got be one of the most hard hitting versions of Rumble i have ever heard from Chick Corea's Elektric Band and they're just absolutely on fire especially Dave Weckl 0:00 to 0:58 who brings so much power to the piece. Unbelievable performance.

Johnny Nation

Yes, unfortunately Chick drove some great musicians away (Scott Henderson for one) with his Scientology leanings !!!###

Paul Bentley

A mulleted Dave Weckl is not to be under estimated. Quantum leap in jazz fusion by the CCEB, no question about it. Timing, interplay, stellar musicianship, creativity I mean how can anyone not be blown away.

Paul Bentley

The composition, the interplay, the timing, the musicianship. Different level. I watched this live at 3 venues in the UK, it was jaw dropping to see.

Paul Bentley

Will Morgan Cardiff, Manchester, London. 2 of them I think in the same week!

Paul Bentley

Will Morgan no opening act... Straight to CCEB!!

Tim Coleman

This is awesome! I've never seen Dave Weckl playing so aggressively as in the solo at the beginning. There was some serious passion in that!

AJD OLD CHANNEL ARCHIVE

One of my favourite compositions... love those runs and stabs

slapbassboy1

What a strange yet captivating era of music. And seeing Chick Corea on a keytar.!! Priceless.

How To Beat A Drum

Wow...I love this song. So glad I found this live version!

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