Chick Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland to William H. and Marie Johnson Webb. Since childhood, he suffered from tuberculosis of the spine, leaving him with short stature and a badly deformed spine. He supported himself as a newspaper boy to save enough money to buy drums, and first played professionally at age 11.
At the age of 17 he moved to New York City and by the following year, 1926, he was leading his own band in Harlem. Jazz drummer Tommy Benford said he gave Webb drum lessons when he first reached New York.
He alternated between band tours and residencies at New York City clubs through the late 1920s. In 1931, his band became the house band at the Savoy Ballroom. He became one of the best-regarded bandleaders and drummers of the new "Swing" style. Drumming legend Buddy Rich cited Webb's powerful technique and virtuoso performances as heavily influential on his own drumming, and even referred to Webb as "the daddy of them all". The Savoy often featured "Battle of the Bands" where Webb's band would compete with other top bands (such as the Benny Goodman Orchestra or the Count Basie Orchestra) from opposing bandstands.
Webb married Martha Loretta Ferguson (also known as "Sallye"), and in 1935 he began featuring a teenaged Ella Fitzgerald as vocalist. Despite rumors otherwise, "Ella was not adopted by Webb, nor did she live with him and his wife, Sallye," according to Stuart Nicholson in Ella Fitzgerald; A Biography of the First Lady of Jazz (page 36). Charles Linton, who was with the Chick Webb band, told Nicholson, "He didn't adopt her. Later he said to me, 'I'll say that I adopted her, for the press people.'"
In November of 1938, Webb's health began to decline, and from then until his death he alternated time on the bandstand with time in hospitals. He died the following year in Baltimore. After his death, Ella Fitzgerald led the Chick Webb band until she left to focus on her solo career in 1942.
Undecided
Chick Webb and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then you don't
And then you say you will
And then you won't
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
Now you want to play
And then it's no
That's when you go
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
I've been sitting on a fence
And it doesn't make much sense
'Cause you keep me in suspense
And you know it
Then you promise to return
When you don't
I really burn
Well, I guess I'll never learn
And I show it
If you've got a heart
And if you're kind
Then don't keep us apart
Make up your mind
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
The lyrics to Chick Webb & Chick Webb and His Orchestra's song Undecided speak about a person who cannot make up their mind about whether they want to be in a relationship or not. The person is sending mixed signals to their partner, saying they do want to be together, but then changing their mind and saying they don't. The chorus of the song repeatedly asks the person what they are going to do, as they are undecided. The singer of the song is frustrated and confused, as they are kept in suspense about the state of their relationship. The lyrics touch on the theme of indecision and the emotional toll it can take on a person.
The use of repetition in the lyrics emphasizes the frustration of the singer towards the indecisive person. The lines "you're undecided now, so what are you gonna do?" are repeated throughout the song, further highlighting the theme. The imagery of sitting on a fence is used to convey the singer's feeling of being stuck in a state of limbo. The lyrics also express the singer's vulnerability and desire to be with the indecisive person. However, the singer also acknowledges that they deserve someone who won't keep them in suspense and is sure about their feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
First you say you do
You express that you agree with something
And then you don't
And then you take back your agreement
And then you say you will
Then you state that you'll do something
And then you won't
But then you change your mind and don't do it
You're undecided now
You're currently unsure of your decision
So what are you gonna do?
What's your plan of action?
Now you want to play
You feel like messing around
And then it's no
But then you don't want to anymore
And when you say you'll stay
And when you claim you'll stick around
That's when you go
That's when you actually leave
I've been sitting on a fence
I've been in limbo or undecided
And it doesn't make much sense
It's not logical or practical
'Cause you keep me in suspense
Because you keep me guessing
And you know it
You're aware of your behavior
Then you promise to return
You pledge to come back
When you don't
But you don't actually follow through
I really burn
I feel hurt, angry or frustrated
Well, I guess I'll never learn
I suppose I won't ever understand
And I show it
And I display my emotions (of hurt, anger, frustration)
If you've got a heart
If you're an empathetic or compassionate individual
And if you're kind
And if you possess good intentions or friendliness
Then don't keep us apart
Then don't separate us
Make up your mind
Decide what you truly want
You're undecided now
But you're currently unsure
So what are you gonna do?
So what actions will you take?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Shavers, Sydney Robin, Zbigniew Jacek Namyslowski
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Visayan Miss Nanny 2.0
Lyrics:
First, you say, you do
And then you don't
And then you say, you will
And then you won't
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
Now you want to play
And then it's no
And when you say, you'll stay
That's when you go
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
I've been sitting on a fence
And it doesn't make much sense
'Cause you keep me in suspense
And you know it
Then you promise to return
When you don't, I really burn
Well, I guess, I'll never learn
And I show it
If you've got a heart
And if you're kind
Then don't keep us apart
Make up your mind
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
(Interlude)
I've been sitting on a fence
And it doesn't make much sense
'Cause you keep me in suspense
And you know it
Then you promise to return
When you don't, I really burn
Well, I guess, I'll never learn
And I show it
If you've got a heart
And if you're kind
Then don't keep us apart
Make up your mind
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
Now if you don't love me
I wish you'd say so
I love you so much honey
I just got to know
I'm just a fool for you
What are you gonna do
Visayan Miss Nanny 2.0
Lyrics:
First, you say, you do
And then you don't
And then you say, you will
And then you won't
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
Now you want to play
And then it's no
And when you say, you'll stay
That's when you go
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
I've been sitting on a fence
And it doesn't make much sense
'Cause you keep me in suspense
And you know it
Then you promise to return
When you don't, I really burn
Well, I guess, I'll never learn
And I show it
If you've got a heart
And if you're kind
Then don't keep us apart
Make up your mind
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
(Interlude)
I've been sitting on a fence
And it doesn't make much sense
'Cause you keep me in suspense
And you know it
Then you promise to return
When you don't, I really burn
Well, I guess, I'll never learn
And I show it
If you've got a heart
And if you're kind
Then don't keep us apart
Make up your mind
You're undecided now
So what are you gonna do?
Now if you don't love me
I wish you'd say so
I love you so much honey
I just got to know
I'm just a fool for you
What are you gonna do
Thewildpotato
I love this old music
Joshster 1939
Same here :)
James flynn
Me too
Jourwalis
Super sound quality from a 1939 record! Real Hi-Fi!
Jourwalis
Fantastic!
Taylor Bowie
Nice record...nice to see you!!!!
🌼mochawytch🌼
Awesomesauce 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Laurent James
Ella se décidera-t-elle : Chick Webb ou Louis Jordan ?
Christopher Gordon
What's not to love here?