Clarence "Frogman" Henry (b. Clarence Henry, 19 Mar 1937 in New Orleans, LA… Read Full Bio ↴Clarence "Frogman" Henry (b. Clarence Henry, 19 Mar 1937 in New Orleans, LA, USA - aka Clarence 'Frogman' Henry & Clarence Frogman Henry), is an rnb singer. Fats Domino & Professor Longhair were young Henry's main influences, whilst growing up. When playing in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair & wore a wig, with braids on both sides. His 'trademark' croak - utilized manifestly, on his 1956 début hit Ain't Got No Home - earned his nickname & jump-started a career that endures, to this day. You Always Hurt the One You Love & (I Don't Know Why) But I Do (both 1961), were also big hits.

Henry opened eighteen concerts for The Beatles across the US & Canada (1964) - However, his main source of income was from the Bourbon St strip (New Orleans), where he played for nineteen years. His name could still draw hordes of tourists, long after his hit-making days had ended. "Ain't Got No Home", achieved fresh notoriety in the 1990s - through its use, for a time, as the "Homeless Update" theme music, on The Rush Limbaugh Show.

Clarence Henry's pioneering contribution, to the genre, has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Mark Sandman (lead singer / bass player, of the rock band Morphine) - during a home-studio interview - cited Frogman as an important influence.

Ain't Got No Home
Clarence "Frogman" Henry Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo

Ain't got no home
A-no place to roam
Ain't got no home
A-no place to roam
I'm a lonely boy
I ain't got a home

I got a voice
I love to sing
I sing like a girl
And I sing like a frog
I'm a lonely boy
I ain't got a home

Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo

I ain't got a man
I ain't got a son
I ain't got a daughter
I ain't got no one
I'm a lonely girl
I ain't got a home

Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo

I ain't got a mudder
I ain't got a fadder
I ain't got a sister
Not even a brudder
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

Oh, what you say to me
Please say to me
Oh, what you say to me
Please say to me
I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo

Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo
Ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo-ooo ooo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Clarence "Frogman" Henry's song Ain't Got No Home are about a lonely individual who feels like they don't belong anywhere. The repeated line "Ain't got no home, a-no place to roam" emphasizes this feeling of homelessness and lack of belonging. The singer of the song is a boy (or a girl depending on the verse) who has no family, friends, or a physical home. The lyrics stress the loneliness of the character, as they say "I'm a lonely boy/ girl, I ain't got a home".

The verses of the song shift between different aspects of the character's life that highlight their feeling of loneliness. The character describes the sound of their voice, saying that they sing like a girl and a frog. While this may seem like an odd detail, it further emphasizes the character's feeling of being different or out of place. In other verses, the character speaks about not having any children or siblings, and even lacking parents. The chorus is repeated throughout the song to drive home the message of the song: this character is alone, without a home, and without a sense of belonging.

Line by Line Meaning

Ain't got no home
I don't have a place to live

A-no place to roam
I don't have any place to wander around

I'm a lonely boy
I am alone and do not have any company

I got a voice
I have the ability to sing

I love to sing
I enjoy singing

I sing like a girl
I sing in a high-pitched voice similar to that of a girl

And I sing like a frog
Sometimes I make croaky sounds while singing

I ain't got a man
I don't have a male partner

I ain't got a son
I don't have a son

I ain't got a daughter
I don't have a daughter

I ain't got no one
I don't have anyone