He was an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, who played an array of musical instruments such as guitar, fiddle, mandolin, viola as well as harmonica and drums. He won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album in 1983 for his album, Alright Again! He is regarded as one of the most influential exponents of blues fiddle and has had enormous influence in American fiddle circles.
Brown's two biggest musical influences were Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker.
His professional musical career began in 1945, playing drums in San Antonio, Texas. He was tagged with the "Gatemouth" handle by a high school instructor who accused Brown of having a "voice like a gate". Brown used it to his advantage throughout his career. His career was boosted while attending a 1947 concert by T-Bone Walker in Don Robey's Bronze Peacock Houston nightclub. When Walker became ill, Brown took up his guitar and quickly wrote and played "Gatemouth Boogie," to the delight of the audience right on the spot.
In 1949 Robey founded Peacock Records in order to showcase Brown's virtuoso guitar work. Brown's "Mary Is Fine"/"My Time Is Expensive" was a hit for Peacock in 1949. A string of Peacock releases in the 1950s were less successful commercially, but were nonetheless pioneering musically. Particularly notable was the 1951 instrumental "Okie Dokie Stomp", in which Brown solos continuously over a punchy horn section (other instrumentals from this period include "Boogie Uproar" and "Gate Walks to Board"). Okie Dokie Stomp was also recorded by Cornell Dupree in the 1970s and he had success with it as well. As for his gutsy violin playing, Robey allowed him to record "Just Before Dawn" as his final Peacock release in 1959.
In the 1960s Brown moved to Nashville, Tennessee to participate in a syndicated R&B television show, and while he was there recorded several country singles. He struck up a friendship with Roy Clark and made several appearances on the television show Hee Haw. In 1966, Brown was the musical director for the house band on the short-lived television program, The !!!! Beat.
However, in the early 1970s several countries in Europe had developed an appreciation for American roots music, especially the blues, and Brown was a popular and well-respected artist there. He toured Europe twelve times, beginning in 1971 and continuing throughout the 1970s. He also became an official ambassador for American music, and participated in several tours sponsored by the U.S. State Department, including an extensive tour of Eastern Africa. Brown appeared at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival, where he jammed with American blues rock band Canned Heat. In 1974, he recorded as a sideman with the New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair on his album, Rock 'N' Roll Gumbo (originally a Blue Star Records release). He moved to New Orleans in the late 1970s. In 1979, through his manager at the time, Jim Halsey, Brown embarked on a 6 week, 44 concert tour of the Soviet Union. This was an historic event as it marked the first time the Soviet Union made a contract with a U.S. private citizen (Jim Halsey) as regards a musical tour. All previous tours were under the auspices of the U.S. State Department. To date, this was by far the most extensive tour an American band had taken in the USSR.
In the 1980s, a series of releases on Rounder Records and Alligator Records revitalized his U.S. career, and he toured extensively and internationally, usually playing between 250 and 300 shows a year. He won a Grammy in 1983 for the album Alright Again! and was nominated for five more. "Alright Again!" is credited with putting Brown back on the musical map. He also won 8 WC Handy Awards. In 1999 Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
In his last few years, he maintained a full touring schedule, including Australia, New Zealand, and countries with political conflicts in Central America, Africa, and the former Soviet Union. His final record "Timeless" was released in 2004.
In September 2004, Brown was diagnosed with lung cancer. Already suffering from emphysema and heart disease, he and his doctors decided to forgo treatment. This greatly affected his musical career. Later his home in Slidell, Louisiana was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and he was evacuated to his childhood home town of Orange, Texas, where he died on September 10, 2005 at the apartment of a niece, at the age of 81. Brown is buried in the Hollywood Cemetery in Orange, Texas. However, flooding caused by Hurricane Ike in September 2008 damaged his grave. His grave has since been refurbished and through donations a very impressive headstone has been erected in his honor.
Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Locked up the barnyard with the greatest of care
Down in the hen house, somethin' stirred
When he shouted, "Who's there?"
This is what he heard
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
There ain't nobody here but us
We chickens tryin' to sleep and you butt in
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble with your chin"
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
You're stompin' around and shakin' the ground
You're kickin' up an awful dust
We chicken's tryin' to sleep and you butt in
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble, it's a sin"
"Tomorrow is a busy day
We got things to do, We got eggs to lay
We got ground to dig and worms to scratch
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch"
"Ohh, there ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
So quiet yourself and stop that fuss
There ain't nobody here but us
Kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble hobble of and hit the hay"
"Tomorrow is a busy day
We got things to do, we got eggs to lay
We got ground to dig and worms to scratch
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch"
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
There ain't nobody here at all
So quiet yourself and stop that fuss
There ain't nobody here but us
And kindly point that gun the other way
And hobble, hobble hobble of and hit the hay"
"Hey, hey, boss man, what do ya say?
It's easy pickings
Ain't nobody here but us chickens"
The song "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown is a humorous tune about a farmer who is trying to figure out who is causing a ruckus in the henhouse. Over the course of the song, the chickens reveal themselves to be the only ones present and ask the farmer to quiet down so they can get some rest before a busy day tomorrow.
The lyrics of the song are filled with witty wordplay and puns, as the chickens use phrases like "hobble, hobble, hobble" to mimic the farmer's movements and "it's a sin" to comment on his disruption of their sleep. At the same time, the song touches on themes of power dynamics and the struggle between those in charge (the farmer) and those lower down the social hierarchy (the chickens).
Overall, the song is a lighthearted romp that showcases Brown's signature mix of blues, jazz, and country music. It remains a classic of his repertoire and a popular tune for audiences of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
One night farmer Brown was takin' the airs
One night, farmer Brown was enjoying the fresh air.
Locked up the barnyard with the greatest of care
He secured the barnyard with utmost precision, being careful about every nook and cranny.
Down in the hen house, somethin' stirred
He heard a sound coming from the hen house.
When he shouted, "Who's there?"
Farmer Brown asked who was there, seeking a response to the noise he heard.
"There ain't nobody here but us chickens
In response to Brown's questioning, the chickens declared that they were the only inhabitants present.
There ain't nobody here at all
They assured the farmer that there were no humans or other animals lurking in the shadows.
So calm yourself and stop that fuss
The chickens requested Brown to calm himself and stop creating a nuisance.
We chickens tryin' to sleep and you butt in
They informed the farmer that they were trying to sleep, but his yelling had interrupted their slumber.
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble with your chin"
The chickens imitated the sound of Brown's footsteps as he walked around with his chin up.
"You're stompin' around and shakin' the ground
The chickens added that Brown was also making a lot of noise and causing the ground to tremble.
You're kickin' up an awful dust
They complained that Brown was disturbing their peaceful environment by causing a lot of dust to fly around.
We chicken's tryin' to sleep and you butt in
The chickens repeated their earlier remark that they were trying to sleep but Brown was not letting them do so.
And hobble, hobble hobble hobble, it's a sin"
They continued to mock Brown's walk by repeating the sound of his footsteps, and added that his behavior was a sin.
"Tomorrow is a busy day
The chickens reminded Brown that the next day would be a busy one.
We got things to do, We got eggs to lay
They listed out their tasks for the day, which included laying eggs and other chores.
We got ground to dig and worms to scratch
They also informed Brown about the work they had to do, which included digging the ground and scratching for worms.
It takes a lot of settin', gettin' chicks to hatch"
The chickens concluded their list of tasks by telling Brown that it required a lot of effort to hatch chicks.
And kindly point that gun the other way
In a final plea, the chickens requested Brown to point his gun away from them.
And hobble, hobble hobble of and hit the hay"
They urged Brown to hobble away and go to bed.
"Hey, hey, boss man, what do ya say?
The chickens addressed Brown as the boss man and asked him a question.
It's easy pickings
They implied that it was an easy job for Brown to deal with them.
Ain't nobody here but us chickens"
The chickens confirmed once more that they were the only ones present and asked Brown to leave them alone.
Contributed by Colton R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.