Brown was born in Mississippi and sang in church as a child. In 1919 her family moved to Chicago and she began studying piano; in the 1920s she began taking gigs in clubs and broadcasted on radio. From the 1930s to the 1950s she toured the United States regularly, recording for Decca Records (among other labels) along the way and recording many humorous, ironic titles such as "Your Feet's Too Big", "Mama Don't Want No Peas and Rice and Coconut Oil" and "The Stuff Is Here and it's Mellow". Her stride piano playing was often compared to Fats Waller.
In the 1940s Brown began to shy from singing bawdy blues songs because of deepening religious beliefs, and in 1953 she retired and became a nurse. She was rediscovered in the 1980s after being tracked down by Marian McPartland; she returned to record again and performed on National Public Radio. She died in 1995 in Denver, Colorado.
Some of Brown's earliest recordings have been reissued by Document Records.
When Hollywood Goes Black And Tan
Cleo Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will be leaving Harlem if htey can,
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
Louis Armstrong with his trumpet
Will be heading westward with his band,
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Harlem crooners with a swing will be singing at the studio,
Makes no difference if you can′t sing, just say, "he-de-he-de-hi-de-ho!"
When they start to swing that rhythm
I'll be heading for that promised land,
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
You won′t find them wing and bucking,
Everybody will be truckin'
It's gonna be grand,
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
The mayor of Harlem says he′ll be there
To give those boys a helping hand,
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
Old Bob Howard made a promise
To latch on to that baby grand,
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
Steppin Fetchit′s gonna sing and dance like Fred Astaire,
Nina May don't have to sing ′cause she can be petit like Ina Claire.
Water's gonna do a fan dance
And shake the feathers off her fan,
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Here′s good news and it's the newest,
Braddock′s going to meet Joe Louis,
It's gonna be grand,
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
The lyrics to Cleo Brown's song "When Hollywood Goes Black And Tan" reflect the sentiments of many African American performers during Hollywood's Black and Tan era of the 1920s and 1930s. The term Black and Tan referred to the practice of featuring African American performers in Hollywood movies but segregating them to separate theaters where white patrons could not see them. The first verse of the song depicts Creole babies from Manhattan who are eager to leave Harlem for Hollywood, where they can be featured in films and make a living as performers. The second verse depicts Louis Armstrong, one of the most prominent African American musicians of the time, leaving New York with his band to head westward to California for more opportunities in the entertainment industry.
The third and fourth verses celebrate the impending integration of African American jazz and swing performers into Hollywood's film industry. The lyrics depict the joy of being able to perform in mainstream venues without facing segregation or discrimination. The verse about Stepin Fetchit, a prominent African American actor of the time, imagines him performing in a manner similar to Fred Astaire. The reference to Water doing a fan dance suggests that female performers would also have more opportunities in Hollywood. The final verse references a real-life event, the boxing match between James J. Braddock and Joe Louis, suggesting that African American performers would have more visibility in mainstream culture because even big athletic events would bring them together.
Line by Line Meaning
Creole babies from Manhattan,
African-American children growing up in New York City will leave their neighborhood if they're able to
Will be leaving Harlem if they can,
They will leave their neighborhood of Harlem
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
When African Americans establish a presence in Hollywood
Louis Armstrong with his trumpet
African-American jazz musician Louis Armstrong
Will be heading westward with his band,
Will go to Hollywood with his band
Harlem crooners with a swing will be singing at the studio,
African-American singers from Harlem will sing at the studio
Makes no difference if you can’t sing, just say, “he-de-he-de-hi-de-ho!”
Even if you don't sing well, just make some noise
When they start to swing that rhythm
When they play that music with swing
I’ll be heading for that promised land,
Going to Hollywood feels like achieving a dream
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
You won’t find them wing and bucking,
They won't be struggling anymore
Everybody will be truckin’
Everyone will be dancing or going about their business
It’s gonna be grand,
It will be wonderful
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
When African Americans establish a presence in Hollywood
The mayor of Harlem says he’ll be there
The mayor of Harlem is supportive of the move
To give those boys a helping hand,
To offer assistance to the men who are moving to Hollywood
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
When African Americans establish a presence in Hollywood
Old Bob Howard made a promise
A man named Bob Howard made a promise
To latch on to that baby grand,
To obtain a certain type of piano
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
When African Americans establish a presence in Hollywood
Steppin Fetchit’s gonna sing and dance like Fred Astaire,
African-American actor Lincoln Perry will dance and sing like white actor Fred Astaire
Nina May don’t have to sing ‘cause she can be petit like Ina Claire.
African-American actress Nina Mae McKinney can be petite like white actress Ina Claire instead of having to sing
Water’s gonna do a fan dance
African-American stripper Little Egypt will perform a fan dance
And shake the feathers off her fan,
She will shake the feathers on her tambourine
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
Yeah, man! Oh, yeah, man!
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement
Here’s good news and it’s the newest,
Announcing some exciting news
Braddock’s going to meet Joe Louis,
Boxer James Braddock is going to meet Joe Louis
It’s gonna be grand,
It will be wonderful
When Hollywood goes black and tan!
When African Americans establish a presence in Hollywood
Writer(s): Cleo Brown, Leon René, Otis René
Contributed by Ruby B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@amadamarquezsimula5128
Heard this song for the first time. Love it! ❤ Sing it, Cleo! 🎶
@elitemation
one of the catchiest song yet