William "Count" Basie (August 21, 1904– April 26, 1984) was a jazz pianist,… Read Full Bio ↴William "Count" Basie (August 21, 1904– April 26, 1984) was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, and bandleader.

As a pianist, he had a distinctive and influential style (the song title "Splanky" is an onomatopoetic reference to the sound of his playing), equally at home in the barrelhouse and the concert hall. Willie "The Lion" Smith, James P. Johnson, and Fats Waller were among his influences.

As a bandleader, he created an organization (built upon the remains of Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra) that was a favorite both of dancers and of vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and, of course, Billie Holiday. Equally important, it kept many musicians employed through lean years. Many jazz musicians of note built their chops and earned their bread and butter in Basie's organization.

In addition to Basie, the swinging "All American Rhythm Section" of his orchestra included greats such as Walter Page (bass), Jo Jones (drums), and Freddie Green (guitar). It was the greatest, most swinging rhythm sections in the history of jazz. Chief among its vocalists were, first, Jimmy Rushing and, later, Joe Williams. Over the years it boasted sidemen and soloists like Herschel Evans (tenor sax), Lester Young (tenor sax), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax), Buddy Tate (tenor sax), Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax), Earle Warren (alto sax), Jack Washington (alto & baritone sax), Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Buck Clayton (trumpet), Thad Jones (trumpet), Snooky Young (trumpet), Benny Morton (trombone), Benny Powell (trombone), and Dicky Wells (trombone).

Basie also collaborated with artists such as Zoot Sims and Oscar Peterson, and recorded with ensembles large and small, including the Count Basie Trio, the Count Basie Sextet, and the Kansas City Seven. Notable arrangers included Eddie Durham (who helped shape the Basie Orchestra's sound) and Neal Hefti.

Open The Door Richard
Count Basie Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Intro-conversations mingled in a crowded room
???? at the club tonight. Ole Richard went home early-he's got the key to the
house. I'm gonna knock on the door, see if I kin get in.
Open the door, Richard!! Ya see, Richard sleeps in the back room. It's kinda hard
to hear.
Maybe I better knock a little louder.
Open the door, Richard!! I don't think Richard heard me yet. Knock one more
time-let's see

what's gonna happen.
Richard, open the door, please.
SUNG: Open the door, Richard
Open the door and let me in
Open the door, Richard
Richard, why don't you open that door?
Richard, open the door, man-it's *co-hold* out here'n this air. Now look-there's that
old woman 'cross the street lookin' out the windah
(Who's that, Widow Sweet?)
That must be her sister, I guess. She wants to make SURE this is me. She's tryin'
to find out
what's happenin'. Yes, it's me and I'm late again!
(??, did you hear what the lady's sayin'?)
No, what is she sayin'?
(She said you sure look common out here'n the street.)
COMMON? Man, I got class I ain't never used yet. I'm gonna knock again-
Richard's got to get up.
Open the door, Richard!! Man, you got a key to the house?
(No, ??, I don't have a key. I DON'T have a key.)
Somebody's got to get in the house. We can't climb in the transit.
(Oh, I know he's in there.)
How YOU know he's in there?
(I can hear him breathin'.)
Ooooh, let's try it one more time!
Richard, open that door, man. Maybe Richard's gone.
SUNG: Open the door, Richard
Open the door and let me in
Open the door, Richard
Richard, why don't you open that door?
I know he's in there.
(how you know he's in there?)
Why, you got on the suit.
I know I got on the only suit. Ain't got but one suit between us. That's the
reason why I don't like to roooooom with nobody.

FADE
Richard, why don'tcha open the door, man?

Overall Meaning

The song Open The Door Richard! by Count Basie is a humorous narrative about a group of people trying to get into a house where Richard, who sleeps in the back room, lives. The song starts with a conversation in a crowded room where the singer announces his intention to go to Richard's house and knock on the door to see if he can get in. The singer knocks on the door repeatedly and urges Richard to wake up and open the door. The lyrics also contain a funny dialogue between the singer and a lady across the street, who is curious about what's happening.

The song's central theme is the frustration caused by being locked out of a place and the comic attempts to get in. The lyrics convey the sense of urgency and exasperation felt by the people trying to enter Richard's house. The song is also a commentary on social class and the tension between class and race in America. Richard, a Black man, is living in a house in a primarily white neighborhood, and the lady across the street who is wondering about the commotion is suspicious of the group's presence.

Line by Line Meaning

Intro-conversations mingled in a crowded room
The story starts in a busy event where everyone is talking.

???? at the club tonight. Ole Richard went home early-he's got the key to the house. I'm gonna knock on the door, see if I kin get in.
The singer and Richard were at the club, but Richard left early with the house key. The singer wants to enter the house and hence he is going to knock the door.

Open the door, Richard!! Ya see, Richard sleeps in the back room. It's kinda hard to hear. Maybe I better knock a little louder.
The singer shouts Richard's name to open the door. However, since his bedroom is at the back, it's hard to hear the knocks. So, the singer decides to knock louder.

Open the door, Richard!! I don't think Richard heard me yet. Knock one more time-let's see what's gonna happen. Richard, open the door, please.
The artist repeats his cry to open the door because he doesn't think Richard heard him. He knocks again and requests Richard to open the door, politely.

SUNG: Open the door, Richard Open the door and let me in Open the door, Richard Richard, why don't you open that door?
The artist requests Richard to open the door again, and he sings a repetitive jingle to insist on the same. He then asks Richard why he isn't opening the door.

Richard, open the door, man-it's *co-hold* out here'n this air. Now look-there's that old woman 'cross the street lookin' out the windah (Who's that, Widow Sweet?) That must be her sister, I guess. She wants to make SURE this is me. She's tryin' to find out what's happenin'. Yes, it's me, and I'm late again! (??, did you hear what the lady's sayin'?) No, what she is saying?
The singer pleads Richard to open the door as he's feeling cold outside. He notices an old woman looking from the window, probably Widow Sweet's sister, and confirms to her that it's him outside. He tries to eavesdrop, but his friend doesn't know what the woman is saying.

(She said you sure look common out here'n the street.) COMMON? Man, I got class I ain't never used yet. I'm gonna knock again- Richard's got to get up.
The singer learns that the lady across the street thinks he looks ordinary. However, he disagrees and thinks that he has class but hasn't used it yet. He decides to knock again, insisting that Richard should wake up.

Open the door, Richard!! Man, you got a key to the house? (No, ??, I don't have a key. I DON'T have a key.) Somebody's got to get in the house. We can't climb in the transit. (Oh, I know he's in there.) How YOU know he's in there? (I can hear him breathin'.) Ooooh, let's try it one more time!
The artist enquires if Richard has the key to the house, but Richard denies having it. The artist realizes that they need to enter the house and cannot climb in transit. He is confident Richard is in the house even after being unresponsive since he can hear Richard breathing. So, he suggests that they knock one more time.

Richard, open that door, man. Maybe Richard's gone. SUNG: Open the door, Richard Open the door and let me in Open the door, Richard Richard, why don't you open that door?
The artist urges Richard to open the door even more loudly this time, suspecting that Richard might not be home. He sings the same jingle with an equal fervor to persuade Richard to open the door.

I know he's in there. (how you know he's in there?) Why, you got on the suit. I know I got on the only suit. Ain't got but one suit between us. That's the reason why I don't like to roooooom with nobody. FADE Richard, why don'tcha open the door, man?
The artist is confident Richard is inside since he can see that the artist is the only one wearing a suit for the night. This suit distinguishes him from Richard and other people. As a result, he suggests that the only option they have is to stay in the same room. He repeats his plea for Richard to open the door before the song fades out.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dan Howell, Dusty Fletcher, Jack Mcvea, John Mason

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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