His birth name was Pleasant Joseph and he was born in Wallace, Louisiana, United States.
Unitil 1945 Cousin Joe toured Louisiana as a blues player, that year he was asked to take part in the King Jazz recording sessions organized by Mezzrow and Bechet.
Cousin Joe died in his sleep from natural causes in New Orleans, at the age of 81.
Autobiography
Cousin Joe : Blues from New Orleans / Pleasant "Cousin Joe" Joseph and Harriet J. Ottenheimer. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1987. xi, 227 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. ISBN 0-226-41198-2
Partial discography
1971 : Bad Luck Blues (Black & Blue) with Jimmy Dawkins and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
1974 : Cousin Joe From New Orleans (Big Bear Records)
1984 : Cousin Joe from New Orleans in his prime (Oldie Blues)
1985 : Relaxin’ in New Orleans [sound recording] / Cousin Joe. New Orleans, LA : Great Southern Records. 1 sound disc : analog, 33⅓ rpm ; 12 in.
1995 : Jumping at Jubilee [sound recording]. London : Sequel, NEM CD 749
2003 : Magic Bostic - Bostic, Earl, 1913–1965 [sound recording] / Earl Bostic. Paris : Jazz Archives
Filmography
2005 : DVD The Blues of Cousin Joe (live - 29 August 1984 in New Orleans) (Storyville Films)
Dinah
Cousin Joe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gave me Dinah;
I'm the proudest one
Beneath the Dixie sun.
News is spreadin'
'Bout our weddin';
I hear church bells ringin',
Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!
Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!
But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean liner,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!
Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!
Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!
But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean!,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!
The song "Dinah" by Cousin Joe is a love song that celebrates the singer's love for his fiancé, Dinah. The lyrics describe the pride and joy the singer feels in having Dinah as his own, boasting about her beauty and charm, and sharing his fear of losing her to someone else. The song has a romantic feel, with mentions of church bells ringing and the singer's love for gazing into Dinah's eyes.
The chorus repetition of "Dinah, Is there anyone finer, In the state of Carolina?" serves to emphasize how highly the singer regards Dinah and his overwhelming pride in her. The lyrics, "If there is and you know her, Show her!" invite the listener to appreciate Dinah's beauty and encourages them to bring forth anyone who can surpass Dinah's grace.
The final stanza, "But if Dinah, Ever wandered to China, I would hop an ocean liner, Just to be with Dinah Lee!" conveys the singer's deep passion and commitment to Dinah, as he would go to any length to be with her.
Overall, the song "Dinah" is a heartfelt love song that communicates the deep affection and commitment that the singer has towards Dinah.
Line by Line Meaning
Carolina
The state of Carolina is where I met my love.
Gave me Dinah;
I fell in love with a girl named Dinah while in Carolina.
I'm the proudest one
She makes me feel proud to be with her.
Beneath the Dixie sun.
I love her so much, especially in the sunny Dixie state.
News is spreadin'
People are talking about our love and wedding plans.
'Bout our weddin';
Rumors about our upcoming wedding are circulating.
I hear church bells ringin',
The sound of church bells is a symbol of our love.
Here's the song my heart keeps singin':
My heart is so full of love that I can't help but sing about it.
Dinah,
My one true love is named Dinah.
Is there anyone finer
She is the most beautiful and amazing person I have ever met.
In the state of Carolina?
I have not met anyone else who can compare to Dinah in beauty or personality.
If there is and you know her,
If there is someone else who can rival Dinah in beauty or personality, I have yet to meet them.
Show her!
Introduce me to this person if you know them!
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
Dinah has fiery and captivating eyes that I can't resist looking into.
How I love to sit and gaze in
I love looking into her eyes and being mesmerized by her beauty.
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
Dinah is the only person I want to look into like this.
Yet, every night,
Even though I love Dinah with all my heart, I still worry she might change her mind about me.
My, how I shake with fright,
I'm scared of losing her or having our love fall apart.
Because my Dinah might,
I am worried that Dinah might stop loving me or want to end our relationship.
Change her mind about me!
I worry that I am not good enough for her or that she may realize that we are not meant to be together.
But if Dinah,
If anything ever happened to Dinah, something inside of me would break.
Ever wandered to China,
If she were to travel far away, I would follow her no matter the distance.
I would hop an ocean liner,
I would cross the seas to find her if necessary.
Just to be with Dinah Lee!
I would do anything to be with her and keep our love strong.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Akst, Samuel M. Lewis, Joseph Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind