Though Lofton was born with a limp (from which he derived his stage name), he actually started his career as a tap-dancer. This was not his true calling, and he showed his talent in the blues idiom known as boogie-woogie and moved on to perform in Chicago, Illinois.
The trademark of Lofton's performances was his energetic stage-presence, where he danced and whistled in addition to singing.
Perhaps the most comprehensive description of Lofton is this excerpt from Boogie Woogie by William Russell:
"No one can complain of Clarence's lack of variety or versatility. When he really gets going he's a three-ring circus. During one number, he plays, sings, whistles a chorus, and snaps his fingers with the technique of a Spanish dancer to give further percussive accompaniment to his blues. At times he turns sideways, almost with his back to the piano as he keeps pounding away at the keyboard and stomping his feet, meanwhile continuing to sing and shout at his audience or his drummer. Suddenly in the middle of a number he jumps up, his hands clasped in front of him, and walks around the piano stool, and then, unexpectedly, out booms a vocal break in a bass voice from somewhere. One second later, he has turned and is back at the keyboard, both hands flying at lightning- like pace. His actions and facial expressions are as intensely dramatic and exciting as his music."
Most of his songs were twelve-bar blues to which Lofton brought a unique excitement by dropping bars and portions of bars to end up with nine-, ten-, or eleven-bar blues songs.
With such a unique style, it was not long until Lofton found himself a mainstay in his genre. His first recording was in April with Big Bill Broonzy for Vocalion Records. He later went on to own the Big Apple nightclub in Chicago and continued to record well into the late 1940s, when he retired.
Lofton was an integral part of the boogie-woogie genre in Chicago. Some of his most famous songs include: "Strut That Thing", "Monkey Man Blues", "I Don't Know" and "Pitchin' Boogie". His talent was likened to that of Pinetop Smith and others that influenced heavily in his field including: Meade Lux Lewis, Cow Cow Davenport and Jimmy Yancey. Lofton was also said to have influenced Erwin Helfer
Lofton lived in Chicago until he died from a blood clot in his brain.
I Don't Know
Cripple Clarence Lofton Lyrics
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Miscellaneous
I Don't Know Why I Love You But I Do
(I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do
Clarence "Frogman" Henry
Written by Robert Guidry and Paul Gayton
I don't know why I love you but I do
I don't know why I cry so but I do
I don't know why I love you but I do
I can't sleep nights because I feel so restless
And since you've been away, I cry both night and day
I don't know why I love you but I do
My days have been so lonely
My nights have been so blue
I don't know how I manage, but I do
Each night I sit alone and tell myself
That I will fall in love with someone else
I guess I'm wastin' time but I've got to clear my mind
I don't know why I love you but I do
The lyrics to "I Don't Know Why I Love You But I Do" by Clarence "Frogman" Henry express the feeling of loving someone without fully understanding why. The singer admits to being restless and crying day and night because their loved one is away, even though they don't know why they feel this way. The loneliness that they experience seems to be overwhelming, and the singer convinces themselves that they should move on and fall in love with someone else. However, the singer admits to wasting their time because they can't seem to clear their mind of thoughts about their loved one.
Overall, the lyrics of the song capture the universal feeling of loving someone unconditionally, even when it's difficult to explain why. The vulnerability and emotional intensity conveyed through the simple yet powerful lyrics have made this song a classic that has been covered by many artists over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why I love you but I do
I cannot explain the reason behind my love for you, but it still exists
I don't know why I cry so but I do
I don't know why I cry, but I can't help it
I only know I'm lonely and that I want you only
All I know is that I am lonely and I want only you to be with me
I can't sleep nights because I feel so restless
I feel so restless that I can't sleep at night
And since you've been away, I cry both night and day
Ever since you went away, I have been crying both day and night
My days have been so lonely
My days have been so lonely without you
My nights have been so blue
My nights are filled with sadness and grief
I don't know how I manage, but I do
I am not sure how I manage, but I somehow do
Each night I sit alone and tell myself that I will fall in love with someone else
I convince myself that I will fall in love with someone else every night, while sitting alone
I guess I'm wastin' time but I've got to clear my mind
I think I am wasting my time, but I need to clear my mind
I don't know why I love you but I do
I cannot explain the reason behind my love for you, but it still exists
Contributed by Aria M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ersheri
I got in trouble for singing this in kindergarten.
Matthew Reeves
This really moves. Goofer dust reference @ 1:39.
Scivales Music Books
Genius.
michael morphites
Incredible
ren hoek
thanks for the upload!