His professional career began in 1954 as an original member of Ray Charles' Band.
Newman had a prolific recording and performing career.
Newman got his nickname in high school music class. Mr. Miller, his then music teacher, saw his music upside down on the stand, and knowing that Newman couldn't read music very well at the time, walked over and tapped him on his head with the conductor's baton and called him "Fathead." The entire classroom laughed, and Newman, having good humor, did not find it derogatory.[citation needed] The name has stuck with him ever since. But he, himself, has said he prefers to be called "David."
He moved to Dallas, where he graduated from Lincoln High School. After high school, he started playing flute and tenor saxophone at local shows. He then received a scholarship to Jarvis Christian College, where he studied theology and music. Newman stayed in college for two years and decided to move onto the road to further his music career. He played with Buster Smith, Charlie Parker's mentor, and the band played many one-nighters and performed at many dance halls all over the central United States.
At one of these many gigs, David met Ray Charles. There was an immediate bond between the two.
In 1954, David joined Charles in his band as the baritone saxophone player (although he is more famous as a tenor saxophone and flute player) and began a twelve year gig with Charles. He later joined Herbie Mann, with whom he played for another ten years.
Over the years up to 2005, Newman has recorded over thirty-five albums under his own name, including his first, Ray Charles-Presenting David "Fathead" Newman (1959) and second, Wide Open Spaces, which was produced by Cannonball Adderley, the following year.
Always a musicians' musician, Newman is best known for his hard bop style that has influenced whole generations of saxophone players of different genres. He has also played R&B and blues, appearing on recordings with Stanley Turrentine, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, the Average White Band, Jimmy McGriff, Eric Clapton, Natalie Cole, Hank Crawford, Aaron Neville, Queen Latifah, Richard Tee, Dr. John and Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Weird Beard
David "Fathead" Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The seas were rough
The port lay straight ahead
The booze ran out
The men grew tired and this is what they said
"captain if you cannot find a place to set her down"
"then you will be sleeping right along with this vessel in the ground!"
We disembaked, went into town with vengeance in our hand,
The children cried,
The women sighed,
The men just turned their heads,
With a smiled we chated loud and this is what we said
"wohohoho raise them in the air,
Knock you up and slap you down,
And never seem to care.
Wohohoho another one for me,
Cause we're the filthy vermin,
That will set you people free,
Cause we're the filthy vermin
That will set you people free."
with nothing left for us to drink,
The night was winding down,
But still the girls were swaggering,
And still hanging around.
"Oh mister can you tell me,
Where I can find a man,
"the only thing that you will find miss,
Is the back side of me hand!"
"wohohoho raise them in the air!
Knock you up and slap you down,
And never seem to care!
Wohohoho another one for me,
Cause we're the filthy vermin,
That will set you people free.
Cause we're the filthy vermin,
That will set you people free.
Wohohoho raise them in the air,
Knock you up and slap you down,
And never seem to care.
Wohohoho another one for me,
Cause we're the filthy vermin,
That will set you people free,
Cause we're the filthy vermin,
That will set you people free!"
In David "Fathead" Newman's song Weird Beard, the lyrics describe the experiences of a group of men on a ship. The night was dark and the seas were rough as they headed towards the port, but they found themselves running out of booze and growing tired. The men confronted the captain, warning him to find a place to dock the ship or risk sleeping with it at the bottom of the ocean. Luckily, they made it to the land safely and proceeded to the nearby town looking for some action. The women sighed and the children cried, but the men were too busy boasting about their conquests with the "filthy vermin" and how they were going to "set the people free."
The song has a pirate-like feel to it, with its references to the Jolly Roger flag and the way the men talk about the women they meet. The lyrics are definitely not politically correct, but they paint a vivid picture of life at sea in a bygone era. The song is also driven by a catchy melody and a lively rhythm that encourages the listener to tap their feet and sing along. It is clear that Newman drew upon his musical experiences as a saxophonist and bandleader to create a memorable tune that has become an enduring favorite among jazz aficionados.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was dark
The setting was dark
The seas were rough
The waters were turbulent
The port lay straight ahead
The destination was within sight
The booze ran out
There was no more alcohol
The men grew tired and this is what they said
The men expressed their fatigue by making a suggestion
"captain if you cannot find a place to set her down"
The men wanted the captain to find a docking location
"then you will be sleeping right along with this vessel in the ground!"
The men threatened the captain's life if he couldn't find a place to dock
well the jolly roger pulled through and made it to the land,
The ship successfully arrived at the land
We disembaked, went into town with vengeance in our hand,
The crew left the ship to seek revenge in town
The children cried,
The kids were upset
The women sighed,
The women exhaled deeply
The men just turned their heads,
The men avoided eye contact
With a smiled we chated loud and this is what we said
The crew spoke loudly with a smile
"wohohoho raise them in the air,
A rallying cry was made
Knock you up and slap you down,
Physical abuse was threatened
And never seem to care.
There was a lack of concern
Wohohoho another one for me,
Another request was made
Cause we're the filthy vermin,
The crew identified themselves as scum
That will set you people free,
The crew claimed they would liberate the people
Cause we're the filthy vermin
The crew reiterated their status
that will set you people free."
The crew reaffirmed their goal
with nothing left for us to drink,
The group ran out of refreshments
The night was winding down,
The night was coming to an end
But still the girls were swaggering,
The women were confident
And still hanging around.
The women remained present
"Oh mister can you tell me,
A request was made
Where I can find a man,
A woman asked for assistance
"the only thing that you will find miss,
A response was given
Is the back side of me hand!"
A rude response was given
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind