He was born Delecta Clark in Blytheville, Arkansas, and moved to Chicago in 1941. His mother, Essie Mae Clark, was a gospel singer and encouraged her son to pursue his love of music. Clark made his first recording in 1952 as a member of the Hambone Kids, who enjoyed some success with a recording of "Hambone" on the OKeh label. In 1953, he joined an R&B group called the Goldentones, who later became the Kool Gents and were discovered by Chicago radio DJ Herb Kent upon winning a talent competition. Kent had the Kool Gents signed to Vee-Jay label's subsidiary Falcon/Abner. The group recorded for Falcon/Abner in 1956, and also recorded a novelty record as "The Delegates".
Clark embarked on a solo career in 1957, initially following the styles of Clyde McPhatter and Little Richard. When Little Richard temporarily abandoned his music career to study the Bible, Clark fulfilled Richard's remaining live dates and also recorded with his backing band, the Upsetters. Over the next four years he landed several moderate hits, two of which ("Just Keep It Up" and "Hey Little Girl") reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100). His records for Abner and Vee-Jay were orchestrated by Riley Hampton. His biggest single, "Raindrops," a power ballad augmented by heavy rain and thunder sound effects and Clark's swooping falsetto, was released in the spring of 1961 and became his biggest hit, soaring to number two on the pop chart and number three on the R&B charts. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. "Raindrops" was also an international success, reaching number one in New Zealand and reaching the top ten in South Africa and Belgium, and selling well in Japan. "Raindrops" remains a staple on oldies and adult standards radio station playlists to this day, and has also been covered by several other artists in the years since, including David Cassidy, Tony Orlando and Dawn, and most notably Narvel Felts, who took the song to number 30 on the country chart in 1974. Clark himself recorded an updated version of "Raindrops" in 1973.
However, Clark's biggest hit was also his last. The follow-up to "Raindrops," "Don't Walk Away From Me," was a flop, and he made the pop charts in America only twice more, with "I'm Going Back to School" (1962) and "Crossfire Time" (1963). By the time "Crossfire Time" came out, Clark had moved from Vee-Jay to the Constellation label. Though he continued to record for Constellation through 1966, none of his records charted nationally. He had considerable local success in Chicago with such standout recordings as "Come Closer" (1964), the double-sided hit of "Warm Summer Breezes" and "Heartbreak" (1964), and "TCB" (1965). He later recorded for the Columbia, Wand, Liberty and Rocky labels, without success. Clark had a brief revival in 1975 when his song "Ride a Wild Horse" became a surprise Top 30 hit in the UK Singles Chart, becoming his first chart hit in the UK since "Just Keep It Up."
Afterwards, Clark performed mostly on the oldies circuit. By the late 1980s, he was in dire straits financially, living in a welfare hotel in Toccoa, Georgia. Despite suffering a stroke in 1987 that left him partially paralyzed and with a mild speech impediment, he continued to perform until his death on December 7, 1990, in Smyrna, Georgia, from a heart attack at the age of 52. His last concert was with the Jimmy Gilstrap Band at the Portman Lounge in Anderson, South Carolina.
Whispering Grass
Dee Clark Lyrics
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Whispering Grass, say! you can't keep your word, keep your word.
Why do you whisper, green grass?
Why tell the trees what ain't so ?
Whispering Grass, the trees don't have to know.
No, No, Why tell them all your secrets?
Who kissed there long ago?
Don't you tell it to the breeze 'cause she will tell the birds and bees
And ev'ryone will know because you told the blabbering trees
Yes, you told them once before;
It's no secret any more.
Why tell them all the old things?
They're buried under the snow.
Whispering Grass, don't tell the trees
'Cause the trees don't need to know.
Why do you whisper, green grass?
Why tell the trees what ain't so ?
Whispering Grass, the trees don't have to know.
No, No, Why tell them all your secrets?
Who kissed there long ago?
Whispering grass, the trees don't need to know.
Don't you tell it to the breeze 'cause she will tell the birds and bees
And ev'ryone will know because you told the blabbering trees
Yes, you told them once before;
It's no secret any more.
Why tell them all the old things?
They're buried under the snow.
Whispering Grass, don't tell the trees
The song "Whispering Grass" by Dee Clark tells the story of someone who confides in nature, specifically the grass and trees, but is betrayed when they cannot keep a secret. In the first verse, the singer reminds the grass of their promise to keep quiet, but accuses them of breaking that promise by whispering the secrets they heard. The singer then questions the significance of whispering to the trees, as they do not need to know what is being said. The refrain of the song repeats these feelings of betrayal and admonishes the grass for telling their secrets to the trees.
The song can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but one possible reading is that it speaks to the human tendency to confide in nature when we feel we cannot trust other people. The grass and trees represent a kind of idyllic innocence, free from the complications and betrayals of human relationships. However, the song reminds us that even nature can betray us, and that secrets are not always safe in anyone's keeping.
Line by Line Meaning
You promised me, green grass, not to tell what you heard.
The singer asked the grass not to reveal their secrets.
Whispering Grass, say! you can't keep your word, keep your word.
The grass is not trustworthy and can't keep a secret.
Why do you whisper, green grass?
The singer wonders why the grass feels the need to whisper.
Why tell the trees what ain't so ?
The artist questions why the grass would spread false information to the trees.
Whispering Grass, the trees don't have to know.
The grass shouldn't tell the trees anything because it's not their business.
No, No, Why tell them all your secrets?
The singer questions why the grass would reveal their secrets to anyone.
Who kissed there long ago?
The singer wonders who the grass is gossiping about and why it's important.
Whispering grass, the trees don't need to know.
The trees don't need to be involved in any gossip or secrets.
Don't you tell it to the breeze 'cause she will tell the birds and bees
The grass should also avoid telling the breeze because it can spread the information to even more creatures.
And ev'ryone will know because you told the blabbering trees
The trees are known to spread gossip and secrets, which will eventually be known by everyone if the grass reveals anything to them.
Yes, you told them once before; It's no secret any more.
The grass has already made the mistake of telling the trees a secret, and now it's common knowledge.
Why tell them all the old things? They're buried under the snow.
The artist reflects on why the grass would bring up old rumors or secrets that are irrelevant and forgotten.
Whispering Grass, don't tell the trees Cause the trees don't need to know.
The grass should keep silent and not involve the trees in any gossip or personal information.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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