In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
Gimme A Pigfoot
Diana Ross Lyrics
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Up in Harlem every Saturday night
Were the highbrows get together, just to write
They all congregate at an all nite hack
What they do is ooh papa dah
Ol' Hannah Brown, way cross town
Gets full of corn and starts brining 'em down
And at the break of day
Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer
Send me daddy, move right down
I feel just like I want to clown
Give the piano player a drink
Because he's bringing me down
He's got rhythm, when he stomps his feet
He moves me right off to sleep
Check all your razors and your guns
We're gonna be arrested when the wagon comes
Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer
Send me 'cause I don't care
I want a pigfoot and a bottle of gin
Send me daddy, move right in
Feel just like I want to shop
Give the piano player a drink
Because he's knocking me out
He's got rhythm when he stomps his feet
He moves me right off to sleep
Check all your razors and your guns
We're gonna do the huckabuck until the rising sun
Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of gin
Move me 'cause I don't care
I want a pigfoot and a bottle of beer
Diana Ross's song Gimme A Pigfoot is a snapshot of the nightlife in Harlem in the 1940s. The song describes the Saturday night scene with the highbrows, who would gather to write at an all-night hack. Ol' Hannah Brown, who lived way cross town, would get drunk on corn and start bringing down the house with her wild antics. The piano player would be shaking the room with his rhythm, all the while Hannah would be calling for a pigfoot and a bottle of beer.
The lyrics are a celebration of the joyful, carefree spirit of the nightlife in Harlem, where people could let loose and have a good time. The pigfoot, a type of southern soul food made from pig's feet, symbolizes the simplicity of pleasure that Hannah and the other party-goers seek. Despite the potential danger of the scene, with the call to check all razors and guns, the participants are living in the moment and throwing caution to the wind.
Overall, the song is an ode to living life to the fullest, finding joy in the small things, and letting go of societal constraints for a few hours of revelry.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in Harlem every Saturday night
On weekends in Harlem, people gather to have fun.
Were the highbrows get together, just to write
High class people with education meet up to socialize.
They all congregate at an all nite hack
Everyone gathers at a bar that's open all night.
What they do is ooh papa dah
They dance and enjoy themselves a lot.
Ol' Hannah Brown, way cross town
There's a woman named Hannah Brown who lives far away.
Gets full of corn and starts brining 'em down
After drinking a lot, Hannah starts dancing wildly.
And at the break of day
In the morning when the sun comes up.
You can hear ol' Hannah say
Hannah sings the following:
Gimme a pigfoot and a bottle of beer
I want a pig's foot and a beer.
Send me daddy, move right down
Give it to me, come closer.
I feel just like I want to clown
I feel like dancing.
Give the piano player a drink
The pianist deserves a drink too.
Because he's bringing me down
He's making me feel sad.
He's got rhythm, when he stomps his feet
The pianist has great rhythm when he plays.
He moves me right off to sleep
His music makes me want to dance.
Check all your razors and your guns
Make sure your weapons are put away.
We're gonna be arrested when the wagon comes
We might get in trouble with the law soon.
Send me 'cause I don't care
Give it to me because I'm not worried about consequences.
I want a pigfoot and a bottle of gin
I want a pig's foot and gin now.
Feel just like I want to shop
I feel like dancing.
Because he's knocking me out
The pianist is amazing and impresses me.
We're gonna do the huckabuck until the rising sun
We'll dance until the morning comes.
Move me 'cause I don't care
I'm willing to do anything in the moment.
I want a pigfoot and a bottle of beer
I want a pig's foot and a beer now.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Wesley Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind