Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Lou… Read Full Bio ↴Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, Louisiana, died October 24, 2017), was a classic R&B and rock and roll singer, songwriter and pianist. He was the best-selling African-American singer of the 1950s and early 1960s whose congenial, non threatening personality allowed him to succeed despite a period of deep-seated racial segregation. Domino is also a pianist with an individualistic bluesy style showing stride and boogie-woogie influences.

In 1986, he was among the first batch to get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. "Ain't That A Shame" and "Blueberry Hill" were named part of The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. In 2004, "Blueberry Hill" was named #81 and "Ain't That A Shame" was named #431 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs Of All Time. In 2004, he was named #25 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time.

In the wake of Domino's rescue from his 9th ward home during 2005's Hurricane Katrina, the Tipitina's Foundation organized a tribute album to the elder artist featuring Robert Plant, Norah Jones, Paul McCartney and numerous other acts that owe a creative debt to this seminal rock n roll pianist.

So Swell When You're Well
Fats Domino Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I love you honey from A to Z
Something about you keep on worried me
Today you love me tomorrow you don't
Sometime you will sometime you wont
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long

You build me up then you let me down
The way you treat me is the talk of the town
If you love me like you said you do
How come you treat me like you do do do
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long

Keep on connivin' and jivin' too
True love will never smile on you
You walked the floor just sit and cry
Pull out your hair and wonder why
Because you're so swell baby when you're well
So swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well
But you just stay at sick so long
So swell baby when you're well
You so swell mama when you're well
So swell baby when you're well

But you just stay at sick so long
Yeah you're so swell baby when you're well

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Fats Domino's "So Swell When You're Well" speak to the frustrations and ups and downs of a relationship that is far from stable. The song's opening lines express the singer's love and devotion for their partner, but also reveal that there is something about the relationship that is causing them worry. This concern is quickly explained in the following lines, as the singer reveals that their partner's affections seem to wax and wane unpredictably. The refrain of the song, "because you're so swell baby when you're well," emphasizes the singer's desire for things to be different, and expresses their frustration with the way things currently are.

The second verse of the song touches on the idea that dishonesty or deception might be at the root of the relationship's problems. The lines "keep on connivin' and jivin' too / true love will never smile on you" suggest that the partner's behavior is preventing them from experiencing real love and lasting happiness. The verse concludes with an image of the partner's distress, as they "walk the floor just sit and cry / pull out [their] hair and wonder why." Once again, the refrain returns to drive home the central theme of the song, that the singer loves their partner deeply, but wishes they could be more consistent in their affections.

Line by Line Meaning

I love you honey from A to Z
I adore you completely

Something about you keep on worried me
Your behavior makes me anxious

Today you love me tomorrow you don't
Your affection for me is inconsistent

Sometime you will sometime you wont
Your commitment to me is shaky

Because you're so swell baby when you're well
You are amazing when you are feeling good

So swell mama when you're well
You're fantastic when you're feeling good, mama

So swell when you're well
Everyone loves you when you're feeling good

But you just stay at sick so long
You remain unwell for a prolonged period

You build me up then you let me down
You give me hope, and then you disappoint me

The way you treat me is the talk of the town
Everyone is gossiping about your treatment of me

If you love me like you said you do
If you truly love me as you claim