Thomas Wright Waller was the youngest of four children, born in New York to Adeline Locket Waller and Reverend Edward Martin Waller. He started playing the piano when he was six and graduated to the organ of his father's church four years later. At the age of fourteen he was playing the organ at Harlem's Lincoln Theater and within twelve months he had composed his first rag. Waller's first piano solos ("Muscle Shoals Blues" and "Birmingham Blues") were recorded in October 1922 when he was 18 years old.
He was the prize pupil, and later friend and colleague, of stride pianist James P. Johnson. Fats Waller was the son of a preacher and learned to play the organ in church with his mother. Overcoming opposition from his clergyman father, Waller became a professional pianist at 15, working in cabarets and theaters. In 1918 he won a talent contest playing Johnson's "Carolina Shout", a song he learned from watching a player piano play it.
Waller was one of the most popular performers of his era, finding critical and commercial success in his homeland and in Europe. He was also a prolific songwriter and many songs he wrote or co-wrote are still popular, such as "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Squeeze Me". Fellow pianist and composer Oscar Levant dubbed Waller "the black Horowitz". Waller composed many novelty tunes in the 1920s and 1930s and sold them for relatively small sums. When the compositions became hits, other songwriters claimed them as their own. Many standards are alternatively and sometimes controversially attributed to Waller. Waller's son Maurice wrote in his 1977 biography of his father, that once he was playing "I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" when he heard his father complaining from upstairs and came down and admonished him never to play that song in his hearing, saying that he had to sell that song when he needed some money. He even made a recording of it in 1938 with Adelaide Hall who, coincidentally, had introduced the song to the world (at Les Ambassadeurs Club in New York in 1928), in which he played the tune but made fun of the lyrics. Likewise, Maurice noted his father's objections whenever he heard "On the Sunny Side of the Street" played on the radio.
The anonymous sleeve notes on the 1960 RCA (UK) album Handful of Keys state that Waller copyrighted over 400 new songs, many of which co-written with his closest collaborator Andy Razaf. Razaf described his partner as "the soul of melody... a man who made the piano sing... both big in body and in mind... known for his generosity... a bubbling bundle of joy".[citation needed] Gene Sedric, a clarinetist who played with Waller on some of his 1930s recordings, is quoted in these same sleeve notes recalling Waller's recording technique with considerable admiration: "Fats was the most relaxed man I ever saw in a studio, and so he made everybody else relaxed. After a balance had been taken, we'd just need one take to make a side, unless it was a kind of difficult number."
Waller played with many performers, from Nat Shilkret (on Victor 21298-A) and Gene Austin to Erskine Tate to Adelaide Hall, but his greatest success came with his own five- or six-piece combo, "Fats Waller and his Rhythm".
His playing once put him at risk of injury. Waller was kidnapped in Chicago leaving a performance in 1926. Four men bundled him into a car and took him to the Hawthorne Inn, owned by Al Capone. Waller was ordered inside the building, and found a party in full swing. Gun to his back, he was pushed towards a piano, and told to play. A terrified Waller realized he was the "surprise guest" at Capone's birthday party, and took comfort that the gangsters did not intend to kill him. According to rumor, Waller played for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash from Capone and other party-goers as tips.
In 1926, Waller began his recording association with Victor Records, his principal record company for the rest of his life, with the organ solos "St. Louis Blues" and his own composition, "Lenox Avenue Blues". Although he recorded with various groups, including Morris's Hot Babes (1927), Fats Waller's Buddies (1929) (one of the earliest interracial groups to record), and McKinney's Cotton Pickers (1929), his most important contribution to the Harlem stride piano tradition was a series of solo recordings of his own compositions: "Handful of Keys", "Smashing Thirds", "Numb Fumblin'", and "Valentine Stomp" (1929). After sessions with Ted Lewis (1931), Jack Teagarden (1931), and Billy Banks's Rhythmakers (1932), he began in May 1934 the voluminous series of recordings with a small band known as Fats Waller and his Rhythm. This six-piece group usually included Herman Autrey (sometimes replaced by Bill Coleman or John "Bugs" Hamilton), Gene Sedric or Rudy Powell, and Al Casey.
Waller wrote "Squeeze Me" (1919), "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1929), "Blue Turning Grey Over You", "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" (1929), "Honeysuckle Rose" (1929), and "Jitterbug Waltz" (1942). He collaborated with the Tin Pan Alley lyricist Andy Razaf. He composed stride piano display pieces such as "Handful of Keys", "Valentine Stomp" and "Viper's Drag".[citation needed]
He enjoyed success touring the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1930s. He appeared in one of the first BBC broadcasts. While in Britain, Waller also recorded a number of songs for EMI on their Compton Theatre organ located in their Abbey Road Studios in St John's Wood. He appeared in several feature films and short subject films, most notably "Stormy Weather" in 1943, which was released July 21, just months before his death. For the hit Broadway show, "Hot Chocolates", he and Razaf wrote "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue" (1929), which became a hit for Ethel Waters and Louis Armstrong.
Waller performed Bach organ pieces for small groups on occasion. Waller influenced many pre-bop jazz pianists; Count Basie and Erroll Garner have both reanimated his hit songs (notably, "Ain't Misbehavin'"). In addition to his playing, Waller was known for his many quips during his performances.
Between 1926 and the end of 1927, Waller recorded a series of pipe organ solo records. These represent the first time syncopated jazz compositions were performed on a full sized church organ.
Waller contracted pneumonia and died on a cross country train trip near Kansas City, Missouri on December 15, 1943, after making a final recording session with an interracial group in Detroit that included white trumpeter Don Hirleman. He was on his way back to Hollywood for more film work, after the smash success of "Stormy Weather". Coincidentally, as the train with the body of Waller stopped in Kansas City, so stopped a train with his dear friend Louis Armstrong on board.
Revival and awards
2008 Gennett Records Walk of Fame
2005 Jazz at Lincoln Center: Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame
1993 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
1989 Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame
1970 Songwriters Hall of Fame
Recordings of Fats Waller were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honour recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance".
Fats Waller: Grammy Hall of Fame Awards
1934 "Honeysuckle Rose" Jazz (Single) Victor in 1998
1929 "Ain't Misbehavin'" Jazz (Single) Victor in 1984 Listed in the National Recording Registry
by the Library of Congress in 2004.
Subject of the Irish poet Michael Longley's "Elegy for Fats Waller".
Waller's organ music is prominently featured in the David Lynch film Eraserhead.
He was caricatured in several Warner Brothers animated shorts, most notably Tin Pan Alley Cats.
In the 2008 film, Be Kind Rewind Fats Waller was a major theme and influence for the storyline.
Italian comics book artist Igort published a comic book about Waller entitled Fats Waller on Coconino Press in 2009.
Some of Waller's music ("Jitterbug Waltz") is used in the video game series BioShock.
Waller's version of "Louisiana Fairytale" was used for many years as the theme song to This Old House.
A Broadway musical revue showcasing Waller tunes entitled Ain't Misbehavin' was produced in 1978. (The show and a star of the show, Nell Carter, won Tony Awards.) The show opened at the Longacre Theatre and ran for over 1600 performances. It was revived on Broadway in 1988. Performed by five African American actors, it included such songs as "Honeysuckle Rose", "This Joint Is Jumpin'", and "Ain't Misbehavin'".
'Tain't What You Do
Fats Waller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My ma said, "Daughter, come here to me"
Says, "Things may come and things may go
But this is one thing you ought to know"
Oh, ′tain't what you do, it′s the way that you do it
'Tain't what you do, it′s the way that you do it
′Tain't what you do, it′s the way that you do it
′Tain't what you do, it′s the time that you do it
'Tain't what you do, it′s the time that you do it
′Tain't what you do, it′s the time that you do it
That's what gets results
You can try hard, don′t mean a thing
Take it easy, breezy, then your jive will swing
Oh, it 'tain′t what you do, it's the place that you do it
'Tain′t what you do, it′s the time that you do it
'Tain′t what you do, it's the way that you do it
That′s what gets results
You've learned your A B C′s
You've learned your D F G's
But this is something you don′t learn in school
So get your hep boots on
And then you′ll carry on
But remember if you try too hard
It don't mean a thing, take it easy
′Tain't what bring do, it′s the way that you bring it
'Tain′t what swing do, it's the way that you swing it
'Tain′t what sing do, it′s the way that you sing it
That's what gets results
That′s what gets results, rebop
The lyrics to Fats Waller's song "′Tain't What You Do" convey a valuable life lesson about the importance of attitude and approach rather than just the actions themselves. The song starts with the singer reminiscing about her childhood when her mother taught her this important lesson. The phrase "′tain't what you do" refers to the activities or actions one engages in, while the emphasis is placed on the way they are done. The lyrics suggest that it is not the specific tasks or actions one performs, but rather the manner in which they are executed that yields results.
The song highlights the idea that simply putting effort or trying hard does not necessarily guarantee success. Instead, it suggests that taking it easy, finding a smooth and relaxed approach, and letting things flow naturally can make a significant difference. The lyrics further state that it is not only about the actions or the time at which they are done but also the environment or circumstances in which they occur. The song encourages embracing a cool and confident attitude, as it is the key to achieving desired outcomes.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a kid about half past three
In my early years, around three and a half years old
My ma said, 'Daughter, come here to me'
My mother called me over to her
Says, 'Things may come and things may go But this is one thing you ought to know'
She said that while many things in life may change, there is one thing I should always remember
Oh, 'tain't what you do, it's the way that you do it
The key is not what specific action you take, but rather the manner in which you perform it
'Tain't what you do, it's the way that you do it
It is not the actual deed itself that matters, but the approach and style with which you carry it out
'Tain't what you do, it's the way that you do it
The outcome depends on the method and execution, not the particular task
That's what gets results
This is what leads to successful outcomes
'Tain't what you do, it's the time that you do it
It is not solely about the action itself, but also the timing of when it is performed
'Tain't what you do, it's the time that you do it
The specific moment and circumstance in which you take action matters more than the action alone
'Tain't what you do, it's the time that you do it
The results are influenced by the timing and opportunity of your actions
That's what gets results
This is what leads to successful outcomes
You can try hard, don't mean a thing
Putting in great effort does not guarantee success
Take it easy, breezy, then your jive will swing
Instead, adopting a relaxed and effortless approach will bring success
Oh, it 'tain't what you do, it's the place that you do it
The specific location where you carry out an action matters
'Tain't what you do, it's the time that you do it
The timing of your actions is more critical than the actions themselves
'Tain't what you do, it's the way that you do it
The manner in which you perform an action is of greater importance than the action itself
That's what gets results
This is what leads to successful outcomes
You've learned your A B C's
You have acquired basic knowledge and skills
You've learned your D F G's
You have expanded your knowledge and skills further
But this is something you don't learn in school
However, this understanding cannot be obtained through formal education
So get your hep boots on
Put on your fashionable and trendy boots
And then you'll carry on
After doing so, you can proceed in your endeavors
But remember if you try too hard
But always keep in mind that excessive effort
It don't mean a thing, take it easy
Does not guarantee success, so it is important to approach things with ease
'Tain't what bring do, it's the way that you bring it
The specific action itself is not as crucial as the manner in which you perform it
'Tain't what swing do, it's the way that you swing it
The actual swinging motion is not as significant as the style and technique with which you execute it
'Tain't what sing do, it's the way that you sing it
The act of singing is not as important as the approach and expression you bring to it
That's what gets results
This is what leads to successful outcomes
That's what gets results, rebop
This is what leads to successful outcomes, emphasizing the rhythmic and lively musical style
Writer(s): James Young, Sy Oliver
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.