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'".
If You're a Viper
Fats Waller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A might immense but not to strong
You′d be high, but not for long
If you're a viper
I′m the king of everything
I got-to-get-got-to-get-got-be high before I swing
Let the bell ring ding-dong-ding
Say you know your high, when your throat get's dry
Mhmm, everything is dandy
Ah yes, you run to the candy store
Bust your [?] on peppermint candy
Then you know your little brown bodies spent
You dont′ give a darn, if you don′t pay rent
'Cause the sky is high
So am I, yeah yeah
′Oh stop it darling
I didn't know you′re here
That's enough now, wait minute, wait a minute, wait a minute
Let me dream now
Yes, baby
[?] on the sideline
My wife′s in here tonight
So you don't vipe either, you know get away?
Are you kidding?
Oh yeah'
Say you know you′re high
Yes I know I′m high
'Cause everything is fine and dandy
Yes, going down to the candy store
Get me Wrigley′s or some peppermint candy
I love it, I love it, I love it
Yes baby, but my bodies spent
'Get away from me you [?]′
High, high so am I
The lyrics to Fats Waller's "If You're a Viper" describe the experience of smoking marijuana, also known as "vipers" during the jazz age in the 1930s. The song paints a vivid picture of the sensations one feels while under the influence of the drug. The first two lines describe a dream in which the singer envisions a large five-foot-long reefer, which would make one high but not too strong, indicating that the potency of the marijuana might not be as strong as it looks. The lyrics then go on to describe the feeling of being high and the sense of euphoria that comes with it.
The song continues with further imagery of a candy store, indicating that when high, one becomes more indulgent and carefree about spending money, as the concept of time and responsibility seem to disappear. Waller also emphasizes his own enjoyment of the drug, referring to himself as the "king of everything," and acknowledging his need to get high before he swings, likely indicating his performance on stage. The final lines of the song suggest a playful and lighthearted interaction between Waller and an anonymous female voice, further emphasizing the whimsical nature of the subject matter.
Line by Line Meaning
I dreamed about a reefer, five feet long
I had a dream about a large joint
A might immense but not too strong
It was sizable, but not too potent
You'd be high, but not for long
You would feel the effects, but they wouldn't last very long
If you're a viper
If you're someone who enjoys smoking marijuana
I'm the king of everything
I feel invincible, like I have control over everything
I got-to-get-got-to-get-got-be high before I swing
I need to be high before I perform or do anything
Let the bell ring ding-dong-ding
Let's start the show or event
Say you know your high, when your throat gets dry
If your mouth feels dry, it's a sign that you're high
Mhmm, everything is dandy
Everything feels good and carefree
Ah yes, you run to the candy store
When you have the munchies, you go to the store for snacks
Bust your [?] on peppermint candy
You spend all your money on candy
Then you know your little brown bodies spent
You've wasted all your money on frivolous things
You don't give a darn, if you don't pay rent
You don't care about responsibilities or bills
'Cause the sky is high
Everything feels elevated and great
So am I, yeah yeah
I feel the same way
'Oh stop it darling
Someone interrupts the artist's thoughts or actions
I didn't know you're here
The artist is surprised by the person's presence
That's enough now, wait minute, wait a minute, wait a minute
The singer wants the person to stop and wait
Let me dream now
The singer wants to continue with their thoughts or actions
Yes, baby
An affectionate name or term used for someone
[?] on the sideline
Someone is standing by and watching
My wife's in here tonight
The artist's spouse is present in the room
So you don't vipe either, you know get away?
The singer is trying to distance themselves from someone who doesn't smoke marijuana
Are you kidding?
The other person is surprised or in disbelief
Oh yeah'
The singer confirms their earlier statement
Say you know you're high
Confirming that they are indeed under the influence
Yes I know I'm high
Acknowledging that they are high
'Cause everything is fine and dandy
Reiterating that everything feels wonderful
Yes, going down to the candy store
The artist wants to get more snacks
Get me Wrigley's or some peppermint candy
Asking for a specific type of candy
I love it, I love it, I love it
Expressing enthusiasm and enjoyment
Yes baby, but my body's spent
Admitting that their energy is exhausted
'Get away from me you [?]'
Someone is annoyed or bothered by another's presence
High, high so am I
Affirming that they are still under the influence
Writer(s): Leroy Stuff Smith
Contributed by Kaitlyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fingerz Frienemy
Fats is a national treasure. He was such an accomplished musician and yet chose to goof around .
I love this man.
Carmine Murray
Fats could sing circles around any other cats !
His piano playing sparkled with soul, so did his voice, I am moved to tears by his joy of life, and the man had more life than ten others.
GET AWAY FROM ME YOU HUSSY ! 😮
Love it !!!
DrCrabfingers
Fats is an international treasure...one in a million!!
Zig The Mystic
There was one time when fats wrote and performed a whole concert in piano with none of his popular funny songs because he wanted people to take him seriously as a musician. During the concert people were yelling at him to play his goof songs because that's what they knew and loved him for. His funny songs were what they wanted to hear.
Mike McGrane
Amen, pure genius.
Average Jobogio
My man out here in the 1930s sang a whole song about smoking a massive joint and then having to go and purchase munchies blazed off his ass. A truely timeless theme
The Mad Carver
Peppermints and Wrigley's Chewing Gum were to hide the smell. But yes, it is a timeless, beautiful song. I'm a Viper myself, smoke reefer regularly to this tune
Average Jobogio
@The Mad Carver are you 90?
The Mad Carver
@Average Jobogio Nope, Actually 20. Turn 21 soon
Average Jobogio
@The Mad Carver so imma just stand by it definitely being the munchies lmao