Born in Viroqua, Wisconsin, he learned to play drums as a boy. Later he took up xylophone and at 13 changed to piano. He studied with a local teacher throughout high school. At 17 his parents moved to Chicago where he continued his musical training. He met Rosy McHargue, a well known clarinetist, who took him to hear many leading musicians including Bix Beiderbecke and Earl Hines. His first job was with Johnny Tobin at the Beach View Gardens. He later moved to Los Angeles where he worked with Henry Halstead, Earl Burtnett and Lennie Hayton, before joining Ben Pollack in 1934.
He played with the Jimmy Dorsey Band in the 1930s and was a charter member of the Will Bradley Orchestra when it formed in 1939. Known to bandmates as "Daddy Slack," he played the piano solo on Bradley's recording of "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", one of the early white boogie-woogie hits and a classic of the Big Band era.
After forming his own band in 1942 and signing with the newly-founded Capitol Records, he recorded three songs at the third Capitol recording session on May 21, 1942. His recording of "Cow Cow Boogie," sung by the 17-year-old Ella Mae Morse, was the second record Capitol issued on July 1, and by July 25 it had reached number 1 on the hit parade. It was Capitol's first gold single.
T-Bone Walker was a member of Slack's band from 1942 to 1944 and Slack later accompanied Walker on his first solo recording for Capitol, Mean Old World. This band also had a hit with "Strange Cargo."
Slack continued to record with Capitol until at least 1950, recording some 80 tracks for the label.
Slack also recorded as an accompanist for Big Joe Turner, Johnny Mercer, Margaret Whiting, and Lisa Morrow.
In the original version of the song "Down the Road a Piece", recorded in 1940 by the Will Bradley Orchestra, Slack is mentioned in the lyrics:
If you wanna' hear some boogie then I know the place
It's just an old piano and a knocked-out bass.
The drummer-man's a guy they call 8-beat Mack
You remember Doc and old "Beat Me Daddy" Slack.
Man it's better than chicken fried in bacon grease
Come along with me boys, it's just down the road a piece.
"Eight Beat Mack" refers to drummer Ray McKinley, and "Doc" refers to the band's bass player, Doc Goldberg.
His 1955 album Boogie Woogie on the 88 featured a horn section including jazz musicians Shorty Sherock and Herbie Harper among others, and with arrangements by Benny Carter.
He also co-wrote the 1945 classic "The House of Blue Lights" first recorded with singer Ella Mae Morse, and later by Chuck Miller, The Andrews Sisters, Chuck Berry, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Mean Old World
Freddie Slack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby to live in by yourself.
This is a mean old world,
Baby to live in by yourself.
Can't get the woman you love,
Cause you know she's lovin someone else.
Well I drink to keep from worryin
Yes I drink to keep from worryin
And you know I smile to keep from cryin.
That's to keep the public from knowin
Just what I have on my mind.
The lyrics to Freddie Slack's blues song "Mean Old World" reflect the sorrow and disappointment felt by a person living in a cruel and unfair world. The singer draws attention to the harsh reality of trying to survive on one's own without the love and support of others. The opening line of the song, "this is a mean old world," sets the tone for the rest of the song.
The stanza, "can't get the woman you love, cause you know she's lovin someone else," underscores the pain of unrequited love, which is a common theme in blues music. The singer resorts to drinking and smiling to conceal his sadness from the world, choosing to put up a facade to prevent others from seeing his true emotions.
"Mean Old World" is a reflection of the hardships faced by people in their daily lives. Despite its melancholic undertones, the song is a testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a mean old world,
The world we live in is filled with hardship and cruelty.
Baby to live in by yourself.
It's difficult to make a life on your own without support.
Can't get the woman you love,
The person you are in love with is unavailable to you.
Cause you know she's lovin someone else.
The person you love is in love with someone else.
Well I drink to keep from worryin
I rely on alcohol as a coping mechanism to avoid worry and stress.
Baby and I smile to keep from cryin'.
I keep up appearances and pretend to be happy to hide my true emotions.
Yes I drink to keep from worryin
I use alcohol as a temporary escape from my problems.
And you know I smile to keep from cryin.
I put on a brave face and smile to mask my inner pain.
That's to keep the public from knowin
I pretend to be fine in public to avoid drawing attention to myself.
Just what I have on my mind.
I don't want anyone to know what I'm really thinking and feeling.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDY FRASER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JohnnyNorfolk
She was so good. Nothing like it today.
@lou2u
Thank you. She was the number one female recording artist of the 1940s.
@richardsanchez3452
I love her voice😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍