He spent some time in Italy studying art before coming back to Manhattan to further his education at New York's Institute of Fine Arts while working with several New York bands. In 1969 he formed a group called Grinder's Switch, and they released just one album - Garland Jeffreys & Grinder's Switch. Members of Grinder's Switch played on debut solo album of another co-founder of The Velvet Underground, John Cale - Vintage Violence (1970). Garland even wrote one song for this album (Fairweather Friend) and did back-up vocals for it. In 1973 Jeffreys released his own debut album entitled simply 'Garland Jeffreys. During the mid-70s he was touring with reggae artists like Jimmy Cliff and Toots & the Maytals and in 1977 he released his critically acclaimed Ghost Writer. In 1980 Jeffreys made a cover of ? & the Mysterians' 96 Tears. Then, after a long silence he released Don't Call Me Buckwheat (1992). Every song in this album has strong antiracial lyrics ('Welcome to the World', 'Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll', 'I Was Afraid of Malcolm' etc.). He followed with Wildlife Dictionary in 1997. In 2003 Garland covered Skip James' Washington D.C. Hospital Center Blues for the film by Wim Wenders from the project Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: The Soul of a Man. Another compilation of greatest hits (with three new songs) - I'm Alive was released in 2006 in Europe only.
In 2011 Jeffreys roared back with self-released The King of In Between. It racked up numerous best of the year accolades in the US and Jeffreys began touring heavily. Recently it was #25 in best of the year in Rolling Stone Germany.
1969 - Garland Jeffreys & Grinder's Switch
1973 - Garland Jeffreys
1977 - Ghost Writer
1978 - One-Eyed Jack
1979 - American Boy & Girl
1980 - Escape Artist
1982 - Rock & Roll Adult
1983 - Guts for Love
1992 - Don't Call Me Buckwheat
1992 - Matador & More...
1997 - Wildlife Dictionary
2006 - I'm Alive
2011 - The King of In Between
2013 - Truth Serum
2017 - 14 Steps to Harlem
Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll
Garland Jeffreys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pockets of hate, rockets of love
It's never too late, the change in the color of
The color of her, the color of him
It really doesn't matter what skin you're in
Big yellow taxi cab passed me by
Stopped on the next corner to pick up a white guy
The color of you, the color of me
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, comes from are 'n' be and soul
Don't leave me standing in the cold
I used to fake 'I never grow old'
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, don't leave me standing on the bleak
Don't leave me stranded on the street
I see the light, I feel the heat
Blame it on you, blame it on me
Now let's the race that won't let's get on history
Pain in my heart won't let me be
Take it from me but don't you take away my liberty
Father of coal, mother of pearl
Never too black to blush to pick up a white girl
The color of you, the color of me
You can't judge a man by looking at the marque
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, comes from are 'n' be and soul
Don't leave me standing in the cold
I used to fake 'I never grow old'
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, don't leave me standing on the bleak
Don't leave me stranded on the street
I see the light, I feel the heat
Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino
Here come Elvis, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, comes from are 'n' be and soul ....
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, comes from are 'n' be and soul ....
Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino
Here come Elvis, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee
Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino
Here come Elvis, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee
Garland Jeffreys's song Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll is a timely and poignant piece that celebrates rock 'n' roll music's power to bridge racial and cultural divides. The song starts with the lines "Pockets of hate, rockets of love, it's never too late, the change in the color of, the color of her, the color of him. It really doesn't matter what skin you're in." The lyrics suggest that love can overcome hate, and the color of a person's skin should not define them. The song contains powerful messages of unity and acceptance, highlighting the fact that despite racial and cultural differences, rock 'n' roll has the power to unite people.
As the song continues, Garland Jeffreys talks about the social and political changes that rock 'n' roll has brought about. The lyrics highlight the shift from old-fashioned values to more modern, progressive attitudes, as exemplified by the line "I used to fake 'I never grow old.'" Jeffreys mentions the musical pioneers who paved the way for rock 'n' roll, including Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino, and Elvis Presley, and celebrates their contributions to popular culture. The song's chorus "Hail hail rock 'n' roll, comes from are 'n' be and soul, don't leave me standing in the cold" reiterates the message of unity and inclusivity that runs throughout the song.
Overall, Hail Hail Rock 'N' Roll is a powerful message of unity and acceptance. The song demonstrates how rock 'n' roll has the power to bring people together, regardless of race or creed, and highlights the social and cultural changes that have been brought about by the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Pockets of hate, rockets of love
There are people who hate, and others who love passionately.
It's never too late, the change in the color of
It's never too late to free ourselves from racial prejudices.
The color of her, the color of him
The color of one's skin shouldn't matter.
It really doesn't matter what skin you're in
Skin color has no effect on someone's worth as a person.
Big yellow taxi cab passed me by
A yellow cab drove past the singer.
Stopped on the next corner to pick up a white guy
The cab stopped to pick up a white passenger shortly after.
The color of you, the color of me
Once again, skin color doesn't impact human value.
You can't judge a man by looking at the marque
We shouldn't judge people by their appearances.
Hail hail rock 'n' roll, comes from are 'n' be and soul
Rock 'n' roll originates from R&B and soul music.
Don't leave me standing in the cold
The singer doesn't want to be left alone in the cold.
I used to fake 'I never grow old'
The singer pretended he would never outgrow his love for rock 'n' roll.
Don't leave me standing on the bleak
Once more, the singer doesn't want to be left alone in a cold or depressing situation.
Don't leave me stranded on the street
The singer doesn't want to be stranded on a street or abandoned.
I see the light, I feel the heat
The singer perceives a bright future ahead of him and feels motivated.
Blame it on you, blame it on me
It's everyone's responsibility to avoid racial bias.
Now let's the race that won't let's get on history
It's time to overcome racist traditions.
Pain in my heart won't let me be
The singer feels upset because of the injustice in the world.
Take it from me but don't you take away my liberty
Even if society takes something from him, the singer still values his freedom.
Father of coal, mother of pearl
People of different races can have children together.
Never too black to blush to pick up a white girl
Even a black man can find love with a white woman.
Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Fats Domino
The singer mentions several famous rock 'n' roll musicians.
Here come Elvis, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee
The singer mentions even more famous rock 'n' roll musicians.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: GARLAND JEFFREYS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@otasch
"I used to think i'll never grow old!"
@turockandar
This song is an absolute masterpiece and reaffirms the goodness of human being..thanks for such a great piece of music!
@mpriest666
One of the most amazing rock songs ever written.It is so underrated don't know why but at least when i listen to this song it brings back so much memories and good times.Rock on.Thanks GARLAND JEFFREYS.
@spauldings5895
Perfect vidéo, pure lyrics...
A song who marked everyone who listened to it when it was released.
Humanity and respect overall...
And what a rythm/groove !
Respect after all those years❤️🎹🎸🕶️
@JeanVe
This song means so much to me! Great memories from my childhood also!
@7628739
this is a amazing song , even today, it is still there..
@75Krusty
Perfect Pop Rock track. Love it immediately when they played it first on radio and MTV back in 1991. Hail hail Mr. Garland Jeffreys
@diebildkunstlerin3270
Ich liebe dieses Lied!!! Seit den 90'er eines meiner Lieblingslieder! 😍👍
@Marc-zi5cq
Amazing powerful song, video, message! Was a huge hit in Germany! Should have been more famous in the US!
@marko53988
Poruka ove pjesme bi jako dobro došla nama balkancima.