He pioneered studio tools such as multiple over-dubbing on one- and two-track machines, close miking, direct input of bass-guitars, the compressor, and effects like echo and reverb, as well as sampling. Unlike other producers, his search was for the "right sound" rather than for a catchy musical tune, and throughout his brief career he single-mindedly followed his quest to create a unique "sonic signature" for every record he produced.
At a time when many studio engineers were still wearing white coats and assiduously trying to maintain clarity and fidelity, Meek, the maverick, was producing everything on the three floors of his home studio and was never afraid to distort or manipulate the sound if it created the effect he was seeking. For the song "Johnny Remember Me" he placed the violins on the stairs, the drummer almost in the bathroom, and the brass section on a different floor entirely.
Meek was one of the first producers to grasp and fully exploit the possibilities of the modern recording studio. His innovative techniques -- physically separating instruments, treating instruments and voices with echo and reverb, processing the sound through his fabled home-made electronic devices, the combining of separately-recorded performances and segments into a painstakingly constructed composite recording -- comprised a major breakthrough in sound production. Up to that time, the standard technique for recordings, regardless of musical genre, was to record all the performers in one studio playing together in real time as the music was cut live to tape all at once. Joe Meek's recording techniques (as well as the recording techniques of Les Paul) did much to further the art of record production as we know it today.
Besides his idiosyncratic music production, many of Meek's character eccentricities continue to capture the imagination of people today. Although never properly diagnosed, it is believed today by many that Meek suffered from bipolar disorder type one (some even suggest further that he was paranoid-schizophrenic). Meek was obsessed with outer space, the occult and the idea of "the other side". He would set up tape machines in graveyards in a vain attempt to record voices from beyond the grave, in one instance capturing the meows of a cat he claimed was speaking in human tones, asking for help. In particular, he had an obsession with Buddy Holly (claiming the late American rocker had communicated with him in dreams). His professional efforts were often hindered by his paranoia (Meek was known to tear up his walls as he was convinced that Decca Records would put hidden microphones behind his wallpaper in order to steal his ideas), drug use, and attacks of sudden rage and depression.
Meek's homosexuality (illegal in the UK at the time) also put him under pressure during his career. He had been charged with "importuning for immoral purposes" in 1963 and was consequently subjected to blackmail. In January of 1967, police in Tattingstone, Suffolk, discovered a suitcase containing the mutilated body of Bernard Oliver, an alleged rent boy who had previously associated with Meek. According to some accounts, Meek became concerned that he would be involved in the murder investigation when the Metropolitan police stated that they would be interviewing all known homosexuals in the city. On February 3rd, 1967, the eighth anniversary of Buddy Holly's death, Meek killed his landlady Violet Shenton and then himself with a single barreled shotgun that he had confiscated from his protegé, former The Tornados' bassist and solo star Heinz Burt. Joe Meek was 37 at the time of his death.
Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O
Joe Meek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Sail away lady sail away)
Round the billygoat leading a hound
(Sail away lady sail away)
Hound got dumped, billygoat jumped
(Sail away lady sail away)
Throw'd my brother right over that stump
(Sail away lady sail away)
[Chorus x2]
Don't you rock me daddio
Don't you rock me daddio
Don't you rock me daddio
Don't you rock me daddio
Well my old auntie promised me
(Sail away lady sail away)
When she'd die she'd will to me
(Sail away lady sail away)
She lived so long her head got bald
(Sail away lady sail away)
She got out the notes and the dimes and all
(Sail away lady sail away)
[Chorus x2]
I said
[Chorus]
Well my old auntie promised me
(Sail away lady sail away)
When she'd die she'd will to me
(Sail away lady sail away)
Well, she lived so long her head got bald
(Sail away lady sail away)
She didn't got out the notes and the dimes and all
(Sail away lady said away)
[Chorus x2]
The song "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" by Joe Meek tells the story of a journey with the singer's father, brother, and a billygoat leading a hound. As they travel, the billygoat jumps over a stump, causing the brother to fall off. The chorus repeats the titular phrase, urging the father not to rock the boat. The second verse introduces the singer's aunt, who promises to leave her inheritance to the singer. However, when she passes away and the singer retrieves the money, they find that it is not as much as expected.
While the lyrics may seem disjointed or nonsensical, they are actually typical of folk ballads of the time, which often told stories in a fragmentary or elliptical manner. The repeated chorus serves as a kind of anchor for the narrative, while the verses expand on different episodes in the larger story. The use of sailing jargon ("sail away lady") adds to the song's folksy, seafaring atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
Me and my daddy was coming into town
My father and I were entering the town
Round the billygoat leading a hound
We were following a billygoat that was leading a hound
Hound got dumped, billygoat jumped
The hound was abandoned, and the billygoat jumped over something
Throw'd my brother right over that stump
My brother was thrown over a stump
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Well my old auntie promised me
My elderly aunt made a promise to me
When she'd die she'd will to me
When she died, she would leave me something in her will
She lived so long her head got bald
She lived for so long that she lost all of her hair
She got out the notes and the dimes and all
She gave me some money and valuables
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
I said
I exclaimed
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Well my old auntie promised me
My elderly aunt made a promise to me
When she'd die she'd will to me
When she died, she would leave me something in her will
She lived so long her head got bald
She lived for so long that she lost all of her hair
She didn't got out the notes and the dimes and all
She did not give me any money or valuables
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Don't you rock me daddio
Do not rock me, Daddy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WHYTON VARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind