Taylor was born as Cora Walton on a farm just outside Memphis, Tennessee. In 1954, Taylor left Memphis for Chicago with her husband, truck driver Robert "Pops" Taylor. In the late 1950s she began singing in Chicago blues clubs and was spotted by Willie Dixon in 1962, leading to wider performances and her first recording contract. In 1965, Taylor was signed by Chess Records, for which her single Wang Dang Doodle (written by Dixon, and a hit for Howlin' Wolf five years earlier) became a major hit, reaching number four on the R&B charts in 1966 and selling a million copies. Taylor recorded many versions of this Dixon-penned song over the past several decades and added more material, both original and covers, but never repeated that initial chart success.
National touring in the late 1960s and early 1970s improved her fan base, and she became accessible to a wider record-buying public when she signed with Alligator Records in 1975. Recording over a dozen albums for that label (many nominated for Grammy awards), she came to dominate the female blues singer ranks, winning 24 W. C. Handy Awards -- more than any other artist. After her recovery from a near-fatal car crash in 1989, the 1990s found Taylor in movies such as Blues Brothers 2000. She opened a blues club on Division St. in Chicago in 1994, but closed it in 1999. Taylor released a new album in 2007 called "Old School."
Koko Taylor influenced such musicians as Bonnie Raitt, Shemekia Copeland, Janis Joplin, Shannon Curfman, and Susan Tedeschi.
Koko Taylor died on the afternoon of June 3rd 2009 (at the age of 80), while recovering from surgery to repair gastrointestinal bleeding. Koko Taylor is still referred to by fellow blues musicians and her fans as the "Queen of the Blues".
Hey Bartender
Koko Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I started drinking and got real tight
I blew each and all my friends
I felt so good i had to blow again
I said hey bartender
Hey man looka here
A draw one, draw two, draw three four glasses of beer
Well i saw a chick sitting on the end
I said baby can't we be friends
You're looking sweet as you can be
Well come on down and drink with me
I said hey bartender
Hey man looks here
A draw one, draw two, draw three four glasses of beer
Elwood!
Well we were having so much fun
I didn't know it was half past one
I turned around to have one more
I looked at the clock and it was half past four
Hey bartender
Hey man looka here
A draw one, draw two, draw three four glasses of beer
Well jukebox girlie is everything
All the cats are dancing
I heard somebody called and said
Last round for alcohol
I said hey bartender
Hey bartender
Hey bartender
Hey bartender
Draw one, two, three four glasses of bee
The song "Hey Bartender" sung by Koko Taylor & Her Blues Machine is a classic blues song and is known for its catchy tune and relatable lyrics. The song is about a night on the town; the singer has gone "balling" and has had a little too much to drink. The singer lost her money to alcohol, and after blowing her friends' money too, she has to find a way to keep drinking. She calls out to the bartender to get her more beer, four at a time. The singer tries to make a connection with a girl in the bar and invites her for a drink, and they all continue to dance as the night wears on.
The song reflects on the blues theme of partying and drinking, combined with heartbreak, love, and loss. The singer seems to want to forget her troubles by drinking her pain away. She has lost all her money and is left with nothing but her love for booze. The line "Last round for alcohol," shows the desperation of the singer, fearing that the party might end soon.
Overall, "Hey Bartender" is an up-tempo and fun song to sing-along with, and it has a catchy tune that centers around one of the most familiar themes in blues music, alcohol.
Line by Line Meaning
I went balling the other night
I went out to have fun the other night
I started drinking and got real tight
I started drinking and got really drunk
I blew each and all my friends
I spent all my money on drinks for myself and my friends
I felt so good i had to blow again
I enjoyed drinking so much that I wanted to buy another round
I said hey bartender
I called out to the bartender
Hey man looka here
Listen to what I have to say
A draw one, draw two, draw three four glasses of beer
Please serve me and my friends four glasses of beer
Well i saw a chick sitting on the end
I noticed a woman sitting at the end of the bar
I said baby can't we be friends
I asked her if we could be friends
You're looking sweet as you can be
You look very attractive
Well come on down and drink with me
Come sit with me and have a drink
Well we were having so much fun
We were enjoying ourselves immensely
I didn't know it was half past one
I was unaware of the time
I turned around to have one more
I turned around to order another drink
I looked at the clock and it was half past four
I realized it was very late
Well jukebox girlie is everything
The jukebox is playing great songs
All the cats are dancing
Everyone is dancing
I heard somebody called and said
I heard someone call out
Last round for alcohol
This is the last chance to order drinks
I said hey bartender
I called out to the bartender again
Draw one, two, three four glasses of beer
Please serve me and my friends four glasses of beer
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dianekrstulovich1582
LOVE koko Taylor!
@thefrenchatelier1977
Saw her in Chicago once and twice in Milwaukee in the early 80s. We danced all night...
@carolread-smith3708
Love it,,feels are tapping and I'm starting to grove....more..
@shawnfoxfirth9684
whenever someone say's 'No Good music today' or 'Today's music Suck's' you know where to send em. . ..
@donaldhalkett
love it Awesome singer
@EMILYMCENROEs-yeast-infection
I JUST LOVE THIS
@jaymulligan7391
You go girl
@RickyGuttasouffCollins
wow
@acp4865
wow someone else who says 'tight' for drunk. My old aunty Aileen used to say she was tight :)
@CRVZR-gp5eg
:O