Cyprus-born (of Armenian ancestry) Canadian-American songwriter, singer, guitarist, actor, and voice actor specializing in jazz, blues, and Tin Pan Alley classics. Recognized by his Panama hat, dark sunglasses, and black tie, he first appeared on stage in Toronto, Canada, in the early 1970s. As well as music, he also appeared on film and television in acting and voice-over roles.
Redbone, who had a distinctive deep voice, began his career in the 1970s. His work encompassed pre-war jazz, ragtime, & blues styles with modern arrangements that still retain a vintage feel.
While living in Canada in the early 1970s, Redbone began performing in public at Toronto area nightclubs and folk music festivals. At one point, it was rumored that he was actually comedian Andy Kaufman, who sometimes took on other identities, or Frank Zappa, who somewhat resembled Redbone. However, Redbone has performed since the deaths of Kaufman and Zappa, and the rumors have subsided. David Letterman once proposed that he was Don Novello, the comedian famous for playing Father Guido Sarducci.
In 1974, Rolling Stone magazine ran a feature article on Redbone, a full year before he had a recording contract. The article described his performances as "so authentic you can hear the surface noise [of an old 78 rpm]." His first album, On the Track, was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1975. He was introduced to a larger public as a semi-regular musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s. In a late-'70s appearance on the The Merv Griffin Show, he was introduced as "Andy Kaufman ...maybe or maybe not," alluding to the eccentric comedian as being his possible true identity.
During the 1980s-90s Redbone was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. It was apparent from the on-air exchanges between host and guest that Carson was a fan of Redbone's work.
Redbone survived the crash of a small plane in Clarksburg WV on Feb. 12, 1979.
Lulu's Back In Town
Leon Redbone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where'd she put my razor blade?
She mislaid it, I'm afraid,
It's gotta be foun'!
Ask her when she cleaned my room
What she did with my perfume;
I just can't lose it,
I've gotta use it,
Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed,
Gotta sew a button on my vest,
'Cause tonight I've gotta look my best,
Lulu's back in town.
Gotta get a half a buck somewhere,
Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair,
Gotta get myself a boutonniere,
Lulu's back in town.
You can tell all my pets,
All my Harlem coquettes;
Mister Otis regrets
That he won't be aroun'.
You can tell the mailman not to call,
I ain't comin' home until the fall,
And I might not get back home at all,
Lulu's back in town.
You can bet I've got it bad,
Best complaint I've ever had;
We'll be stepping out tonight,
An' struttin', an' how.
We're in for the swellest time,
Finish up without a dime;
Look here, you fellers,
I'll make you jealous,
My Lulu, she's a wow.
Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed,
Gotta sew a button on my vest,
'Cause tonight I've gotta look my best,
Lulu's back in town.
Gotta get a half a buck somewhere,
Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair,
Gotta get myself a boutonniere,
Lulu's back in town.
You can tell all my pets,
All my blondes and brunettes;
Mister Otis regrets
That he won't be aroun'.
You can tell the mailman not to call,
I ain't comin' home until the fall,
And I might not get back home at all,
Lulu's back in town.
The song "Lulu's Back in Town" by Leon Redbone expresses the excitement and anticipation of the singer about the return of his beloved Lulu. The lyrics reveal the singer's preparations for the evening, including finding his razor blade, perfume, pressing his tuxedo and sewing a button on his vest. He also aims to look his best by shining his shoes, slicking his hair, and getting himself a boutonniere.
The singer is so consumed with Lulu's return that he tells his pets, "all his blondes and brunettes,” not to call him, and he might not come back home at all. The song reveals the singer's love and desire for Lulu, and how he wants to make the most of their time together. The song's upbeat tempo and melody add to its joyful tone and make it a classic love song.
Line by Line Meaning
Where's that careless chambermaid?
Where did the chambermaid keep my things? I can't find my razor blade and it's concerning me.
Where'd she put my razor blade?
I can't find my razor blade, I need it for my shave.
She mislaid it, I'm afraid,
I think she lost it accidentally.
It's gotta be foun'!
I need to find it because I need to get ready for Lulu's arrival.
Ask her when she cleaned my room
When she comes next time, I'll ask her if she saw my perfume and razor blade when she was cleaning my room.
What she did with my perfume;
I can't find my perfume and I suspect it's also misplaced.
I just can't lose it,
It's important to me and I don't want to lose it.
I've gotta use it,
I have to use it before Lulu arrives.
'Cause Lulu's back in town.
Lulu is coming back to town, and I must look and smell good for her.
Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed,
I need to iron my tuxedo to look good for Lulu.
Gotta sew a button on my vest,
One of the buttons on my vest is falling off so I need to sew it back on.
'Cause tonight I've gotta look my best,
I need to look my absolute best tonight for Lulu.
Gotta get a half a buck somewhere,
I need to find some money to spend on Lulu tonight.
Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair,
I need to polish my shoes and style my hair for Lulu.
Gotta get myself a boutonniere,
I need to pick up a flower for my lapel to impress Lulu.
You can tell all my pets,
Tell my friends, acquaintances, and girlfriends.
All my Harlem coquettes;
My friends and girlfriends in Harlem.
Mister Otis regrets
I regret that I cannot be around for a while.
That he won't be aroun'.
I'll be busy tonight with Lulu and other activities.
You can tell the mailman not to call,
Tell the mailman I won't be home to receive any mail.
I ain't comin' home until the fall,
I'll be away from home for a while, maybe until the fall.
And I might not get back home at all,
I might not come back home if things go well with Lulu.
You can bet I've got it bad,
I am really into Lulu and am excited to see her again.
Best complaint I've ever had;
I have no complaints, in fact, I feel lucky to have such a great opportunity.
We'll be stepping out tonight,
Lulu and I will be going out tonight.
An' struttin', an' how.
We'll be walking confidently, enjoying each other's company.
We're in for the swellest time,
We're going to have the best time.
Finish up without a dime;
We'll finish the night without any money left.
Look here, you fellers,
Listen up, guys.
I'll make you jealous,
I'll make you all envious with how great of a time I'm having with Lulu.
My Lulu, she's a wow.
Lulu is amazing and I am lucky to be spending time with her.
All my blondes and brunettes;
Referring to all of my female companions who are blonde or brunette.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL DUBIN, HARRY WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
justpassnthru
I had the pleasure of seeing Leon in person several times. Never a disappointment.
Michael Silver
Leon's unique rendition of this '30s movie musical tune is a timeless masterpiece. Listen to the original and you'll hear what I mean. It inspired me to do the song at senior communites.
roarkesq !
RIP old friend. I must have played your version of this song over a couple of hundred times over the years. I would put it on when I got dressed to go out on the town.
Gibby
Amazing musician and very underrated guitar player.....
Bolivar Aguayo
es una estupenda versión de Lulu back in town
Skicitrussoda
I heard this song on the radio during my grade school years in a small town in south central Ohio. That station also played some other older tunes that would be right up Mr. Redbone's alley. Great!
nuvoclassic
I'm LuLu - and I just heard this tune on a jazz station in Chicago! I've been immortalized!😍
William Walker
My favorite Redbone album!!
Crypto Grizzly
his best
Stream Tree3
i think this guy is great...he is so ...something...well i need some adjective to describe him...he is so something!