Tillery first came to prominence as the lead singer in San Francisco group The Loading Zone in 1968-69. After that group split in 1970 she recorded her debut album for CBS Records, and worked as a studio musician through much of the 1970s, playing drums on albums by Santana, Mary Watkins, and Teresa Trull. She became a producer and staff artist at Olivia Records late in the decade, and released a second full-length on the label in 1978.
Her association with Olivia led her into the genre of women's music; she has collaborated with June Millington, Deirdre McCalla, Barbara Higbie, Holly Near, and Margie Adam, as well as with pop musicians like Kenny Loggins, Huey Lewis, and Bobby McFerrin. In the 1990s she began exploring African music, forming the group Cultural Heritage Choir. She also plays with her own band Skin Tight, a jazz/blues outfit.
DISCOGRAPHY:
Solo:
Sweet Linda Divine (CBS Records, 1970)
Linda Tillery (Olivia Records, 1978)
Secrets (411/Redwood Records, 1985)
Shake It to the One That You Love the Best (Music for Little People, 1989)
The Loading Zone:
The Loading Zone (RCA Records, 1968)
One for All (Umbrella Records, 1970)
The Cultural Heritage Choir:
Good Time a Good Time (1995)
Front Porch Music (1997)
Say Yo' Business (2001)
Willie And The Hand Jive
Linda Tillery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's got a groovy little chick named Rocking Lily
Yeah, rock and rolling Suzie Q
Do that crazy old hand jive, too
Mama, mama, look at sister Flo
Doing that hand jive with uncle Joe
When I gave little sister a dime
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
A doctor, a lawyer and an Indian Chief
They all dig that Diddley beat
Way-out Willie gave them all a treat
When he did that hand jive with his feet
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
Papa told Willie, "You'll ruin my home
You and that hand jive have got to go"
Willie told papa, "Don't you put me down
They're doing that hand jive all around town"
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
Willie and Lily got married last fall
They had a little Willie Junior but that ain't all
Well, the baby got famous in his crib, you see
When he did that hand jive on MTV
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Do that crazy hand jive
In Linda Tillery's song "Willie and the Hand Jive," the singer opens with a nod to "Way-out Willie" and his groovy little chick, "Rocking Lily," and describes the other folks in their circle who also love to dance the hand jive. The song then switches focus to a family gathering where the whole crew, including sister Flo and uncle Joe, are dancing the hand jive. When the singer gives little sister a dime to see her perform, she obliges and does the hand jive once again.
Line by Line Meaning
I know his cat named Way-out Willie
I am familiar with a person called Way-out Willie
He's got a groovy little chick named Rocking Lily
Way-out Willie has a cool companion named Rocking Lily
Yeah, rock and rolling Suzie Q
Another individual named Suzie Q is also into rock and roll music
Do that crazy old hand jive, too
They perform the fun and energetic hand jive dance move
Mama, mama, look at sister Flo
Addressing their mother to observe another family member known as Flo
Doing that hand jive with uncle Joe
Flo is dancing with their uncle Joe doing the hand jive
When I gave little sister a dime
When I gave a small amount of money to my younger sibling
Said, "Do that hand jive one more time"
She asked her sister to perform the hand jive dance one more time
A doctor, a lawyer and an Indian Chief
A diverse group consisting of a physician, an attorney, and a Native American leader
They all dig that Diddley beat
They all enjoy the beat popularized by musician Bo Diddley
Way-out Willie gave them all a treat
Way-out Willie provided them with an enjoyable experience
When he did that hand jive with his feet
He danced using his feet to perform the hand jive
Papa told Willie, "You'll ruin my home
Willie's father warned him that he would cause trouble by continuing to dance the hand jive
You and that hand jive have got to go"
His father demanded that he cease performing the hand jive dance
Willie told papa, "Don't you put me down
Willie pushed back against his father's criticism
They're doing that hand jive all around town"
He argued that the hand jive trend was popular everywhere
Willie and Lily got married last fall
Way-out Willie and Rocking Lily got married recently
They had a little Willie Junior but that ain't all
They also had a child named Willie Junior, but there's more to the story
Well, the baby got famous in his crib, you see
The baby became well-known while still in his crib
When he did that hand jive on MTV
Because he performed the hand jive dance on a music television channel called MTV
Hand jive, hand jive, hand jive
Repeating the phrase to emphasize the importance of the hand jive dance
Do that crazy hand jive
Encouraging everyone to dance the upbeat and lively hand jive
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHNNY OTIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind