Lionel Leo Hampton (1908–2002), was a U.S. bandleader, jazz percussionist, … Read Full Bio ↴Lionel Leo Hampton (1908–2002), was a U.S. bandleader, jazz percussionist, and vibraphonist.

Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite's band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.

During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.

In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who'd already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.

While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In the early 40s he left the Goodman organization to form his own touring band.

Hampton's band fostered the talents of Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Royal, Jack McVea, Charlie Mingus, Monk Montgomery, Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Arnett Cobb, Earl Bostic, and John Colianni among many others.

Hampton's recording of "Flying Home" (1939) with the famous honking tenor sax solo by Jacquet, later refined and expanded by Cobb (1946), is considered by some to be the first rock and roll record. He was known for his tireless energy and his skill on the vibes, drums, and lightning speed two-fingered piano. The bars on the vibraphone are laid out like the piano; Hampton played both instruments the same way.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, Hampton and his band started playing at the University of Idaho's jazz concert, which in 1985 was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 1987 the University's music college was renamed the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the first and only university music college to be named after a jazz musician.

Lionel Hampton died of cardiac arrest at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York on 31st August 2002. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

Hey Baba Re Bob
Lionel Hampton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra

Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)

Yeah, my baby knows

Matilda Brown told ole' King Tut
Say if you can't pay me five, just keep your big mouth shut
Shoutin'

Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Ye-es, your baby knows

Momma's on the chair, Poppa's on the cot
Baby's on the floor blowin' his natural top
Sayin'

Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Mmm Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop (Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop)
Ye-es, my baby knows

Up in the mountains, mad as I can be
Lookin' for the cat that took my baby from me
Shoutin'

Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Mmm Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Ye-e-es,. my baby knows

Now you've heard this song from start to end

Now take the title once again
Baby, Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop

Overall Meaning

The song "Hey Baba Re Bob" by Lionel Hampton is a classic swing tune from the 1940s. The lyrics are somewhat nonsensical, but they tell a humorous story about different characters and their misadventures. The song begins with the repeated refrain "Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop", which serves as a sort of catchphrase for the tune. The singer then describes Matilda Brown, who is willing to accept anything from her clients, as long as they pay up. He then talks about a family where the mother is on a chair, the father is on a cot, and the baby is blowing his "natural top". This family, too, knows how to "Ba-Ba-Re-Bop".

Later in the song, the singer talks about being "mad as [he] can be" and looking for the cat who has taken his baby away. Throughout the song, the same refrain is repeated, always followed by the assertion that the singer's baby knows how to "Ba-Ba-Re-Bop". The lyrics may not make much sense in terms of plot, but they convey a cheerful playful energy that is typical of swing music.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
Expression of excitement, enthusiasm or joy

Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra
The original performers of the song

Yeah, my baby knows
Acknowledgement that his lover or partner understands him

Matilda Brown told ole' King Tut, Say if you can't pay me five, just keep your big mouth shut
A warning to those who don't have sufficient money but still make false promises

Shoutin', Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
The repetition of the phrase 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop' adding to the excitement and joy

Ye-es, your baby knows
Acknowledgement that the partner of the person addressed in the song understands them

Momma's on the chair, Poppa's on the cot, Baby's on the floor blowin' his natural top
A description of a family scenario where the baby is excited and energetic

Ye-es, my baby knows
Acknowledgement that the partner of the person singing the song understands them

Up in the mountains, mad as I can be, Lookin' for the cat that took my baby from me, Shoutin'
The artist is in the mountains, looking for something or someone who took his lover away from him. He is shouting the repeated phrase 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop' in anger and frustration

Now you've heard this song from start to end, Now take the title once again, Baby, Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop
A directive to the audience to sing along to the catchy and memorable phrase 'Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop'

Contributed by Josiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

@Sapp440

4y↑57

PHELPS Badge 12-47

@chrisfilms8674

4y↑12

be-bop ,how are u supposed to dance to that?-roy earle sksk : )

@derbaum5276

4y↑14

How can i help, Detective?

@brandonmalik6641

3y↑3

@@derbaum5276 hhahaha

@btenky

3y↑4

Best game ever !

@jason_l5p

3y↑2

Cole, Cole Phelps

@michaelhengst9034

2y↑16

My Parents used to dance to these wonderful Tunes, now they are both gone, tears in my eyes

@sleeping_mattress13

2y↑1

😔

@CherryCloverBlossom

46w↑1

Keeping you close in prayer ❤ I’m glad you have these beautiful memories

@monalisagilbert7425

2y↑3

My daddy use to love this song when I was a little girl.. I had to be about 7 years old but I never forget the words…

@Dylan-pl6wv

39w↑5

"Operator give me KGPL"

@collinleeAMV

22w

"Putting you through now."

@cornellwilliams5041

2y↑2

I was in the Army and the older NCO’s would sing this as we marched n I loved it and sang it when I was marching my troops

@iemeasproductions09

20w↑1

i love this songgg!! i just listened to it after discovering jazz and this is my favorite jazz song. ❤

@LotusbandicootRR

15w

Always love Lionel Hampton... I'd been on the search for this song for years. Seems like I heard it on some CD my dad had when I was a kid

Unfortunately my most recent memory (aka when I finally heard it again) was when I heard it in my brother's car on a local station, but I'd eaten something my stomach didn't agree with earlier that day so I spent the entire car ride home trying to keep everything down. (Luckily I got home with moments to spare)

@johnholloway2445

8y↑30

60 yrs ago one of our neighborhood kids would sing this song for a nickel all the way through he was about six .funny

@fenderjag114

I had a friend when I was a kid in the '60s who would randomly start singing "Hey ba ba rebop!" for no reason. I never had any idea where it came from until much later,

@jackiechandler6590

3y↑19

LA Noire

@hialeahkid2

3y↑7

Hamptons band was under rated . This was his best recording of this song . he did a few others . Byron

@geraldbaker4019

15w

“This beebop pollaber? How can you dance to it?”

@detectivedickcrispy7819

15w

This man died in 2002....in debt.
Lemme say that again; THIS Man, who was considered a living, breathing dynamo of a performer and artist passed away at the incredible age of 94; and when he died he was in debt.
That is incredibly sad, I think. Lionel dedicated his life to his craft as both musician and entertainer and the fact that he had to leave our world owing anything to anyone doesn't sit right with me.
This was a man who, in my unsolicited opinion, had paid his dues and deserved to cross over and leave our petty, mortal behind as a man that was made whole, with any and all remaining Earthly debits universally considered defunct.
He worked with so many legends and giants. Names like Mingus, Montgomery, Betty Carter, Buddy Rich, The Bird, Aretha Franklin and fucking Clark Terry and Quincy Jones. God Bless you Mr. Hampton, and thank you for bringing us innumerable hours of joy

@kptrpt1

2y↑2

@vicenteleone4970

Show nota 10

@trfesok

9y↑10

Covered by Deep Purple (of all people) for the BBC in 1969. I put this original and that in my DP playlist. Thanks for uploading -- I actually got to see the man and his band in the mid 70's in New Hampshire..

@mxyzptlkdelperu3252

2y↑1

Meet the true original: "Be-Baba-Leba" by Helen Humes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Z5Nqo4m2U), which has a strong resemblance with "I'm Going Home" by Ten Years After.