He was born in San Fernando, Trinidad. He became active in calypso in the mid-1930s, and was considered a country bumpkin by his contemporaries, because of his humble beginning. It was Grant's tailor who gave him his moniker by commenting, "I tell you, Rupert, you should call yourself Lord Invader so when you go up to the city you be invadin' the capital." With a new name, in 1937 he went to the capital city of Port of Spain and began his career in earnest.
He competed in many calypso competitions (including the very first Calypso King competition) and recorded for RCA Bluebird. Lured by Decca Records, he travelled to New York City in 1941 with other calypsonians such as Roaring Lion and Atilla the Hun to make records and promote calypso music. He wrote many calypsos; his most famous lyrics, "Rum and Coca-Cola", were plagiarised by Morey Amsterdam and became a hit for the Andrews Sisters. Invader travelled to New York and sued, eventually winning compensation, although the final settlement allowed Amsterdam to retain his copyright. Ironically, In the early 1940s, radio stations in the USA would not play his own version on the grounds of its using the copyrighted name, Coca-Cola, and its references to prostitution and alcohol. He stayed in New York for a few years because of the lengthy court case. During his tenure in New York City, he became a fixture in the local calypso scene and recorded many tracks for Moses Asch. Eventually, he won his court case, but would not see his settlement check for seven years, so he returned to Trinidad in the meantime. He opened a calypso club there and penned and recorded many original songs.
He is often credited with writing "Zombie Jamboree", although the song was actually written by Lord Intruder (Winston O'Conner), who released it on the B-side of his 1953 single "Disaster with Police". It was covered by Conrad Eugene Mauge Jr, who recorded it in 1959 and was also often credited for writing it. The confusion probably stems from the introduction of the version by the Kingston Trio, which mentions "Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators". At long last, Invader collected his money from his court case, and began to tour the U.S., later expanding to Britain and Europe. In the last half of 1958, he returned to New York City and continued recording for Moses Asch. He would continue to return to his homeland for business and pleasure, although by now he had, with Wilmoth Houdini, made himself one of America's most successful calypsonians. On 15 October 1961, Lord Invader died at a Brooklyn, New York hospital.
The following discs give a good idea of his work:
Calypso in New York (Smithsonian Folkways 40454), released in 2000, is a collection of Invader's recordings across his whole career.
Calypso at Midnight and Calypso After Midnight come from a live recording organized by Alan Lomax in New York in 1946.
Calypso War, Kings of Calypso, and Trojan Calypso boxed set all feature the same set of songs recorded in the United Kingdom in the 1950s.
Folkways Records also have a number of CDs that Invader recorded in the late 1950s in New York, including, Calypso (1955), Calypso Travels, and There's a Brown Boy in the Ring and Other Children's Calypso Songs (1959).
In 1961, Invader released an atypical LP, West Indian Folk Songs for Children (Caedmon Records).
Me One Alone
Lord Invader Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Me one alone)
The Lord Invader, Master Calypsonian
(Me one alone)
They could bring Mighty Sparrow from San Fernando
(Me one alone)
Or Lord Melody who's the King of Calypso
(Me one alone)
Yes the Lord Invader back in America
(Me one alone)
And he's not afraid of no Calypso singer
(Me one alone)
There's war and rebellion when I meet Calypsonian
(Me one alone)
They could bring the Lord Melody from San Fernando
(Me one alone)
Or King Chena who's the King of Calypso,
(Me one alone)
But the Lord Invader will never surrender
(Me one alone)
Just tell them I'm a Master Calypsonian
(Me one alone)
And in America will give satisfaction
(Me one alone)
Tell them that I am the controller of Long Island
(Me one alone)
Yes, me one alone in Long Island
(Me one alone)
And it's double, triple trouble when they clash with Invader
(Me one alone)
And Calypsonians, they don't surrender
(Me one alone)
And the Lord Invader has peace of mind, now
(Me one alone)
The Lord Invader will never surrender
(Me one alone)
I'm the Lord Invader, master Calypso singer
(Me one alone)
Yes, me one alone in Long Island
(Me one alone)
In the song Me One Alone, Lord Invader, a Trinidadian calypso musician, sings about being the only Calypsonian in Long Island, New York. He starts off by declaring that he is the only one alone in Long Island, essentially meaning that he is the only Calypsonian there, and he is confident in his abilities. He mentions that even if they brought Mighty Sparrow or Lord Melody, two well-known and respected Calypsonians, they cannot match up to him. Lord Invader then boasts about his experience as a master Calypsonian and that he is not afraid of any competition.
In the second verse, he continues to emphasize his superiority, stating that he's not afraid of any Calypsonian. He claims that there's "war and rebellion" when he meets another Calypsonian but asserts that he will never surrender. He reiterates that even if they bring Lord Melody or King Chena, he will still come out on top because he is the undisputed King. In the last verse, Lord Invader commands others to spread the message that he is the "controller of Long Island" and that he provides satisfaction to the people with his music.
The lyrics of Me One Alone showcase Lord Invader's pride in his abilities as a master Calypsonian and how he believes that no one can match up to his talents. It's a declaration of confidence in his artistry and a message to his competitors that he's not afraid of any challenge.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, me one alone in Long Island
I am alone in Long Island
(Me one alone)
The Lord Invader, Master Calypsonian
I am Lord Invader and a Master Calypsonian
They could bring Mighty Sparrow from San Fernando
Even if they bring Mighty Sparrow from San Fernando
Or Lord Melody who's the King of Calypso
Or even Lord Melody who is the King of Calypso
(Me one alone)
Yes the Lord Invader back in America
But still, I am alone and back in America
And he's not afraid of no Calypso singer
And I am not afraid of any Calypso singer
There's war and rebellion when I meet Calypsonian
There is conflict when I meet other Calypsonians
They could bring the Lord Melody from San Fernando
Even if they bring Lord Melody from San Fernando
Or King Chena who's the King of Calypso,
Or even King Chena who is the King of Calypso
But the Lord Invader will never surrender
But I, Lord Invader, will never give up
(Me one alone)
Just tell them I'm a Master Calypsonian
I am alone, but tell them that I am a Master Calypsonian
And in America will give satisfaction
And I will give satisfaction in America
Tell them that I am the controller of Long Island
Let them know that I am in control of Long Island
(Me one alone)
Yes, me one alone in Long Island
Yes, I am still alone in Long Island
And it's double, triple trouble when they clash with Invader
There is a lot of trouble when they clash with me, Invader
And Calypsonians, they don't surrender
Calypsonians are not ones to surrender
And the Lord Invader has peace of mind, now
And I, Lord Invader, have peace of mind now
The Lord Invader will never surrender
I, Lord Invader, repeat that I will never surrender
(Me one alone)
I'm the Lord Invader, master Calypso singer
Once again, I am alone, but I am Lord Invader and a master Calypso singer
(Me one alone)
Yes, me one alone in Long Island
Yes, I am still alone in Long Island
Writer(s): Rupert Grant
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ActionPatrick
Very very cool!
@SocaPhD
Can some reliably confirm the year of this calypso recording, where it was recorded and who was the accompanying band?
@armoniadelcontrasto
❤
@chamberlandfill
Invader rules em all
@17.33
4:02