Lord Invader (Rupert Westmore Grant; 13 December 1914 – 15 October 1961) wa… Read Full Bio ↴Lord Invader (Rupert Westmore Grant; 13 December 1914 – 15 October 1961) was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice.
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).
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).
New York Subway
Lord Invader Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'New York Subway' by these artists:
We have lyrics for these tracks by Lord Invader:
Aguiti Yes, 'Gouti in the woods, 'Gouti in mih yard We have…
As Long As It Born In My House (Lt. Joe) Yes, it is said the child resemble Lieutenant Joe Even it…
Cat O'Nine Tails The only thing to stop those hooligans From causing panic in…
I'm Going Back to Africa I am taking all my children (I am going back home…
Me One Alone Yes, me one alone in Long Island (Me one alone) The Lord…
Rum and Coca Cola And when de Yankeys first went to Trinidad Some ah de…
Rum and Coca-Cola And when de Yankeys first went to Trinidad Some ah de…
Sly Mongoose There was a competition in America With Houdini and Destroye…
You Don't Need Glasses To See Myself and my girl was lying in bed She took a…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
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@arigonzalez6328
Ari Gonzalez- This is a representation of how easy you could get lost in the city and is relatable to when you first start taking public transportation.
@anthonyalgarin974
Anthony Algarin- This reminds me of Reggae
@jeezsabino4298
True but that is because Calypso is the Precursor to Reggae , same roots
@richsavino9534
Richard savino - I liked that this sound tells a story of a man trying to live the American dream
@BajanMike
Classic - I like the space in the sound and instrument arrangements...
@hsojeliah
Nice song. It's good to listen to things other than Rhianna or modern day music every once in a while.
@oldwhippersnapper3
Got to agree. Modern music is a product marked in a certain way to make money.
@oldwhippersnapper3
Oops, that should read 'marketed'.
@amparoospina562
Sensacional
@sama-zt9vv
Sumaya Ali- I like how this song is about a immigrant that’s shifting his lifestyle and trying to adapt to the busy city of New York.