Louis Jordan (July 8, 1908 - February 4, 1975) was a pioneering African-Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Louis Jordan (July 8, 1908 - February 4, 1975) was a pioneering African-American jazz and rhythm & blues musician and songwriter who enjoyed his greatest popularity from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. Known as "The King of the Jukebox", Jordan was highly popular with both black and white audiences in the later years of the swing era.

Jordan was one of the first black recording artists whose popularity crossed over into the mainstream white audience and who scored hits on both the "race" charts and the mainstream white pop charts. He is now acknowledged as one of the most successful African-American musicians of the 20th century, ranking fifth in the list of the all-time most successful black recording artists.

Jordan scored at least four million-selling hits during his career, regularly topping the "race" charts, as well as scoring simultaneous Top Ten hits on the white pop charts on several occasions. Many of the songs he wrote or co-wrote have become 20th century popular music classics.

With his dynamic Tympany Five bands (which also pioneered the use of electric guitar and electric organ) Jordan largely mapped out the main parameters of the classic R&B, urban blues and early rock'n'roll genres with a series of hugely influential 78 rpm discs for the Decca label that presaged virtually all of the dominant black music styles of the 1950s and 1960s and which exerted a huge influence on many leading performers in these genres.

I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
Louis Jordan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, life
(Is so peculiar)
(You get so wet in the rain)
You know it too
(Mm, hmm)

You get so warm in the sunshine
(Get my suntan)

(It doesn't pay to complain)
I never complain

When I get up each morning
There's nothing to breathe but air
(Yeah)
(And when I look in the mirror)
(There's nothing to comb but hair)

And when I sit down to breakfast
There’s nothing to eat but food
(Life is so peculiar but you can't)
(Stay home and brood)

Oh, life
(Tell ‘em about it pops)
Is so peculiar, the desert has only got sand
(And that’s grand)

The oceans only got water
(And you can’t drink it all up)
You never know where you stand
(When I get out to dinner, there's nothing to wear but clothes)
(Whenever I get sleepy, there's nothing to do but doze)
Yeah

(Whenever I get thirsty, there's nothing to do but drink)
(Life is no peculiar that it makes you stop and think)
Yes, life
(Boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa)
Is so peculiar
(It sure is)

A fork belongs with the knife
(It sure does)
(Corn beef is lost without cabbage)
I love cabbage, a husband should have a wife
(Yes)
Life is so peculiar, but as everybody says
(That's life)

Life
(Yes, life)
It’s so peculiar
A-hugh
(A bird can usually sing)

A bird, I do too
(A pearl is made by an oyster)
New Orleans
(Rampart Street)
(You can’t be sure of a thing)

When I get tired of restin’ there’s nothing to do but walk
(Walk it off, pop)
And when I don’t care to listen there’s nothing to do but talk
(Keep your big mouth shut)

When I’m up in the airplane there’s nothing to do but fly
(Mm-hmm, Life is so peculiar but I often wonder why)
(Oh, life boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa, is so peculiar)
(Sure is)

A fork belongs with a knife you know
(Mm-mm)
(Corn beef is lost without cabbage)
leftover cabbage

Yeah
A husband should have a wife
(Yeah)
(Life is so peculiar, but what)
(Everybody says that’s life)

One more for me Jim
(That’s life)
Let me hear it one time
(That’s life)

All together
(That’s life) yeah

Overall Meaning

Louis Jordan's song "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" expresses the idea that life is full of peculiar moments and experiences. The lyrics suggest that although life is unpredictable and full of surprises, it's essential to keep moving forward and keep a positive attitude. The song's narrator details the everyday mundane experiences that make life so peculiar, from there being nothing to breathe but air in the morning to there being nothing to wear but clothes to dinner. Despite life's oddities, the singer concludes that it's essential to embrace life's peculiarities and enjoy what it has to offer.

The lyrics' conversational and playful nature suggests that Jordan wrote this song to lift people's moods and remind them that life is worth living. The humor and light tone of the song also suggest that Jordan was trying to entertain his audience; he wanted to make them happy and forget their worldly troubles for a while. The underlying message of the song is to stay positive, make the best of every situation, and keep moving forward in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, life
The complexities of life

(Is so peculiar)
Life can have many ups and downs

(You get so wet in the rain)
Things can get rough sometimes

You know it too
It's common knowledge

(Mm, hmm)
Acknowledgement of the current situation

You get so warm in the sunshine
Life can also be great

(Get my suntan)
Enjoying the good weather

(It doesn't pay to complain)
Complaining doesn't solve anything

I never complain
Accepting things as they are

When I get up each morning
Starting a new day

There's nothing to breathe but air
The simple things in life

(Yeah)
Agreement

(And when I look in the mirror)
Seeing oneself

(There's nothing to comb but hair)
Accepting one's appearance

And when I sit down to breakfast
Having a meal

There’s nothing to eat but food
Appreciating the basic necessities

(Life is so peculiar but you can't)
Life can be strange and unpredictable

(Stay home and brood)
One shouldn't dwell in negativity

Oh, life
The complexities of life

(Tell ‘em about it pops)
Acknowledgement of the difficulty of life

Is so peculiar, the desert has only got sand
Things can be simplistic

(And that’s grand)
Finding joy in simplicity

The oceans only got water
Life can also be abundant

(And you can’t drink it all up)
Knowing the limits

You never know where you stand
Life can be unpredictable

(When I get out to dinner, there's nothing to wear but clothes)
The simplest things can make you content

(Whenever I get sleepy, there's nothing to do but doze)
Satisfaction in the simplest of actions

Yeah
Agreement

(Whenever I get thirsty, there's nothing to do but drink)
Finding satisfaction in the basic needs

(Life is no peculiar that it makes you stop and think)
Life can make you ponder

Yes, life
The complexities of life

(Boop-a-doo-wa-boo-waa)
Vocal expression

Is so peculiar
Life can be strange and unpredictable

(It sure is)
Affirmation

A fork belongs with the knife
Things can complement each other

(It sure does)
Affirmation

(Corn beef is lost without cabbage)
The importance of certain things to one another

I love cabbage, a husband should have a wife
The importance of companionship

(Yes)
Agreement

Life is so peculiar, but as everybody says
Life can leave you puzzled

(That's life)
Acknowledgement of the difficulty of life

One more for me Jim
Request for more expression

(That’s life)
Acknowledgement of the difficulty of life

Let me hear it one time
Request to hear again

(That’s life)
Acknowledgement of the difficulty of life

All together
All in agreement

(That’s life)
Acknowledgement of the difficulty of life

yeah
Agreement

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROY JORDAN, WILLIAM WESTLEY WELDON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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