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.
Let The Good Times Roll
Louis Jordan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You only live but once
And when you're dead you're done, so
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
I don't care if you're young or old
Get together, let the good times roll
Don't sit there mumblin', talkin' trash
If you wanna have a ball
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
I don't care if you're young or old
Get together, let the good times roll
Hey mr. landlord, lock up all the doors
When the police comes around
Just tell 'em that the joint is closed
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
I don't care if you're young or old
Get together, let the good times roll
Hey tell everybody
Mr. king's in town
I got a dollar and a quarter
Just rarin' to clown
But don't let nobody play me cheap
I got fifty cents more that i'm gonna keep, so
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
I don't care if you're young or old
Get together, let the good times roll
No matter whether rainy weather
Birds of a feather gotta stick together
So get yourself under control
Go out and get together and let the good times roll
Louis Jordan's "Let The Good Times Roll" is a song that celebrates life and encourages people to have fun while they still can, because death will eventually come for everyone. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency, telling the listener to make the most of every moment and to not waste time on negativity or inaction.
The song begins by inviting everyone to have fun because life is short and death is inevitable. The repetition of "let the good times roll" serves as a rallying cry for people of all ages to come together and enjoy themselves. Jordan encourages his listeners to not just sit around complaining, but to be proactive and go out and spend money if they want to have a good time.
In the second verse, Jordan addresses the issue of authority figures like landlords and the police who might try to shut down the party. He suggests locking the doors and pretending the joint is closed in order to keep the good times rolling. Jordan also mentions "Mr. King" being in town, which is likely a reference to blues musician B.B. King.
Finally, Jordan wraps up the song with a call for unity and positivity. He reminds listeners that no matter what the weather is like, people of like-mindedness need to stick together and enjoy life while they still can.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, everybody, let's have some fun
Let's all have a good time together
You only live but once
Life is short, so make the most of it
And when you're dead you're done, so
After you die, there's no more living to be done
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
Enjoy the moment and have a good time
I don't care if you're young or old
Everyone is welcome to join in
Get together, let the good times roll
Come together and enjoy each other's company
Don't sit there mumblin', talkin' trash
Stop complaining and start having a good time
If you wanna have a ball
To have fun, you need to put in some effort
You gotta go out and spend some cash, and
Sometimes you have to spend money to have fun
Hey mr. landlord, lock up all the doors
We don't want anyone disturbing our party
When the police comes around
We don't want to get in trouble with the authorities
Just tell 'em that the joint is closed
We're not causing any trouble, we're just having fun
Hey tell everybody
Spread the word and invite everyone
Mr. king's in town
There's a great performer in town
I got a dollar and a quarter
I don't have much money, but I'm still going to have fun
Just rarin' to clown
I'm excited to have a good time
But don't let nobody play me cheap
Don't take advantage of me
I got fifty cents more that i'm gonna keep, so
I may not have a lot of money, but I'm going to keep what I have
No matter whether rainy weather
Even if the weather is bad
Birds of a feather gotta stick together
Friends have to be there for each other
So get yourself under control
Behave yourself and have a good time
Go out and get together and let the good times roll
Leave your worries behind and enjoy the moment with others
Lyrics Š Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JON LEVINE, MARTIN JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dwightlove3704
This man is arguably the most influential musician produced on American soil he had his fingers in all forms of music we hear today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@dwightlove3704
+Gf Black This man is my idol not only was he responsible for the creation of Rock music he was a pioneer for a style of music that doesn't get the credit it richly deserves say hello to JUMP BLUES it was the forerunner of all styles of music with the exception of Jazz music.Plenty of music legends owe their careers to this forgotten icon!!!!!i
@KieraQ0323
I'm a guitarist. I love how this guy plays.
@markneath7555
I agree
@silvertemplar8061
I do not know how I havenât heard of him.
@dwightlove3704
@@silvertemplar8061 Give thanks to YouTube now you know him.
@m9mdc
You know..I've never heard a bad Louis Jordan song before. This guy is underrated and was wayyy ahead of his time.
@davife
Jake: How often does the train go by?
Elwood: So often that you won't even notice it.
@glory777
One of the Godfather's of Rock n' Roll, IMO.
@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823
glory777 Speed blues up, you got a hit rock n roll record. Double the tempo. And make it harder/louder on drums.
Call it "blues on a lot of cocaine."