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.
Run Joe
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Loey, Loey, Loey, Loey, Loey)
Joey, Joey, Joey, Joey, Joey
(Joey, Joey, Joey, Joey, Joey)
Eh, come in, fool boy, eh-eh, the police mon is on the premises!
What is he doing in here?
Mo and Joe had a candy store
Cop grabbed Mo and as Joe ran out
Brother Mo then began to shout
(Run Joe!) Eh, de man at de door
(Run Joe!) He man won′t let me go
(Run Joe!) Run as fast as you can
(Run Joe!) Police holding me han'
Ask Juanita to stand me bail
Don′t want to sleep in this rotten jail
Hide de crystal ball by de fence
So dey won't find no evidence
When you reach home, get in de bed
Call a doctor and tie your head
Let Juanita invent a lie
Got to have a good alibi
(Run Joe!) Eh, de man at de door
(Run Joe!) De man won't let me go
(Run Joe!) Run as fast as you can
(Run Joe!) De police holdin′ me han′
Get a mouthpiece to talk for me
They'll sure give me de third degree
When dey take me before de sarge
I am going to deny de charge
When de judge ask me how I plead
"Not guilty, sir, most decidedly
You can see, Judge, at a glance
I′m a victim of circumstance."
(Run Joe!) Eh, man at de door
(Run Joe!) De man won't let me go
(Run Joe!) Run as fast as you can
(Run Joe!) De police holdin′ me han'
I′ll be home by de break of day
If de judge believe what I say
If he don't I'll be lookin′ cute
Behind de bars with me striped suit
Eh, de man at de door
(Run Joe!) De man ′e won't let me go
(Run Joe!) Run as fast as you can
(Run Joe!) De police holdin′ me han'
Me mama told me not long ago
To keep ′way from that worthless Joe
If I heard what me momma say
I wouldn't be in this mess today
Eh, de man at de door
(Run Joe!) De man won′t let me go
(Run Joe!) Run as fast as you can
(Run Joe!) De police holdin' me han'
Don′t you hear what I told you? (Run Joe!)
I don′t want you in school (Run Joe!)
Don't let de policeman hold you (Run Joe!)
Di′nt your mamma done told you? (Run Joe!)
Hey, de policeman catching up with Joe
Joe run too slow, Joe
"Run Joe" is a fun and catchy song by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five. The song tells the story of Mo and Joe, who had a candy store where they used to tell fortunes behind a door. One day, a cop caught Mo, and Joe had to run away to avoid getting caught. The lyrics encourage Joe to run as fast as he can and avoid getting caught by the police. The song ends with the warning that if Joe had listened to his mama's advice and stayed away from Mo, he wouldn't be in this mess.
The song has a playful rhythm and upbeat tempo, which makes it one of the most popular songs in Jordan's repertoire. The song's lyrics are full of humor, and Jordan's distinctive voice adds to the charm of his delivery. The song's themes of escape, deceit, and evasion were common in many of Jordan's songs, and he was known for his ability to make serious issues like racism and poverty entertaining through his music.
Line by Line Meaning
Loey, Loey, Loey, Loey, Loey
Repeatedly calling the name of a person named Loey.
Joey, Joey, Joey, Joey, Joey
Repeatedly calling the name of a person named Joey.
Eh, come in, fool boy, eh-eh, the police mon is on the premises!
Someone warning a person named Fool boy that there is a police officer on the premises, and asking them what they are doing there.
Mo and Joe had a candy store
Two people named Mo and Joe used to own a store that sold candy.
Telling fortune behind a door
They were involved in fortune-telling which was done behind a door.
Cop grabbed Mo and as Joe ran out
When the police came to the store, they caught Mo, but Joe managed to run away.
Brother Mo then began to shout
Mo, who was caught by the police, started shouting.
(Run Joe!) Eh, de man at de door
Mo is telling Joe to run away because the police is at the door.
(Run Joe!) He man won′t let me go
Mo can't get away because the police has caught him.
(Run Joe!) Run as fast as you can
Mo is urging Joe to escape as quickly as possible.
(Run Joe!) Police holding me han'
Mo is saying that the police is holding him and he can't get away.
Ask Juanita to stand me bail
Mo is asking Joe to ask Juanita to pay bail for him.
Don′t want to sleep in this rotten jail
Mo doesn't want to spend the night in jail as it's not a pleasant experience.
Hide de crystal ball by de fence
Mo wants to hide the crystal ball they used for fortune-telling by the fence so that the police won't find it.
So dey won't find no evidence
Mo is hoping that the police won't find any evidence against them.
When you reach home, get in de bed
Mo is asking Joe to go home and go to bed.
Call a doctor and tie your head
Mo is instructing Joe to call a doctor and tie his head for some unspecified reason.
Let Juanita invent a lie
Mo wants Juanita to come up with a lie to support their alibi.
Got to have a good alibi
Mo is saying that they need a strong alibi to explain their involvement in the situation.
Get a mouthpiece to talk for me
Mo wants someone to speak on his behalf when he is put on trial.
They'll sure give me de third degree
Mo is worried that he will be subjected to intense questioning when he is taken before a judge.
When dey take me before de sarge
Mo is referring to the sergeant who is a high-ranking police officer in the military or police force.
I am going to deny de charge
Mo is saying that he will deny the charges against him.
When de judge ask me how I plead
Mo is thinking about what he would say if the judge asked him to enter a plea.
"Not guilty, sir, most decidedly
Mo would plead not guilty when asked to enter a plea.
You can see, Judge, at a glance
Mo wants the judge to see that he's innocent immediately.
I'm a victim of circumstance.
Mo is saying that he was involved in the situation due to circumstances beyond his control.
(Run Joe!) Eh, man at de door
Mo is repeating his warning to Joe to run away as the police officer is still at the door.
(Run Joe!) De man won't let me go
Mo is emphasizing that he can't get away because the police officer won't let him go.
(Run Joe!) De police holdin′ me han′
Mo is still held by the police officer and can't escape by himself.
I'll be home by de break of day
Mo is hopeful that he will be back home by the morning.
If de judge believe what I say
Mo thinks that he can convince the judge of his innocence.
If he don't I'll be lookin′ cute
Mo is making a sarcastic comment about how he would look good in prison uniform if he's found guilty and put in jail.
Behind de bars with me striped suit
Mo is anticipating being put in jail and serving time wearing a striped prison uniform.
Me mama told me not long ago
Mo is recalling something his mother told him recently.
To keep 'way from that worthless Joe
Mo's mother had warned him to stay away from Joe, whom she considered to be good for nothing.
If I heard what me momma say
Mo is regretting not listening to his mother's advice.
I wouldn't be in this mess today
Mo acknowledges that if he had listened to his mother's warning, he wouldn't be in trouble with the law today.
Don't you hear what I told you? (Run Joe!)
Mo is frustrated that Joe doesn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation and is urging him to run away.
I don't want you in school (Run Joe!)
Mo is telling Joe to skip school as it's not safe for him to be there.
Don't let de policeman hold you (Run Joe!)
Mo is emphasizing that Joe should avoid getting caught by the police and should run away instead.
Di'nt your mamma done told you? (Run Joe!)
Mo is asking Joe if his mother had ever warned him about not getting into trouble with the law.
Hey, de policeman catching up with Joe
The police officer is trying to catch Joe, who is trying to get away.
Joe run too slow, Joe
Joe is running too slowly to escape the police officer.
Writer(s): Jordan Louis, Merrick Walt, Willoughby Joe
Contributed by Bailey S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Derrick Austin
Classic.... Once I heard this I fell in love with it, have to listen once a month to keep it fresh.... George Clinton mention this as one of his influences.... Soo funky
Ean Muhammad
Who else, besides me, thought #ChuckBrown came up with this song? I have been a GO-GO fan since '85 and NEVER knew Chuck reinvented tis song.
Sheldon Taylor
Louis Jordan was Chuck's idol
The Key
@Sheldon Taylor Really, wow!
Ernesto Escobar
Blues and calypso nice
janis houston
Otis Redding listened to this as a youngster..
Jon Shecket
Chuck Brown and Maya Angelou sent me
Syas L.
Maya angelou sent me hère too :)