Be Mine
Louis Prima & Sam Butera Lyrics
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Were searching for a different tune,
One that they could croon
As only they can.
They only had the rhythm so
They started swaying to and fro.
They didn't know just what they had
They heard the breeze in the trees
Singing weird melodies
And they made that
The start of the blues.
And from a jail came the wail
Of a down hearted frail,
And they played that
As part of the blues.
From a whippoorwill out on a hill,
They took a new note,
Pushed it through a horn
'til it was born into a blue note.
And then they nursed it, rehearsed it,
And gave out the news
That the southland
Gave birth to the blues!
Louis Prima's song "Be Mine" describes the origins of the blues in the South. The lyrics describe a group of people who were searching for a new sound to sing and dance to. They stumbled upon the rhythm and started swaying back and forth to it. The group didn't know what they had discovered until they heard the breeze in the trees and the wail of a down hearted frail from a nearby jail. These unusual sounds were incorporated into a new melody and the blues were born.
The lyrics go on to describe how the blues evolved over time. The melody was further developed with the addition of a new note discovered from a whippoorwill on a hill. This new melody was pushed through a horn until it was "born into a blue note." The musicians then "nursed it, rehearsed it, and gave out the news that the southland gave birth to the blues!"
Prima's lyrics capture the spirit and history of the blues, while also acknowledging its roots in Black history. The blues evolved from a mix of African rhythms, work songs, gospel music, and the experiences of Black Americans in the South. It's a genre of music that reflects the pain, struggle, and hope of a people who were often oppressed but found solace and strength through music.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! They say some people long ago
Some people from the past are being talked about
Were searching for a different tune,
These people were looking for a unique melody
One that they could croon
They wanted a melody they could sing in their own style
As only they can.
So that they can sing it uniquely
They only had the rhythm so
They only had the beat in their minds
They started swaying to and fro.
They began to move to the beat
They didn't know just what they had
At that time they were not aware of their talent
And that is how the blues really began:
This is how the musical genre of Blues originated
They heard the breeze in the trees
They heard the sounds of the wind through the trees
Singing weird melodies
They heard the sound of the wind as a strange melody
And they made that
They turned that into
The start of the blues.
The beginning of the Blues genre of music
And from a jail came the wail
They heard a cry from a broken-hearted person in a jail
Of a down hearted frail,
The person crying in jail was depressed and weak
And they played that
They incorporated that cry
As part of the blues.
Into the genre of Blues music
From a whippoorwill out on a hill,
They heard the sound of a bird called a Whippoorwill on a hill
They took a new note,
They turned this bird's sound into a new melody
Pushed it through a horn
Then they played it through a wind instrument
'til it was born into a blue note.
Until it became reborn as a new Blues melody
And then they nursed it, rehearsed it,
They worked on it, practiced it
And gave out the news
And eventually they made this new music public
That the southland
That the Southern United states
Gave birth to the blues!
Was the birthplace of the genre of music known as Blues
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: B.G. DESYLVA, LEW BROWN, RAY HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind