His musical career spanned from the 1920's to the 1970's. The height of his glory came in the 1950's-1960's when he along with singer and then wife, Keely Smith and Sam Butera and the Witnesses were the hottest lounge entertainers in Las Vegas. He was the composer of "Sing,sing,sing" which Benny Goodman recorded and turned into an instant classic.
The Birth Of The Blues
Louis Prima And Keely Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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!
The Birth of the Blues by Louis Prima and Keely Smith is a song that explores the origin of the blues genre. The opening lines refer to the early search for a different tune that is unique to them. The song speaks of the rhythm that those people had, how they started swaying to and fro, and how they did not know what they had. This unknowingly marked the beginning of the blues. The next lines discuss how they heard the trees singing strange melodies, and they used this to start the blues. From a wail that came from a down-hearted frail in jail, they played it, making it an integral part of the blues.
The singer(s) take the listener through other sources of sounds that birthed the blues; from the song of the whippoorwill out on a hill to a new note that they pushed until it became a blue note. They nursed and rehearsed the blue note, and then there was news that the southland gave birth to the blues. The Birth of the Blues reminds us that sometimes magic happens when we are not looking for it but searching for something unique to us.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! they say some people long ago
Long ago, as legend has it, some people were said to be searching for a new tune.
Were searching for a different tune,
They were on the hunt for something that was not like what they had heard before.
One that they could croon
A tune that they could sing, perhaps in a unique way.
As only they can.
A tune that would showcase their unique talents.
They only had the rhythm so
All they had to work with was the beat, the tempo.
They started swaying to and fro.
They began moving to the rhythm, dancing and swaying.
They didn`t know just what they had
They were not aware of the potential of what they were creating.
And that is how the blues really began:
This is the origin story of the blues as we know it.
They heard the breeze in the trees
One day they heard the wind whistling through the trees, creating an eerie melody.
Singin' weird melodies
The melody was strange and unfamiliar, unlike anything they had heard before.
And they made that the start of the blues.
This melody became the first seeds of what would later become the blues genre.
And from a jail came the wail
One day they heard cries of sadness coming from a nearby prison.
Of a down-hearted frail,
The cries were from someone who had lost hope or was greatly troubled.
And they played that
They incorporated that sound into their music.
As part of the blues.
It became a key component of the blues genre.
From a whippoorwill out on a hill,
They were inspired by the sound of a bird known as a whip-poor-will, heard from a nearby hill.
They took a new note,
They added a new and unique musical element.
Pushed it through a horn
By playing their instruments, they broadcasted this new sound out into the world.
'til it was born into a blue note.
The sound they created eventually became a staple of the blues genre.
And then they nursed it, rehearsed it,
They honed their craft, practicing and perfecting their new songs.
And gave out the news
They shared their sound with others.
That the southland gave birth to the blues!
The blues genre was born and bred in the southern United States.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: B.G. DESYLVA, LEW BROWN, RAY HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@donchrist748
I heard this lady in 1957 @ Ft. Campbell, KY and have listened many times to her amazing voice.
@childrenofthesky12
Thank you thank you
@anonymusum
What a brilliant singer!
@bethbartlett5692
Keely's pure perfection voice.
I miss ya Girl and I enjoyed you every week for 2 years, never enough.
@kittydale
omg...what a voice
@KookieKatKid
Woah.
@cornellwaters9089
🎙️ Music!
@vanities9484
🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
@davidikaro9229
Opa