The Manhattan Brothers was a popular South African singing group in the 194… Read Full Bio ↴The Manhattan Brothers was a popular South African singing group in the 1940s and 1950s, during the Apartheid Era. Their sound drew on American ragtime, jive, swing, doo-wop, and several other jazz strains, as well as African choral and Zulu harmonies. Members of the group included Joe Mogotsi, Ronnie Sehume, Rufus Khoza, the late Nathan Mdledle, and Miriam Makeba. Makeba, who went on to international fame, started her career with The Manhattan Brothers and was part of the group for much of the 1950s. The group has one US Billboard pop chart hit, "Lovely Lies", which peaked at #45 in March 1956.
Joe Mogotsi died on 19 May 2011 in Johannesburg, following a long illness.

Be My Guest
Manhattan Brothers Lyrics

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Knock knock
Who's there?
Well, I
Declare
How do
It's you
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

Take off
Your hat
The wel-
come mat
Is out
For you
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

My house
Is open house for you
Remove your shoes
I'll lose
Your blues for you

Relax
With me
In slacks
With me
Play sax
With me
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

Knock knock
Who's there?
Well, I
Declare
How do
It's you
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

Take off
Your hat
The wel-
come mat
Is out
For you
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

My house
Is open house for you
Remove your shoes
I'll lose
Your blues for you

Relax
With me
In slacks
With me
Play sax
With me
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

Come in and make yourself at home
Let's have a ball, we're all alone
Come in and I'll ignore the phone
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

Come in and make yourself at home
Let's have a ball, we're all alone

Come in and I'll ignore the phone
Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?

Overall Meaning

Manhattan Brothers’ song “Be My Guest” is a pop song that was released in 1955. The lyrics are about inviting someone over to one's house and creating a welcoming environment. The song begins with someone knocking on the door and asking who's there. The answer is "I Declare" and "It's You." The singer then invites the person to come inside, remove their hat, and make themselves at home.

The lyrics continue on to say that the singer's house is an open house for the person who has just arrived. They are asked to remove their shoes and to relax with the singer. The singer wants to play the saxophone with the person and, together, they can forget about any worries they may have. The chorus repeats with a slight variation at the end, which invites the person to ignore the phone and stay a while longer.

The song suggests a warm and friendly atmosphere, where people can relax and have fun. The song is also full of invitations and encourages people to connect and spend time together. The song was popular in the 1950s and 1960s, a time when socializing and spending time together was important. The song still holds up today as an invitation to connect with others in a warm and inviting way.

Line by Line Meaning

Knock knock
Someone is knocking on the door.

Who's there?
Asking who is there behind the door.

Well, I
The person behind the door starts saying something.

Declare
The person behind the door declares their presence.

How do
Asking how the person behind the door is doing.

It's you
Realizing who the person behind the door is.

Hey, won't you come in and be my guest?
Inviting the person to enter the house and be a welcomed guest.

Take off
Asking the guest to remove something.

Your hat
Asking the guest to remove their hat.

The wel-
Hopefully the guest feels welcome.

come mat
A mat or carpet placed at the entrance to a house.