In 1953, Jim Reeves' Abbott Records recording of Torok's penned, "Mexican Joe", become a number one hit. Torok was signed with Abbott; and later that year, he had a number one hit in both the Billboard country and jukebox charts with "Caribbean". The song, which remained on the country chart for 24 weeks, also became a top five hit on both the Best Sellers and Disc Jockey charts.
Torok became a member of Louisiana Hayride on KWKH-AM Shreveport. In 1954, his song "My Arabian Baby" appeared as the B-side of Hank Snow's hit "I Don't Hurt Anymore"] Torok gained a No. 9 country hit with "Hootchy Kootchy Henry (From Hawaii)", and in 1956–7, he had success on the UK Singles Chart with his songs "When Mexico Gave Up The Rhumba" and "Red Light, Green Light". This success led to him to tour the UK in 1957. Torok made further recordings for Mercury, RCA, and Starday, and his last US chart entry was "Instant Love" for the Reprise label in 1967.
He had two later hits on the Billboard Hot 100; "Pledge of Love" hit No. 25 in 1957, and "Caribbean" hit again in 1959, peaking at No. 27.In 1960, "Pink Chiffon" peaked at No. 60.[8] and in 1996 this song was used as main title music in RKO Pictures movie Laura Smiles (2006).
Torok continued to write songs, usually working in partnership with his wife (who has used both Gayle Jones and Ramona Redd as pseudonyms), and some were recorded by artists including Skeeter Davis, Kitty Wells, Glen Campbell and Dean Martin. Hank Snow recorded "The Mysterious Lady From Martinique" on one of his last RCA albums, and "Redneck" was a top 20 hit for Vernon Oxford in 1976.[10]
Torok joined Cedarwood Music in the late 1970s, and worked on a recording project telling the history of Nashville from 1780 to 1980. He is also an artist who painted a mural on display at the Elvis Presley Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
Caribbean
Mitchell Torok Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the summer sun is sinkin' low
There's nothing but romance just everywhere you glance
And the native hearts are all aglow
But when the Cuban queen comes upon the scene
They all stare like a statue out of stone
And when they realize what's before their eyes
The other girls are left all alone
Down in the Caribbean not a dream you're seein'
When you get a glimpse of the lady with the charms
But from miles away you can see her sway
To the beat of the Cuban conga line that forms
Up in a tree so high, oh way up in the sky
Sits a wide eyed monkey on a limb
He wonders why the people go to so much trouble
Just to try and be like him
He doesn't understand that it's a lady's hand
That makes a heart feel so sublime
But before too long he starts to sing their song
Then he gets in the conga line
Columbus searched for spices but he missed the nicest
Part of the Caribbean
He didn't see the charms and the open arms
It was the gold that he was a seein'
Oh but I'm glad he missed the sweetest thing I've kissed
'Cause we're on our honeymoon
And I'm so sorry Chris to talk about you like this
But you were five hundred years too soon
The song "Caribbean" by Mitchell Torok is a sweet, romantic tune that talks about the beauty and charm of Haiti and Cuba in the Caribbean. The lyrics paint a picture of the Caribbean being a romantic paradise where love is in the air, especially when the Cuban queen is around. The song talks about how the people in Haiti stare in awe at the Cuban queen and how other girls are left alone because they cannot compete with her beauty and charms.
The song highlights how the Cuban queen and her conga line capture the hearts of the people, and even animals like the monkey, who joins in the conga line. The lyrics also touch on the history of the Caribbean, where Columbus came looking for spices but missed the real treasure, the charm and beauty of the Caribbean people. The song concludes with the songwriter being grateful that Columbus missed the sweetest thing he has kissed, referring to his honeymoon with his lover.
Overall, the song "Caribbean" is a beautiful portrayal of a romantic paradise in the Caribbean, where love is in the air, and the people are charming and enchanting.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh have you ever been down to Haiti
Have you ever had the pleasure of visiting Haiti?
When the summer sun is sinkin' low
When the sun starts to set in the evening time
There's nothing but romance just everywhere you glance
Everywhere you look, there is only love and romance
And the native hearts are all aglow
The locals are full of passion and desire
But when the Cuban queen comes upon the scene
When the beautiful Cuban woman arrives
They all stare like a statue out of stone
Everyone is so taken aback that they are frozen in awe
And when they realize what's before their eyes
Once they comprehend what they are seeing
The other girls are left all alone
The other women are suddenly forgotten
Down in the Caribbean not a dream you're seein'
This is not a fantasy, this is reality in the Caribbean
When you get a glimpse of the lady with the charms
When you lay eyes on the stunning woman
But from miles away you can see her sway
Even from afar, you can see her moving to the rhythm
To the beat of the Cuban congo line that forms
To the sound of the traditional Cuban music and dance called conga
Up in a tree so high, oh way up in the sky
In a very high tree, way up in the air
Sits a wide eyed monkey on a limb
A monkey with wide eyes sits on a branch
He wonders why the people go to so much trouble
The monkey doesn't understand why humans make so much effort
Just to try and be like him
Just to try to emulate his carefree life
He doesn't understand that it's a lady's hand
He doesn't comprehend that a woman's touch is what makes one's heart sing
That makes a heart feel so sublime
The love of a woman is what makes one feel ecstatic
But before too long he starts to sing their song
But eventually, he joins in with the singing and dancing
Then he gets in the congo line
Then he becomes a part of the conga line as well
Columbus searched for spices but he missed the nicest
Christopher Columbus searched for spices but he overlooked the real treasures
Part of the Caribbean
The most beautiful and valuable part of the Caribbean
He didn't see the charms and the open arms
He didn't see the beauty and the welcoming nature of the locals
It was the gold that he was a seein'
All he was interested in was finding gold
Oh but I'm glad he missed the sweetest thing I've kissed
But I'm pleased he didn't find what I did
'Cause we're on our honeymoon
Because we are just married and enjoying our honeymoon
And I'm so sorry Chris to talk about you like this
I apologize, Christopher Columbus, for speaking about you in this manner
But you were five hundred years too soon
You were born five hundred years too soon to experience what I have
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mitchell Torok
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Godfrey McDowell
Brilliant happy melody, ingenious lyrics. One of the memorable songs of the fifties, prior to r and r.
Mitchell Reaver
appreciate the internet for this. I am named after this artist! Great to hear what his talent sounded like!
webbjr37
Remember this one well,Mitchell just never took off, like so many great talents
Thanks
dvdman49
True! thanks for the comment!
Ted Starr
Wonderful memories from the past! Thanks!
Campbell Tuck
Saw him at the Glasgow Empire' in Scotland,this was a giant hit in the U.K.
Connie Mitchell
A singer I haven't heard. Thanks
dvdman49
New to me too....but he was around in the 50's and on the Louisiana Hayride...that what great about you tube and finding old stars you never knew of...thank for the comments
Malcolm Cook
A record I bought it great than( for letting. Me relive good times