A big man with an incredible amount of energy, Nappy soon became famous for his wild stage antics. Touring with the likes of Little Richard and Jackie Wilson, Nappy always got the crowds involved in his performances, often getting in the audience down on his knees and singing or dancing with the ladies.
Between 1955 and 1959, Brown appeared over and over on Billboard's R&B charts, with hits like "Don't Be Angry," which reached number two nationwide. Other big songs for Nappy included "Pitter Patter" in 1955, "It Don't Hurt No More" in 1958, and I Cried Like A Baby in 1959. But probably the song that had the biggest impact for Nappy was a tune he wrote and recorded, but is best remembered as a hit for Ray Charles--"Night Time Is The Right Time."
In the early 1960s, Nappy continued to record and tour, but eventually ended his association with Savoy Records. Except for a lone album done in 1969 on Elephant Records, Nappy remained unrecorded for years. Settling down in a small town outside of Columbia, South Carolina, he concentrated his singing efforts towards gospel during the 1970s and early 1980s. But renewed interest in his R&B recordings abroad and the re-release of a number of his early songs on albums in Europe resulted in a highly successful Scandinavian tour in 1983.
Interest in his early recordings remains strong, as many of them have been reissued on CD. He regularly appeared at blues festivals, where his huge voice and slightly ribald stage antics never failed to bring down the house. On June 1 2008 following a performance at the Crawfish Festival in Augusta, New Jersey, he fell ill due to series of ailments and was hospitalized. He died in his sleep on September 20 2008 at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Piddily Patter Patter
Nappy Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Piddily Patter, Patter
Every time I look at you
Don't I know a what's the matter, matter
What's the matter 'bout Piddily Patter Boo Boo
My eyes go Flippedy Flatter, Flatter
Flippedy Flatter, Flatter
My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter
Piddily Patter, Patter
Piddily Patter all the while
I guess it's cause you're lovely
I guess it's cause you're sweet
I guess it's cause you're the prettiest little girl
My eyes will ever meet
I wish I had a Penny
For every Pitter Pat
I'd have so many Pennies, Baby
That I wouldn't know where they was at
My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter
Piddily Patter, Patter
Every time I think of you
Don't I know a what's the matter, matter
What's the matter but I think it's cause I love you
Believe me when I tell you
Believe me when I say
My heart has felt some funny little things
But I never felt this way
When you broke off and leave me
I don't feel nothing then
When you're near I swear my Dear
The same thing starts again
My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter
Piddily Patter, Patter
Every time I look at you
Don't I know a what's the matter, matter
What's the matter but I think it's cause I love you
Piddily Patter, Patter'
The lyrics of Nappy Brown's "Piddily Patter, Patter" are an ode to the overwhelming feeling of love and attraction towards someone, expressed through the singer's palpitations and flustered emotions. When the singer looks at the person they love, their heart beats erratically - a "Piddily Patter, Patter" - and their eyes flutter at the sight of their beloved's smile - a "Flippedy Flatter, Flatter". The singer tries to reason why they feel this way, suggesting that it's the person's loveliness, sweetness, and beauty that causes their heart to race. The singer even wishes they had a penny for every heart palpitation they've had, they'd be rich from their love-struck state. The singer is aware that there is "something the matter" - something they can't explain - with their heart's reactions, but they attribute it all to the overwhelming feeling of love towards the person they sing to.
The song's lyrics beautifully capture the often indescribable feeling of being in love - a feeling that makes the body and heart react in ways that can't quite be explained. Nappy Brown's soulful delivery of the lyrics adds to the song's timeless appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter
My heart beats quickly and irregularly
Piddily Patter, Patter
Quick and irregular heartbeats
Every time I look at you
Seeing you causes this reaction in me
Don't I know a what's the matter, matter
I am aware that something is causing this reaction
What's the matter 'bout Piddily Patter Boo Boo
Why am I experiencing these heart palpitations
My eyes go Flippedy Flatter, Flatter
My eyes flutter or blink rapidly
Every time I see you smile
Your smile causes this reaction in me
My heart goes Piddily Patter, Patter
My heart beats quickly and irregularly
Piddily Patter, Patter
Quick and irregular heartbeats
Piddily Patter all the while
This heart palpitation continues
I guess it's cause you're lovely
I think your appearance and personality are beautiful
I guess it's cause you're sweet
I think you are kind and affectionate
I guess it's cause you're the prettiest little girl
I think you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen
My eyes will ever meet
You are the most beautiful woman I have ever encountered
I wish I had a Penny
I wish I had a coin
For every Pitter Pat
For every heartbeat
I'd have so many Pennies, Baby
I would have a lot of coins, my love
That I wouldn't know where they was at
I would lose track of where all the coins are
Every time I think of you
Remembering you causes this reaction in me
What's the matter but I think it's cause I love you
I think I experience this reaction because I love you
Believe me when I tell you
Trust me when I say
Believe me when I say
Trust what I am saying
My heart has felt some funny little things
I have had peculiar heart sensations before
But I never felt this way
But I have never felt this particular sensation before
When you broke off and leave me
When you end things with me
I don't feel nothing then
I don't experience this heart palpitation when you are not with me
When you're near I swear my Dear
When you are close to me, my love
The same thing starts again
This heart palpitation resumes
Piddily Patter, Patter
Quick and irregular heartbeats
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES SINGLETON, MARIE MCCOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind