Born and raised on the south side of Chicago, he was named after his father Oscar Brown, Sr., a successful attorney and real estate broker. His singing debut was on the radio show Secret City at the age of 15. Brown attended Englewood High School in Chicago, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Lincoln University but did not obtain a degree. He also served a stint in the U.S. Army.
Brown's father had intended for him to follow in his footsteps and become a practicing lawyer. While he did help his father at his practice, he ventured off into other careers, such as advertising and serving in the army in the mid-1950s and writing songs. When Mahalia Jackson recorded one of his songs, he began to focus on a career in music. His first major contribution to a recorded work was a collaboration with Max Roach, We Insist!, which was an early record celebrating the black freedom movement in the United States. Columbia Records signed Brown as a solo artist, who was by now in his mid-thirties and married with five children.
In 1960, Brown released his first LP, Sin & Soul, recorded from June 20 to October 23, 1960. Printed on the cover of the album were personal reviews by well-known celebrities and jazz musicians of the time, including Steve Allen, Lorraine Hansberry, Nat Hentoff, Dorothy Killgallen, Max Roach and Nina Simone (Simone would later cover his "Work Song" and Steve Allen would later hire him for his Jazz Scene USA television program). The album is regarded as a "true classic" for openly tackling the experiences of African-Americans with songs such as "Bid 'Em In" and "Afro Blue".
Sin & Soul is also significant because Brown took several popular jazz instrumentals and combined them with self-penned lyrics on songs like "Dat Dere", "Afro Blue" and "Work Song". This began a trend that would continue with several other major jazz vocalists. Jon Hendricks, for example, three years later composed lyrics for the Mongo Santamaría song "Yeh Yeh" (later a hit for Georgie Fame). Bob Dorough similarly composed lyrics for Mel Tormé's version of "Comin' Home Baby!" and musicians Larry Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson would also go on to compose lyrics for Cannonball Adderley's "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (the music composed by Joe Zawinul, Adderley's pianist) for Marlena Shaw. Several of the tracks from Sin & Soul were embraced by the 1960s Mod movement, such as "Humdrum Blues", "Work Song" and "Watermelon Man".
Sin & Soul was followed by Between Heaven and Hell (1962). The success of Sin & Soul meant that much more money was spent on production and Quincy Jones and Ralph Burns were bought in to handle the arrangements.
However, Brown was soon to fall down the pecking order at Columbia following a rearrangement of the management at the company. His third album was notable for the lack of any self-composed songs, and Columbia was having a hard time packaging Brown as an artist. They were unsure whether he was suited to middle-of-the-road/easy listening nightclubs or alternatively should be presented as a jazz artist.
He was given much more creative freedom for his fourth album, Tells It Like It Is (1963) and he was back to his creative best, composing songs such as "The Snake", which became a Northern Soul classic when it was covered by Al Wilson, and has featured on several adverts. Despite this return to form, and having been told by the new head of Columbia that he was high on the company's priorities, his contract at Columbia was not renewed.
He attempted to mount a major musical stage show in New York City called Kicks & Co. in 1961. Host Dave Garroway turned over an entire broadcast of the Today show to Brown to perform numbers from the show and try to raise the necessary funds to launch it on the stage. Kicks & Co. is set on an all-African-American college campus in the American South during the early days of attempted desegregation. The character Mr. Kicks is an emissary of Satan, sent to try to derail these efforts in which the play's protagonist, Ernest Black, has become involved.
This was the first of several theatrical endeavors by Brown, and like all of them, the public was not won over sufficiently to allow financial success, despite acclaim by some critics. His longest-running relative success, thanks to the participation of Muhammad Ali, was Big-Time Buck White. Another notable musical show, Joy, saw two incarnations (in 1966 and 1969) and again addressed social issues. Appearing with Brown were his wife, Jean Pace, and the Brazilian singer/accordionist Sivuca. RCA released the original cast recording around 1970; it is long out of print.
In 1962, he worked on the Westinghouse syndicated television program, Jazz Scene USA, produced by Steve Allen. Brown was he show's presenter and it featured a new musical guest each week.
Brown's son, Oscar "BoBo" Brown III, was an instrumental musician who tragically died in a car crash. His daughter, Maggie Brown, is a singer, songwriter, actress, educator and mom of three. Along with Africa Brown, these three out of seven children carry out his legacy in singing and acting. His other four childre are, David "Napoleon" Brown, Jone Brown, Donna Brown Kane, a mom of two, a grandmom of three and an educator, and Iantha Brown
He founded The Oscar Brown, Jr. H.I.P. Legacy Foundation to carry on his humanitarian work.
Brown died in Chicago, from complications of osteomyelitis in May 2005, aged 78.
Brown's lyrics and original compositions have been performed by a variety of other artists. "Somebody Buy Me a Drink", a track from Sin & Soul, was covered by David Johansen and the Harry Smiths on their eponymous first album. Pianist Wynton Kelly recorded "Strongman" with his trio in the late 1950s. Nina Simone popularized Brown's lyrics to "Work Song" and "Afro Blue," as well as his song "Bid 'Em In." Brown's "Afro Blue" lyrics have since been performed by numerous contemporary jazz vocalists, including Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Lizz Wright. Vocalist Karrin Allyson has cited Brown as a particular inspiration, and has performed his compositions on several of her albums. Brown was scheduled to contribute new lyrics to Allyson's 2006 album, Footprints, but died before the project was complete; Allyson instead recorded Brown's songs "A Tree and Me" and "But I Was Cool" as a tribute. Brown's work has also been the focus of full-length tribute albums by lesser-known jazz artists, including cabaret singer Linda Kosut and Brown's own daughter, Maggie Brown.
Watermelon Man
Oscar Brown Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heyo,
Heyo,
Get your watermelon,
Heyo,
Watermelon man,
Watermelon man.
In the summer sun,
Watermelon!
Pretty little housewife,
Let me sell you one;
Red, ripe watermelon.
If you want
To treat your husband right,
Watermelon!
Know what to give him
When he's home tonight;
Red, ripe watermelon.
Eeoh - heyo,
I got your red,
Ripe watermelon,
Heyo watermelon man,
Watermelon man.
Get out your money
When you hear me call,
Watermelon!
Ain't goin' home
Till i sell 'em all;
Red, ripe watermelon.
Got a woman
Waitin' for me,
Jus' my type,
Watermelon!
Sweet
Like a watermelon,
Round and ripe;
Red, ripe watermelon.
Eeoh - heyo,
I got your red,
Ripe watermelon,
Heyo watermelon man,
Watermelon man,
Watermelon man.
Watermelon man.
Watermelon man.
Watermelon man.
The song "Watermelon Man" by Oscar Brown Jr. is a playful and catchy tune that revolves around the theme of selling watermelons. The song creates a vivid picture of the summer season with the scorching sun and a wagon with a horse selling ripe and red watermelons. The lyrics are sung in the voice of a watermelon salesman who is trying to entice people to buy his watermelons. The song is reminiscent of the street vendors selling fruits and vegetables and the hustle and bustle of a marketplace.
The lyrics are written in a call-and-response style with the word "heyo" being repeated several times throughout the song. The song has a joyful and light-hearted tone, and the melody complements the lyrics perfectly. The song talks about the importance of treating your husband right by giving him a red, ripe watermelon. The song also talks about how the watermelon salesman is not going home until he sells all his watermelons. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "watermelon man," emphasizing the theme of the song.
Overall, the song "Watermelon Man" is a cheerful and upbeat tune that showcases the summer season and the street vendors selling fruits and vegetables. The song is playful and fun, with catchy lyrics and a charming melody that will make anyone tap their feet.
Line by Line Meaning
Watermelon man
The person selling watermelons.
Heyo,
An exclamation to gather attention.
Heyo,
An exclamation to gather attention.
Get your watermelon,
Telling people they can buy watermelons.
Heyo,
An exclamation to gather attention.
Watermelon man,
The person selling watermelons.
Watermelon man.
The person selling watermelons.
A wagon and a horse
Description of the mode of transportation for delivering the watermelons.
In the summer sun,
Setting the scene of the watermelon seller working in the heat.
Watermelon!
Promoting the watermelons for sale.
Pretty little housewife,
Addressing a specific group of people who might be interested in buying watermelons.
Let me sell you one;
Offering to sell one of the watermelons.
Red, ripe watermelon.
Description of the quality of the watermelons for sale.
If you want
Condition for the offer.
To treat your husband right,
Purpose of the offer is to serve your husband.
Watermelon!
Promoting the watermelons for sale.
Know what to give him
Offering advice on what to serve your husband.
When he's home tonight;
Timing of the advice; when your husband is back home.
Red, ripe watermelon.
Description of the quality of the watermelons for sale.
Eeoh - heyo,
A celebratory exclamation.
I got your red,
Assurance of availability and quality of the watermelons.
Ripe watermelon,
Description of the quality of the watermelons for sale.
Heyo watermelon man,
An exclamation to address the watermelon seller.
Watermelon man.
The person selling watermelons.
Get out your money
Instruction for those wishing to buy watermelons.
When you hear me call,
Timing of the instruction; payment upon purchase.
Watermelon!
Promoting the watermelons for sale.
Ain't goin' home
Commitment to selling all the watermelons.
Till i sell 'em all;
Full commitment to selling all the watermelons.
Red, ripe watermelon.
Description of the quality of the watermelons for sale.
Got a woman
Details of the seller's life.
Waitin' for me,
The seller has obligations other than selling watermelons.
Jus' my type,
Preference of the seller for their partner.
Watermelon!
Promoting the watermelons for sale.
Sweet
Description of the taste of the watermelons.
Like a watermelon,
Comparison of the watermelons to their taste.
Round and ripe;
Description of the shape and quality of the watermelons.
Red, ripe watermelon.
Description of the quality of the watermelons for sale.
Eeoh - heyo,
A celebratory exclamation.
I got your red,
Assurance of availability and quality of the watermelons.
Ripe watermelon,
Description of the quality of the watermelons for sale.
Heyo watermelon man,
An exclamation to address the watermelon seller.
Watermelon man,
The person selling watermelons.
Watermelon man.
The person selling watermelons.
Watermelon man.
The person selling watermelons.
Writer(s): Norman Curtis, O. Brown Jr.
Contributed by Austin E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@createlovehappy
One of my favorite all time albums. He basically taught me everything I needed to know about music and how to sing a song. The best.
@obawilliamking5285
an absolute genius, rhythm, lyric, captures the story of a people.
@genimp1
Oba William King Yeah it does. SoutthSide Chicago Blues
@lukekobe2343
A trick : watch series on Kaldrostream. Me and my gf have been using it for watching a lot of movies recently.
@erikzahir5242
@Luke Kobe Yea, I have been using kaldrostream for since december myself :D
@zyaireesteban3361
@Luke Kobe definitely, I've been using Kaldrostream for years myself :D
@jackbrian6210
@Luke Kobe Yup, been watching on kaldrostream for since november myself =)
@jutphish9131
This is a great song.
@echerlin
Nat Hentoff: Finally, a singer who never overstates his authority.
Yes, I got the original album way back then.
@earladams6129
We had 4 albums in our house, this was one of them.