Robeson found fame as an actor and singer with his fine bass-baritone voice. He is one of the few true basses in American music, his beautiful and powerful voice descending as low as a C below the bass clef. In addition to his stage performances, his renditions of old Negro spirituals were acclaimed; Robeson was the first to bring them to the concert stage.
Robeson's repertoire of African-American folk songs helped bring these to much wider attention both inside the US and abroad. Robeson also became interested in the folk music of the world; he came to be conversant with 20 languages, fluent or near fluent in 12. His standard repertoire after the 1920's included songs in many languages (e.g., Chinese, Russian, Yiddish, German, etc.).
Robeson was among the first performers to sing in concert on behalf of the U.S. World War II war effort. He sang and spoke out against racist conditions experienced by Asian and Black Americans; he condemned segregation in both the North and the South.
Like many intellectuals and artists of the time, Robeson supported the Soviet Union. After living as a second-class citizen under Jim Crow laws in the United States, what Robeson saw in the Soviet Union led him to believe that it was free of racial prejudice. In June 1949, Robeson visited the Soviet Union to sing in concert and was given a warm public welcome.
In 1950, after he refused to sign an affidavit that he was not a Communist, the U.S. government took away Robeson's passport and, with it, his freedom to travel outside the United States. The travel ban ended in 1958 when Robeson’s passport was returned to him after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in Kent vs. Dulles, that the Secretary of State had no right to deny a passport or require any citizen to sign an affidavit because of his political beliefs. However, because of the controversy surrounding him, all of Paul Robeson's recordings and films were withdrawn from circulation. From then until the late 1970s, it became increasingly difficult in the United States to hear Robeson sing on records or on the radio, or to see any of his films, including the highly acclaimed and successful 1936 film version of Show Boat.
Welsh miners' organisations were among the most prominent international supporters of the campaign calling for the restoration of his passport and to Let Paul Robeson Sing!. When his passport was returned, Robeson traveled to Wales to appear at the National Eisteddfod in Ebbw Vale. He then performed at the Miners' Eisteddfod, fulfilling a promise he had made while prevented from traveling. In 1960, Robeson's final performance at the Royal Festival Hall in London included choral accompaniment from the Cwmbach Welsh male voice choir.
Robeson's association with Wales began in 1928 while he was performing in London in the musical Show Boat. There, he met a group of unemployed miners who had taken part in a "hunger march" from South Wales to protest their situation. During the 1930s, Robeson made several visits to Welsh mining areas, including performances in Cardiff, Neath and Aberdare. A number of Welsh artists have celebrated Robeson's life: The Manic Street Preachers' song "Let Robeson Sing" appears on the album Know Your Enemy.
Rockin' Chair
Paul Robeson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By my door
Music I've often heard before
In all my heart
Years have flicked away and left me longing
For the dream of happiness I'll see no more
Fetch me that gin, son, 'fore I tan your hide
Can't get from this cabin, goin' nowhere
Just set me here grabbin' at the flies round this rockin' chair
My dear old aunt Harriet, in Heaven she be
Send me sweet chariot, for the end of the trouble I see
Old rockin' chair gets it, Judgement Day is here
Chained to my rockin' chair
Old rockin' chair's got me, cane by my side
Fetch me that gin, son, 'fore I tan your hide
Old rockin' chair gets it, Judgement Day is nigh
Chained to my rockin' chair
The song "Rockin' Chair" by Paul Robeson is a poignant reflection on the passing of time and one's mortality. The opening lines describe the scene of the singer's porch, as he listens to a familiar tune and feels it deep in his heart. The nostalgia of past memories is a theme that runs throughout the song. The singer reflects on the passage of time and how it has left him with a sense of longing for something that he can no longer have.
The lyrics of the song seem to suggest that the singer is an old man, unable to move around much due to his age and physical condition, as he is chained to his old rocking chair. His cane, which is by his side, suggests that he needs it to move around. This imagery is a metaphor for the limitations and immobility that age brings. However, this imagery is juxtaposed with the longing for the happiness of the past, which is why the music he hears brings back such strong emotions.
The final lines of the song indicate that the singer has resigned himself to his fate, as he awaits judgment day. The use of religious imagery, such as "Judgment Day" and "sweet chariot", suggests that the singer has a desire for spiritual release and wishes to be freed from the pain and limitations of his old age.
Line by Line Meaning
Moonlight, on cloudy, cloudy shores
The moon is shining on the shore even though it's cloudy outside.
By my door
I'm sitting by my door and enjoying the moonlight.
Music I've often heard before
I'm listening to a familiar and comforting music.
In all my heart
The music I'm listening to is touching my heart deeply.
Years have flicked away and left me longing
Time has passed by quickly and now I'm yearning for something I can no longer have.
For the dream of happiness I'll see no more
I can no longer hope to achieve the happiness I've dreamed of.
Old rockin' chair's got me, cane by my side
I'm trapped in my old rocking chair with my cane by my side.
Fetch me that gin, son, 'fore I tan your hide
I'm asking my son to bring me some gin before I become angry and punish him.
Can't get from this cabin, goin' nowhere
I'm stuck in my cabin with no way to leave.
Just set me here grabbin' at the flies round this rockin' chair
All I can do is swat the flies that are bothering me in my rocking chair.
My dear old aunt Harriet, in Heaven she be
My beloved Aunt Harriet has passed away and is now in Heaven.
Send me sweet chariot, for the end of the trouble I see
I wish for death to come and end my troubles.
Old rockin' chair gets it, Judgement Day is here
My rocking chair represents my inevitable death and the arrival of Judgement Day.
Chained to my rockin' chair
I am metaphorically chained to my rocking chair, unable to escape my fate.
Old rockin' chair's got me, cane by my side
I'm still trapped in my rocking chair with my cane by my side.
Fetch me that gin, son, 'fore I tan your hide
I'm still asking my son for some gin before I lose my temper.
Old rockin' chair gets it, Judgement Day is nigh
Death is imminent and my fate is sealed.
Chained to my rockin' chair
I am still metaphorically chained to my rocking chair, helpless to avoid my fate.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Kehew
I have the feeling Robbie Robertson didn't write this, as YouTube has claimed!
But it is very important, as it's the very first record ever made at Abbey Road Studios in London!! Decades before The Beatles made it famous...
bobbo1946
Hoagy Carmichael
Jan-Olof Stening
"Rockin ´ Chair" med sång av den amerikanske sångaren Paul Robeson. Tack.