He was born in New Orleans, and in his teens played guitar in a Warren Easton High School band, The Jokers. In 1959 he was invited by Mac Rebennack (later known as Dr. John) to join his group, The Skyliners. He won a contract with Ace Records, but made his first recording, a version of the song "Junco Partner" re-worked as "Preacher's Daughter", for the Spinett label, set up by singer Frankie Ford and his manager Joe Caronna. For contractual reasons Caronna changed the singer's name to Stone. At the Ace label, he then recorded "Something Special", which was written and produced by Rebennack, and arranged by Allen Toussaint, and "Just A Moment", which became a regional hit and sold an estimated 100,000 copies. However, later records in the early 1960s, some released on Cosimo Matassa's White Cliffs label, failed to sell.
In 1964, Stone quit the music business. He worked in New Orleans and then Texas – where he performed occasionally under his real name until the late 1970s – before returning to his home city in 1979 to work in his uncle's dry cleaning business. Following an approach from record producer Carlo Ditta, he recorded again with Dr. John in the 1990s, releasing two albums on Orleans Records, Remember Me (1994) and Live on the Creole Queen (1997). He also performed at local clubs and festivals, while working with his brother in a galvanized metal company.
A compilation of his Ace recordings was issued in the UK in 1999. He died in New Orleans that year at the age of 58.
Sick and Tired
Roland Stone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Wake up in the mornin' fix you somethin' to eat,
'fore I go to work I even brush your teeth
Get home in the evenin' and you're still in bed
Got yourself a rag tied 'round you're head.
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
I'm tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
I'm tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
Gonna find yourself outside
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Last time tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
Last time tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
Gonna find yourself outside
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
The song, "Sick and Tired" by Roland Stone, is a straightforward message to a lover who has been taking advantage of the singer. The beginning of the song, where the singer asks, "Oh baby, whatcha gonna do?" shows a sense of desperation and a plea for change. The singer is expressing his exhaustion with the lack of effort his partner is putting into their relationship, as depicted by them still being in bed when he comes back from work. Furthermore, the line "Got yourself a rag tied 'round you're head" implies his partner is careless and lazy.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes increasingly frustrated, eventually warning his partner that they need to change their ways. The repetition of "Last time telling you" emphasizes how serious he is about this ultimatum, with a threat that the partner will find themselves outside if they continue their poor behavior. Ultimately, the song portrays a person who is tired of being stuck in a one-sided relationship and longing for their partner to put in more effort.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
Asking the person what they plan to do
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
Repeating the question to emphasize the urgency of the situation
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Expressing frustration and annoyance with the person's behavior
Wake up in the mornin' fix you somethin' to eat,
Describing a common routine of caring for the person
'fore I go to work I even brush your teeth
Emphasizing the level of care given to the person
Get home in the evenin' and you're still in bed
Noting the laziness or lack of motivation of the person
Got yourself a rag tied 'round you're head.
Describing the person's disheveled appearance
I'm tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
Warning the person that their behavior must change
I'm tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Clear communication that the artist is serious about the issue
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
A final warning to the person to cease their problematic behavior
Gonna find yourself outside
The consequence of the person not changing their ways
Last time tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
Repeating the warning to emphasize its importance
Last time tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Reasserting the singer's seriousness about the situation
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
Reiterating the message that the person must stop their problematic behavior
Gonna find yourself outside
Restating the consequence of the person not changing
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
The question still remains, prompting the person to think about their actions
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
The artist is fed up with the person's actions and is ready for change.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC NICHOLAS ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
DENNY R MAN
A NEW ORLEANS CLASSIC SICK AND TIRED MR CHRIS KENNER