Rosco Gordon (April 10, 1928 – July 11, 2002) was an American, Memphis blue… Read Full Bio ↴Rosco Gordon (April 10, 1928 – July 11, 2002) was an American, Memphis blues and rhythm & blues, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1952, number 1, rhythm & blues hit single, "Booted", and two number 2 singles, "No More Doggin'" (1952 RPM 350) and "Just a Little Bit" (1960 Vee-Jay 332).

Born on Florida Street, in Memphis, Tennessee, Gordon was one of the "Beale Streeters", a group of musicians in 1949 that also featured Johnny Ace, B.B. King, and Bobby "Blue" Bland a.o., who helped to develop the style known as Memphis Blues. Gordon used a style of piano playing known as 'The Rosco Rhythm', he placed the accent on the off beats, and although other influential rhythm & blues pianists such as Professor Longhair (on "Willie Mae" among other songs) recorded in the same off beat style before him, through his influence on the Jamaican pianist, Theophilus Beckford ("Easy Snappin'"), Gordon was cited as the foundation of Jamaican ska, bluebeat and reggae music.
Rosco Gordon made a number of his early recordings for Sam Phillips at Sun Records.
"Booted" (1952) gave his career a sound start, and was followed by "No More Doggin'" the same year. Sam Phillips later sold the master tape of "Booted" to two competing record labels, Chess and RPM, both of whom released it as a single as he had done with some early Howlin' Wolf songs. The RPM release reached #1 on the Billboard R&B record chart. Chess and the Bihari Brothers later settled the conflict with the Biharis getting exclusive rights to Gordon and Chess signing Wolf to an exclusive contract.
In 1960, Gordon released his last charting single "Just a Little Bit", which was both an R&B and pop hit. However there were no further hits despite Gordon's youth, talent and exuberant and oddball personality. In 1962, he gave up the music industry and moved to Queens, New York with his new wife where he purchased a partnership in a laundry business. Following his wife's death in 1984, he returned to performing in the New York area.
In 2002, he was invited by filmmaker Richard Pearce to be featured as part of a documentary film about several blues musicians returning to Memphis for a special tribute to Sam Phillips in conjunction with the May 2002 W. C. Handy Awards. Called The Road To Memphis, the documentary aired on PBS television. Six weeks after filming finished, Gordon died of a heart attack at his apartment in Rego Park, Queens. He was 74 years old. He was interred in the Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey.

I Don't Like It
Rosco Gordon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't want much
I just-a want a little bit
No, I don't want it all, I told you
I just-a want a little bit
Just a eeny weeny bit
I want a teeny weeny bit of your love

Turn your lights down low

Honey, slip me a kiss
Turn your lights down low, I beg you
I just can't-a resist
But that's a eeny weeny bit
I want a teeny weeny bit of your love

I want you forever
A-just a peace of mind
Please say you'll never leave, ever
A-till the end of times
But that's a eeny weeny bit
I want a teeny weeny bit of your love

I want you forever
A-just for peace of mind
Please say you'll never leave me, ever
A-till the end of times
But that's a eeny weeny bit
I want a teeny weeny bit of your love

From just a eeny weeny bit
I want a teeny weeny bit of your love

From just a eeny weeny bit
I want a teeny weeny bit of your love

Girl!

Overall Meaning

The song "I Don't Like It" by Rosco Gordon is a soulful plea for love and affection. The singer of the song begs for just a little bit of love, insisting that he doesn't want it all. He uses the metaphor of an "eeny weeny bit" and a "teeny weeny bit" to express his desire for just a small amount of the woman's love. He urges her to turn down the lights and give him a kiss, admitting that he can't resist her. He then asks for her commitment, saying he wants her forever and for just a peace of mind. He emphasizes again that he doesn't want much, just a "teeny weeny bit" of her love.

The lyrics of the song convey a sense of desperation and longing for love. The use of the metaphors "eeny weeny bit" and "teeny weeny bit" add a playful tone to the song, but the overall tone is one of pleading and vulnerability. The repetition of the phrase "I want a teeny weeny bit of your love" drives home the singer's desire and emphasizes the importance of this small amount of affection.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't want much
I don't need a lot

I just-a want a little bit
I just want a small amount

No, I don't want it all, I told you
No, I don't need everything, I've mentioned that before

Just a eeny weeny bit
Just a tiny amount

I want a teeny weeny bit of your love
I want a small amount of your love

Turn your lights down low
Please dim the lights

Honey, slip me a kiss
Give me a kiss

Turn your lights down low, I beg you
Please dim the lights, I'm asking you

I just can't-a resist
I can't help but give in to my desires

But that's a eeny weeny bit
But that's still just a small amount

I want a teeny weeny bit of your love
I want a small amount of your love