1) Roy "Good Rocking" Br… Read Full Bio ↴There are 2 artists with the name Roy Brown
1) Roy "Good Rocking" Brown (10 September 1925 – 25 May 1981) was a blues musician who brought a soul singing style (from gospel music) to the emerging genre of rock and roll.
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Brown started as a gospel singer. His mother was an accomplished singer and organist in church. After a move to Los Angeles, California some time in the 1940s, and a brief period spent as a professional boxer in the welterweight category, he won a singing contest in 1945 at The Million Dollar Theater covering "There's No You" by Bing Crosby. In 1946 Brown moved to Galveston, Texas, where he sang in a club. His numbers included "Good Rocking Tonight". He returned to New Orleans in 1947.
Brown failed to interest Wynonie Harris in "Good Rocking Tonight" (at first), but got an introduction to the president of Deluxe Records, who signed him. The song was released in 1947 and reached no. 13 on Billboard's R&B charts (but was eclipsed by Harris' cover of it). Brown's version was a jump blues with a swing beat, but Harris's cover version can be considered closer to rock and roll. Elvis Presley covered the song for Sun Records in 1954 … later re-released on RCA Victor when his contract was sold to that record label in 1956.
Brown and his band "The Mighty Men" were spectacular performers, with the kind of crowd-pleasing stage histrionics for which Little Richard would soon be famous. Unfortunately, tastes changed and Brown could not keep up.
The decline of his fortunes coincided with his successfully winning a lawsuit against King Records for unpaid royalties in 1952, one of the few African-American musicians to do so in the 1950s. This has led some, such as author Nick Tosches (in his book Unsung Heroes of Rock 'n' Roll, which contains a chapter on Brown) to believe that Brown may have been blacklisted. His popularity was at its lowest at the end of the 1950s, but he sporadically managed to find work through the 1960s.
In 1970 Roy closed The Johnny Otis Show at the Monterey Jazz Festival. As a result of the crowd reaction he recorded "Love For Sale", which became a hit for the Mercury Label.
In the late 1970s a compilation LPs of his old work brought about a minor revival of interest. In 1978 he had a successful tour in Scandinavia following the release of Laughing But Crying and before the release of Good Rocking Tonight (Album). From 1980 until his death he enjoyed considerable popularity. Shortly before his death he was on a major upswing, performing at the Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California and headlining the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival during the spring of 1981.
2) Roy Brown (Puerto Rican musician)
Roy Brown Ramírez (born July 18, 1945) is a composer, singer and a fervent believer in the cause for the independence of Puerto Rico.[1] Some of his songs have been performed by several renowned international artists.
Discography
* Yo Protesto (1969)
* Basta Ya... Revolución (1971)
* Aires Bucaneros (1978)
* Profecía de Urayoán (1979)
* Nuyol (1983)
* Arboles (1988)
* Balada de Otro Tiempo (1989)
* Distancias en Vivo (1990)
* Nocturno (1991)
* Poetas Puertorriqueños (1991)
* Aires Bucaneros/Casi Alba (1993)
* En Fuga (1994)
* Colección (1996)
* Poeta en San Juan (1998)
* Distancias Clásico (1999)
* La Noche de Roy Brown (1999)
* Album (music)|Album (2000)
* Balcón del Fin del Mundo (2004)
* Que Vaya Bien (2006)
Hard luck blues
Roy Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Duration: 3: 01
Well, Rocks In My Pillow,
The Cold Ground Is My Bed,
The Highway Is My Home
So I Might As Well Be Dead.
Seems I Have No Place To Go.
My Mother's Dead And Gone;
Father Throwed Me From His Door.
I Got One Pair Of Shoes,
Don't Even Have A Change Of Clothes.
I Got One Pair Of Shoes,
Don't Even Have A Change Of Clothes.
And This Road I Gotta Travel
Is So Muddy And Cold.
Well, I'm Gonna Get Religion,
Learn How To Pray.
I Need Help Bad,
Lord, And That Is The Only Way.
I'm Travelin' And Travelin';
Seems The Road Has Got No End.
And I Ain't Got Nobody
In This Mean Old World To Call My Friend.
I Got So Much Trouble,
Sometimes I Could Cry,
I'm Gonna Find My Mother's Grave,
Fall On The Tombstone And Die.
Roy Brown's song "Hard Luck Blues" is a powerful portrayal of a homeless man's struggles. The lyrics are heart-wrenching as they depict the singer's daily battles with poverty, loneliness, and taunting memories of his parents. The song opens with the singer saying that rocks in his pillow have replaced the softness of a mattress, and the cold hard ground is the only place he can lay his head. The obvious implication is that the singer is homeless and has no place to call his own. The lyrics suggest that the singer has no friends, no connections and nothing to hold onto. He is traveling and walking without a destination as his mother has passed on, and his father threw him out of the house.
The subsequent stanzas highlight the singer's lack of material things, such as clothes, and depict the road as long, muddy, and cold. But it's not just his physical belongings that have been stripped away - there is a clear indication in the lyrics that the singer has lost his faith in humanity. That's why he says he "might as well be dead." He believes that the only thing left for him is to learn about religion, to learn how to pray, and to hope that this is the only way he can get the help he so desperately needs. The chorus describes the troubles he has faced that so many people are dealing with today, and he even contemplates dying.
In conclusion, Roy Brown's song "Hard Luck Blues" forces the listener to imagine what it would be like to have nothing, no one and be forced to endure life's toughest challenges on their own. These are powerful, evocative lyrics that shine a light on the difficult realities of homelessness and adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, Rocks In My Pillow,
I cannot find comfort even in sleep, as my pillow is rocky and uncomfortable.
The Cold Ground Is My Bed,
I have no roof over my head, not even a bed to rest in, so I sleep on the cold hard ground.
The Highway Is My Home
I am a wanderer who is forced to live on the roads and highways as I have nowhere else to go.
So I Might As Well Be Dead.
My situation is so dire that death would be a preferable alternative.
I'm Walkin' And Walkin';
I keep on walking in hopes of finding a better place or opportunity.
Seems I Have No Place To Go.
I am homeless and have no place to call my own.
My Mother's Dead And Gone;
I have lost my mother and her support which has made my life even harder.
Father Throwed Me From His Door.
My father has disowned and abandoned me, leaving me with no family or support.
I Got One Pair Of Shoes,
I have only one pair of shoes, which is also falling apart.
Don't Even Have A Change Of Clothes.
I cannot even afford a change of clothes and have to wear the same outfit every day.
And This Road I Gotta Travel
The road ahead of me is difficult, dangerous and filled with obstacles.
Is So Muddy And Cold.
The road is filled with mud and is dangerous to travel on.
Well, I'm Gonna Get Religion,
I am going to find solace in religion and turn to God for help and guidance.
Learn How To Pray.
I want to learn how to pray as I believe it can help me navigate through my troubles.
I Need Help Bad,
I am in dire need of help and support, both from people and from a higher power.
Lord, And That Is The Only Way.
God is my only hope of redemption and can help me overcome my hardships.
I'm Travelin' And Travelin';
I am forced to wander and keep traveling on the road, in hopes of a better tomorrow.
Seems The Road Has Got No End.
The road ahead of me seems never-ending and offers no respite from my hardships.
And I Ain't Got Nobody
I am completely alone in this world, with no friends or family who care for me.
In This Mean Old World To Call My Friend.
This world is cruel, and I cannot seem to find anyone who offers me support and kindness.
I Got So Much Trouble,
My life is filled with trouble and difficulties which are overwhelming me.
Sometimes I Could Cry,
My troubles are too much to bear, and I feel like crying.
I'm Gonna Find My Mother's Grave,
I am determined to find my mother's grave so I can mourn her loss and find closure.
Fall On The Tombstone And Die.
I am ready to die, and I want my final resting place to be next to my mother's grave.
Writer(s): Roy Brown
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@PrisonCityNoise
Roy Brown is criminally underrated.
@donaldmorrow3096
This is how it feels to hit rock bottom. It is sung by a man whose high tenor voice is damn near operatic. But, don't let that fool you, Roy Brown delivers about the best blues you will ever hear in your life. He uses this gift to make the most desperate blues record since Robert Johnson saw hellhounds. It is so intense that from beginning to end every note hurts! Those are just a few reasons that this is among the best blues records ever made.
@llroman7823
Great lyrics.
@attiliomalambri
One of the most beautiful and stunning voices in the blues i ever heard..i love Big Joe Turner,Big Mama Thorton,Muddy Waters,Howlin' Wolf,Ray Charles,Charles Brown,Bessie Smith,Louis Jordan,Louis Armstrong and now i'm in love with Roy
@RebeldeMexicano345
The sad thing is that people back then listened to this song a lot, but nowadays we just can't get the same audience that this track deserves.
@llroman7823
@@Just_another_Euro_dude Ha! Well it got better for a little while, but things fixin' to get worse.
@edibub7623
The main beat and the lyrical subject of this great blues song for sure inspired Heartbreak hotel writers todo a similar song!
@joebauers8031
maybe one of the jazziest bluesiest soulful songs ever
@timmy841212
Precursor to Heartbreak Hotel but the way he's singing this preceded soul music. Lots of artists from Clyde McPhatter to Jackie Wilson, Little Willie John to Ray Charles, Little Richard to James Brown took after from Roy.
@PeaceOnPurpose7
So there's no way everyone can know every great song in the world. I'm proud to have came across this for the first time today. Thanks to the man who was blasting this from his pick up truck...