Roy James Brown (born: September 10, 1925 in Kinder, Louisiana; died: May 2… Read Full Bio ↴Roy James Brown (born: September 10, 1925 in Kinder, Louisiana; died: May 25, 1981 in San Fernando, California) was an American rhythm & blues singer, songwriter and musician, who had a significant influence on the early development of rock and roll and the direction of R&B. His original song and hit recording "Good Rockin' Tonight" has been covered by many artists including Wynonie Harris, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Joe Ely, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pat Boone, James Brown, the Doors, and the rock group Montrose. Brown was one of the first popular R&B singers to perform songs with a gospel-steeped delivery, which was then considered taboo by many churches. In addition, his melismatic, pleading vocal style influenced notable artists such as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson, James Brown and Little Richard

Like many R&B singers, Brown started singing gospel music in church. His mother was an accomplished singer and church organist. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s and for a short time was a professional boxer in the welterweight division. In 1945 he won a singing contest at the Million Dollar Theater, covering "There's No You", originally recorded by Bing Crosby. In 1946, Brown moved to Galveston, Texas, where he sang in Joe Coleman's group, performing mostly songs from the Hit Parade, in a nightclub called the Club Granada. His repertoire included "Good Rockin' Tonight".

After being rejected by the armed forces because of flat feet, Brown secured his first major job in a club in Shreveport, Louisiana, singing mostly pop ballads, such as "Stardust" and "Blue Hawaii". The owner of Bill Riley's Palace Park hired him, as Brown told an interviewer for Blues Unlimited, because of his appeal as "a Negro singer who sounds white." It was at the Palace Park that Brown started developing a blues repertoire, learning contemporary R&B tunes such as "Jelly Jelly" (recorded by Billy Eckstine). He returned to New Orleans in 1947, where he performed at the Dew Drop Inn.

Brown was a fan of blues singer Wynonie Harris. When Harris appeared in town, Brown tried but failed to interest him in listening to "Good Rockin' Tonight". Brown then approached another blues singer, Cecil Gant, who was performing at another club in town. Brown introduced his song, and Gant had him sing it over the telephone to the president of De Luxe Records, Jules Braun, reportedly at 4:00 in the morning. Brown was signed to a recording contract immediately. He recorded the song in a jump blues style with a swing beat. It was released in 1948 and reached number 13 on the Billboard R&B chart. Ironically, Harris recorded a cover version of the song, and his version rose to the top of the Billboard R&B chart later in 1948. Presley also covered the song for Sun Records in 1954; it was re-released by RCA Victor when his recording contract was sold to that label in 1956.

Brown continued to make his mark on the R&B charts, having 14 hits for De Luxe from mid-1948 to late 1951, including "Hard Luck Blues" (1950, his biggest seller), "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Rockin' at Midnight", "Boogie at Midnight", "Miss Fanny Brown", and "Cadillac Baby", making him, along with Harris, one of the top R&B performers in those three years.

After his popularity peaked, Brown began to experience a lull in his career. Doo-wop and R&B groups were quickly gaining popularity as the standard sound of R&B in the early to mid-1950s. His declining fortune coincided with the resolution of a lawsuit against King Records for unpaid royalties in 1952, in which Brown prevailed, one of the few African-American musicians to do so in the 1950s. This coincidence has led some, such as the writer 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. Brown's other misfortunes included trouble with the Internal Revenue Service. When confronted by the government for unpaid taxes he owed, he approached Elvis Presley for help. Presley wrote him a check on a brown paper bag, but it was not enough to keep Brown out of prison for tax evasion.

In 1951, Brown performed at the seventh famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr.on July 8. Also featured were Lionel Hampton and his Revue, Percy Mayfield, Jimmy Witherspoon, Joe Liggins' Honeydrippers and Billy Eckstine. The following year, June 1, 1952, he performed for the eighth Cavalcade of Jazz concert with His Mighty Men. Also featured that day were Anna Mae Winburn and Her Sweethearts, Jerry Wallace, Toni Harper, Louis Jordan, Jimmy Witherspoon and Josephine Baker. And Brown came back in 1953 to play at the 9th Cavalcade of Jazz on June 7. Also featured that day were, Don Tosti and His Mexican Jazzmen, Earl Bostic, Nat "King" Cole, Shorty Roger's Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong and his All Stars with Velma Middleton,.

Brown had a brief comeback on Imperial Records in 1957. Working with Dave Bartholomew, he returned to the charts with the original version of "Let the Four Winds Blow", co-written with Fats Domino, who would later have a hit with it. Brown returned to King Records, but his popularity had diminished by 1959. He found sporadic work, performing wherever he was wanted, and he made some recordings through the 1960s.To supplement his income, he sold the rights to "Good Rockin' Tonight". "I was selling door to door," he reminisced, referring to his stint as an encyclopedia salesman.

In 1970, Brown closed The Johnny Otis Show at the Monterey Jazz Festival. As a result of the positive reception by the audience, he recorded "Love for Sale", which became a hit for Mercury Records. In the late 1970s, a compilation album of his old recordings brought about a minor revival of interest in his music. In 1978 he made a successful tour in Scandinavia following the releases of Laughing but Crying and Good Rockin' Tonight. Shortly before his death he performed at the Whisky a Go-Go in West Hollywood, California, and he was a headliner at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1981.

Brown died of a heart attack on May 25, 1981, at Pacoima Lutheran Memorial Hospital, near his home in the San Fernando Valley. The Reverend Johnny Otis conducted the funeral service.

Please Don't Go
Roy Brown And His Mighty-Mighty Men Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know this is cliché
But while both of you were gone today
I was bouncing a ball
Off of the wall
And I didn't expect the vase to fall

Please don't be mad
But I broke your vase

I didn't mean to
Now there's porcelain all over the place
Don't come in here or you might get cut
Pass me the broom and I'll sweep it up

I know this sounds insane
But you said to do my chores before I could play
I was folding the clothes
While watching Poirot
I wasn't paying attention, I suppose

Please don't be mad
But I folded your socks
With other socks that didn't match
I think the matches are lost
I'll check the dryer to see if they're there
But it may just be you need to get some flip-flops to wear

Please don't be mad
But I accidentally
Ate the last Zebra Cake
Without realizing it's the last Zebra Cake

Please don't be mad
Please don't be mad (Please don't be mad)
Please don't be mad (Please don't be mad) (Please don't be mad)
Please don't be mad

Please don't be mad
But I'm doing my best
I make mistakes sometimes
And I don't wanna seem like a pest
Every day I learn so many new things
And I'm trying to be the best person I can be

Please don't be mad

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Please Don't Go" by Roy Brown And His Mighty-Mighty Men depict a lighthearted and humorous situation where the singer is confessing their various mishaps and mistakes to someone, probably their loved ones, in a plea for understanding and forgiveness.

In the first verse, the singer admits to accidentally breaking a vase while bouncing a ball off the wall. The unexpected outcome of the situation signifies the unpredictability of life and how even innocent actions can lead to unintended consequences. The use of a bouncing ball as a metaphor highlights the careless and playful nature of the singer.

Moving on to the second verse, the singer confesses to messing up the task of folding clothes while watching a TV show called "Poirot." This emphasizes the distraction and lack of focus while performing chores, resulting in mixed-up pairs of socks. The reference to the detective show suggests that the singer's mind was preoccupied and detached from the mundane household chores.

In the third verse, the singer comically confesses to eating the last Zebra Cake without realizing its significance. This playful admission demonstrates the singer's honest and vulnerable nature. Through this confession, they acknowledge their own imperfections and admit to making mistakes without intending harm.

The repeated plea of "Please don't be mad" throughout the song indicates the singer's genuine fear of disappointing or upsetting the listener. They express an earnest desire for forgiveness, illustrating their willingness to learn and become better. This highlights the human aspect of making errors and seeking understanding from others.

Overall, "Please Don't Go" is a light-hearted, self-aware narrative where the singer humbly admits to their various mishaps and misjudgments. It serves as a reminder that everyone is prone to making mistakes, and the hope for forgiveness and empathy is a common thread shared by all.

Line by Line Meaning

I know this is cliché
I understand that this may sound unoriginal or overused

But while both of you were gone today
During the time when you were both away today

I was bouncing a ball
I was playing with a ball, throwing it against a surface and catching it

Off of the wall
Using the wall as a surface to bounce the ball off

And I didn't expect the vase to fall
I did not anticipate or foresee the vase falling and breaking

Please don't be mad
I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset

But I broke your vase
However, I unintentionally shattered your vase

I didn't mean to
It was not my intention

Now there's porcelain all over the place
Now there are shattered fragments of the porcelain vase scattered everywhere

Don't come in here or you might get cut
Please refrain from entering this area as there is a risk of injury due to the broken pieces

Pass me the broom and I'll sweep it up
Could you please hand me the broom so that I can clean and remove the broken shards?

I know this sounds insane
I realize that what I'm about to say may sound crazy or unbelievable

But you said to do my chores before I could play
But you instructed me to complete my tasks or duties before engaging in recreational activities

I was folding the clothes
I was in the process of neatly folding the garments

While watching Poirot
Simultaneously, I was watching the television show 'Poirot'

I wasn't paying attention, I suppose
Regrettably, I wasn't fully focused or attentive, I must admit

But I folded your socks
However, I folded your socks as part of my task

With other socks that didn't match
I mistakenly paired them with socks that do not have matching pairs

I think the matches are lost
I believe the matching socks have been misplaced or can't be found

I'll check the dryer to see if they're there
I will inspect the dryer to determine if the missing socks are located there

But it may just be you need to get some flip-flops to wear
However, it is possible that acquiring a pair of flip-flops as an alternative footwear option might be suitable for you

Please don't be mad
I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset

But I accidentally
However, unintentionally

Ate the last Zebra Cake
I consumed the final piece of Zebra Cake

Without realizing it's the last Zebra Cake
Without being aware that it was the remaining Zebra Cake available

Please don't be mad
I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset

Please don't be mad (Please don't be mad)
I genuinely hope you won't be angry or upset (I genuinely hope you won't be angry or upset)

Please don't be mad (Please don't be mad) (Please don't be mad)
I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset (I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset) (I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset)

Please don't be mad
I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset

But I'm doing my best
However, I am giving my utmost effort

I make mistakes sometimes
Occasionally, I do commit errors

And I don't wanna seem like a pest
Furthermore, I genuinely do not wish to come across as bothersome or irritating

Every day I learn so many new things
Each day, I acquire a multitude of new knowledge or skills

And I'm trying to be the best person I can be
Additionally, I am actively striving to become the best version of myself

Please don't be mad
I sincerely hope you won't be angry or upset

Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Jakob Frazier, Tim Frazier

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS