The above biography taken from: Wikipedia - Rufus Thomas
The Crown Prince of Dance; an early rock & roll DJ, Memphis soul icon and creator of the Funky Chicken.
Artist Biography (below) by Richie Unterberger
Few of rock & roll's founding figures are as likable as Rufus Thomas. From the 1940s onward, he has personified Memphis music; his small but witty cameo role in Jim Jarmusch's Mystery Train, a film which satirizes and enshrines the city's role in popular culture, was entirely appropriate. As a recording artist, he wasn't a major innovator, but he could always be depended upon for some good, silly, and/or outrageous fun with his soul dance tunes. He was one of the few rock or soul stars to reach his commercial and artistic peak in middle age, and was a crucial mentor to many important Memphis blues, rock, and soul musicians.
Thomas was already a professional entertainer in the mid-'30s, when he was a comedian with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels. He recorded music as early as 1941, but really made his mark on the Memphis music scene as a deejay on WDIA, one of the few black-owned stations of the era. He also ran talent shows on Memphis' famous Beale Street that helped showcase the emerging skills of such influential figures as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Ike Turner, and Roscoe Gordon.
Thomas had his first success as a recording artist in 1953 with "Bear Cat," a funny answer record to Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog." It made number three on the R&B charts, giving Sun Records its first national hit, though some of the sweetness went out of the triumph after Sun owner Sam Phillips lost a lawsuit for plagiarizing the original Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller tune. Thomas, strangely, would make only one other record for Sun, and recorded only sporadically throughout the rest of the 1950s.
Thomas and his daughter Carla would become the first stars for the Stax label, for whom they recorded a duet in 1959, "'Cause I Love You" (when the company was still known as Satellite). In the '60s, Carla would become one of Stax's biggest stars. On his own, Rufus wasn't as successful as his daughter, but issued a steady stream of decent dance/novelty singles.
These were not deep or emotional statements, or meant to be. Vaguely prefiguring elements of funk, the accent was on the stripped-down groove and Rufus' good-time vocals, which didn't take himself or anything seriously. The biggest by far was "Walking the Dog," which made the Top Ten in 1963, and was covered by the Rolling Stones on their first album.
Thomas hit his commercial peak in the early '70s, when "Do the Funky Chicken," "(Do The) Push and Pull," and "The Breakdown" all made the R&B Top Five. As the song titles themselves make clear, funk was now driving his sound rather than blues or soul. Thomas drew upon his vaudeville background to put them over on-stage with fancy footwork that displayed remarkable agility for a man well into his 50s. The collapse of the Stax label in the mid-'70s meant the end of his career, basically, as it did for many other artists with the company. In 2001, Rufus Thomas was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Later that year, on December 15, he died at St. Francis hospital in Memphis, TN.
The above biography taken from: All Music Biography - Rufus Thomas by Richie Unterberger
Breakdown Part 2
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know how, shake the butter bowl
I got to see for myself
If you got any butter left
Breakdown to the left
Breakdown to the right
Breakdown to the one
Do the breakdown, children
Break on down
Do the breakdown, children
Break on down
You got it going, my, my, my
Just look around and grab your guy
Stop where you are, let your big hip rock
Show him how your love can rock
Breakdown for me
Breakdown for you
Breakdown to the one
Gonna give it to
Do the breakdown, children
Break on down
Do the breakdown, children
Break on down, ???
Come on children, look at me
I'm showing you how it's supposed to be
Do it in the evening, late at night
I'm gonna show you, breakdown is alright
Do the breakdown, children
Break on down
Do the breakdown, children
Break on down
Listen, it's the brand new dance that's going around
It ain't the Funky Chicken, it's called The Breakdown
It's the brand new dance that's going around
It ain't push and pull, it's called The Breakdown
Now breakdown, children
Break on down
Breakdown, children
Break on down
Mama can do it, Papa too
Grandma, Grandpa, they're doing it too
Mama, Mama, just look at Sis
She's in the backyard breaking down like this
Breakdown, children
Break on down
Breakdown, children
Break on down
Breakdown, children
The lyrics to Rufus Thomas's “Breakdown Part 1” are all about dancing and having a good time. The lyrics describe a new dance that’s taking over, called the "Breakdown." The song starts with the singer questioning the ability of his partner to shake the "butter bowl" and then encouraging her to show him how it's done. The breakdown is a dance that involves moving to the left, then to the right, and then towards the one you plan to love tonight. The lyrics are very upbeat, and the singer encourages everyone to "break on down" and do the breakdown dance.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Do the breakdown, children, break on down." The lyrics are simple and repetitive, but they inspire listeners to dance along. The breakdown is a popular dance that has been parodied in various movies and TV shows. The song's lyrics suggest that the breakdown is easy to do and that everyone can enjoy participating. The song's catchy melody and upbeat rhythm make it a classic dance track that continues to inspire people to break on down and move to the rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, baby, I been told
Addressing someone familiar and stating that a piece of information has been conveyed to me beforehand
You know how, shake the butter bowl
Possessing the skills to move the butter bowl in a certain way
I got to see for myself
Asserting the need to verify the aforementioned skills
If you got any butter left
Checking to see whether the necessary conditions for a particular act are in place
Breakdown to the left
Directing someone to move in a particular direction
Breakdown to the right
Directing someone to move in a particular direction
Breakdown to the one
Directing someone to focus on a specific individual
Gonna love her tonight
Implying that there will be romantic intentions towards the aforementioned individual
Do the breakdown, children
Encouraging a group of people to perform the titular dance
Break on down
Instructing individuals to continue with the dance
You got it going, my, my, my
Complimenting someone on their dancing abilities
Just look around and grab your guy
Encouraging people to partner up
Stop where you are, let your big hip rock
Suggesting a dance move and providing instruction on how to execute it
Show him how your love can rock
Implying a romantic element to the dance
Breakdown for me
Asking someone to dance specifically for the singer's enjoyment
Breakdown for you
Asking someone to dance specifically for their own enjoyment
Gonna give it to
Implying that the dance will be performed with the intention of impressing someone
Come on children, look at me
Addressing the group and asserting oneself as an authority on the dance
I'm showing you how it's supposed to be
Providing instruction on how the dance should be performed
Do it in the evening, late at night
Suggesting a time when the dance is best performed
Breakdown is alright
Asserting that performing the dance is acceptable and enjoyable
Listen, it's the brand new dance that's going around.
Introducing the dance as a new phenomenon
It ain't the Funky Chicken, it's called The Breakdown
Differentiating the dance from something that may have already existed
Mama can do it, Papa too
Asserting that everyone can participate in the dance
Grandma, Grandpa, they're doing it too
Further emphasizing that the dance is suitable for all ages
Mama, Mama, just look at Sis
Drawing attention to a specific individual who is performing the dance particularly well
She's in the backyard breaking down like this
Describing how the dance is performed, specifically by someone mentioned previously
Breakdown, children
Encouraging the group to continue with the dance
Break on down
Instructing individuals to continue with the dance
Breakdown, children
Encouraging the group to continue with the dance
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE FLOYD, MACK RICE, RUFUS THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind