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
Can Your Monkey Do The Dog
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can your monkey do the dog, can your monkey do the dog
Well my dog can monkey to the dance you want it to
But can your monkey do the dog, like I do, like I do
He can shake it to the east, he can shake it to the west
He can shake it to the bull dog, that he loves the best
Well my dog can monkey to the dance you want it to
He can shake it to the hound dog, he can shake it to the bird dog
He can shake it to the bull dog, yeah any kind of dog
My dog can monkey to the dance you want it to
But can your monkey do the dog, like I do, like I do, yeah
I'll bring my monkey I'll bring my dog, I'll bring my monkey I'll bring my dog
Come on baby come on now, come on baby come on now
My dog can monkey just like you
But can your monkey do the dog, like I do, like I do
Woh oh-oh-oh, woh oh-oh-oh-woh
Woh oh-oh-oh, woh oh-oh-oh-woh
My dog can monkey just like you
But can your monkey do the dog, like I do, like I do
Rufus Thomas's song "Can Your Monkey Do The Dog" is a tribute to dance styles of the early 1960s. The song asks the question, "Can your monkey do the dog?" which refers to a dance move that was popular at that time. Thomas sings about his dog impressively monkeying his hips in various directions, but poses the question to the listener, can your monkey do the dog like his dog does?
The song's lyrics, although somewhat humorous, have a deeper underlying meaning. The phrase "monkey see, monkey do" refers to the act of blindly imitating what others are doing. Thomas is using the concept of the dance and his dog's impressive moves to question if people can actually think and dance for themselves instead of being mere imitators.
"Can Your Monkey Do The Dog" was released in 1964 and became a hit on the R&B charts. The song and dance move became so popular that it was even featured on American Bandstand. The song has since been covered by various artists, including The Cramps and The Sonics, and has been featured in films and TV shows such as "Blues Brothers 2000" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel".
Line by Line Meaning
Can your monkey do the dog, can your monkey do the dog
Asking if your monkey can dance like a dog
Well my dog can monkey to the dance you want it to
My dog can dance any way you want it to
But can your monkey do the dog, like I do, like I do
Still questioning if your monkey can dance like a dog as well as he can
He can shake it to the east, he can shake it to the west
My dog can dance in any direction
He can shake it to the bull dog, that he loves the best
My dog can dance with a specific type of dog that he likes
He can shake it to the hound dog, he can shake it to the bird dog
My dog can dance with any type of dog
Yeah any kind of dog
Any type of dog will do
I'll bring my monkey I'll bring my dog, I'll bring my monkey I'll bring my dog
I'll bring both my monkey and dog to dance
Come on baby come on now, come on baby come on now
Inviting someone to come and dance
Woh oh-oh-oh, woh oh-oh-oh-woh
A vocalization used to add emphasis and energy to the song
My dog can monkey just like you
My dog can dance like you
But can your monkey do the dog, like I do, like I do
Still questioning if your monkey can dance like a dog as well as he can
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RUFUS THOMAS, STEPHEN LEE CROPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@swisherbill
Man, they just ain't writin' em like they used to.
@pgardner4269
The Cramps were writen' em like this...
@louishubbard8036
my dog can't monkey
@johnwinthrop9230
I ask my girlfriend this all the time...