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
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
There's where the old darke'ys heart am long'd to go,
There's where I labored so hard for old massa,
Day after day in the field of yellow corn,
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow,
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime,
There's where this old darkey's heart am long'd to go.
Carry me back to old Virginny,
There let me live 'till I wither and decay,
Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wandered,
There's where this old darke'ys life will pass away.
Massa and missis have long gone before me,
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore,
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow,
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more
The lyrics to Rufus Thomas's song "Rock Me Back" are actually a reworking of the classic song "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" written by James Bland in 1878. These lyrics speak to a deep longing for the past, specifically the state of Virginia and the memories associated with it. The stanza "There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow / There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime" paints a vivid picture of the agricultural landscape of Virginia, with its rich fields and the joyful sounds of nature.
The lyrics also touch upon the singer's personal history and the deep connection to their home state. They mention laboring for their old master, working hard in the yellow cornfields. This represents the experience of many African Americans who were enslaved in the South. Despite the hardship, there is a sense of nostalgia and sincerity in the line "No place on earth do I love more sincerely / Than old Virginny, the state where I was born."
The song continues to express a desire to return to Virginia, emphasizing the longing in the repetition of "Carry me back to old Virginny." The singer longs to live in Virginia until old age, to eventually pass away in the familiar surroundings of the Dismal Swamp. The mention of "massa and missis" suggests that the singer is an older enslaved individual, who has outlived their owners.
The lyrics conclude on a hopeful note, anticipating a reunion with their loved ones in a bright and golden afterlife. The lines "There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow / There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more" speak to the strength of their belief in an eternal reunion and everlasting happiness.
Overall, "Rock Me Back" reimagines and revives the sentiments of "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny," highlighting the deep longing, connection to heritage, and a hope for a better future beyond the hardships of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Carry me back to old Virginny
Take me back to my beloved Virginia
There's where the cotton and the corn and tatoes grow
It's the land where crops like cotton, corn, and potatoes flourish
There's where the birds warble sweet in the springtime
The birds sing melodiously during spring in Virginia
There's where the old darke'ys heart am long'd to go
Virginia is the place where the old slaves desire to return
There's where I labored so hard for old massa
Virginia is where I worked tirelessly for my old master
Day after day in the field of yellow corn
I toiled in the yellow corn fields every day
No place on earth do I love more sincerely
I genuinely have a deep love for no other place on earth
Than old Virginny, the state where I was born.
Especially for Virginia, the state of my birth.
There let me live 'till I wither and decay
Allow me to live there until my body deteriorates
Long by the old Dismal Swamp have I wandered
I have wandered for a long time near the old Dismal Swamp
There's where this old darke'ys life will pass away.
It is where the old slave's life will come to an end
Massa and missis have long gone before me
My master and mistress departed long before my time
Soon we will meet on that bright and golden shore
We will reunite on a glorious and radiant shore
There we'll be happy and free from all sorrow
In that place, we will experience happiness and be free from sorrow
There's where we'll meet and we'll never part no more
That is where we will meet and never have to separate again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James A Bland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind