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
Do The Funky Chicken
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come right on down front
I got something I want to show you
Now y'all heard of the Popcorn
Y'all heard of the Dog
You heard about all your other dances
But now there's a brand new dance
That's going around
I'm talking about the funky chicken, y'all ready?
You raise the left arm up
And your right arm too
Let me tell you just what to do
Start both of 'em to flapping
You start your feet to kicking
That's when you know
You doin' the funky chicken
You put both arms up across your face
You knees start wiggling all over the place
You flap your arms
And your feet start kicking
Then you know you doin' the funky chicken
Oh, I'm feeling it now
I feel so unnecessary
This is the kind
This is the kind of stuff
To make you feel like you
Want to do something nasty
Like waste some chicken gravy
On your white shirt
Right down front here we go y'all
You work both arms and you work both feet
Use a dab of gravy, you right on the beat
You flap your arms
And your feet start kicking
The you know you doin' the funky chicken
Rufus Thomas's "Do the Funky Chicken" is an upbeat and energetic song that encourages listeners to join in on a new dance craze. The lyrics are written in a way that instructs the listener on how to perform the chicken dance, a popular dance style of the era. The song opens with Thomas asking the audience to gather around as he introduces them to this new dance. He mentions that people have heard of the Popcorn, the Dog, and other popular dances, but now it's time for the funky chicken.
The instructions for the dance start with raising both arms up and flapping them, followed by kicking your feet. The chorus repeats the phrase "do the funky chicken now" several times, and the verses continue to describe the movements involved in the dance. At one point, Thomas mentions using chicken gravy to get in the mood for the dance, which adds a sense of humor to the song.
Overall, the song is meant to be a fun and lighthearted way for people to come together and celebrate music and dance. It's evident from the lyrics that Thomas has a great sense of humor, and he's not taking himself or the dance too seriously. Instead, he's encouraging listeners to let loose and have some fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Y'all come on in now
Come inside and get ready for some fun.
Come right on down front
Come closer to the stage or dance floor.
I got something I want to show you
The artist has a new dance to share with the audience.
Now y'all heard of the Popcorn
The Popcorn is a well-known dance style.
Y'all heard of the Dog
The Dog is another popular dance style.
You heard about all your other dances
There are many other dances that people already know about.
But now there's a brand new dance
The artist has created a new dance that they want to share.
That's going around
People are starting to learn and perform this new dance.
I want to show you exactly what I'm talking about
The artist wants to demonstrate the steps of the new dance.
I'm talking about the funky chicken, y'all ready?
The name of the new dance is the funky chicken, and the artist is asking if the audience is ready to learn it.
You raise the left arm up
Start the dance by lifting your left arm in the air.
And your right arm too
Next, lift your right arm up to match your left arm.
Let me tell you just what to do
The artist is going to give step-by-step instructions on how to perform the dance.
Start both of 'em to flapping
Move your arms up and down in a flapping motion.
You start your feet to kicking
Begin kicking your feet in time with the arm movements.
That's when you know
When you have both arm and foot movements going, you are doing the dance correctly.
You doin' the funky chicken
The artist confirms that you are performing the dance correctly.
You put both arms up across your face
Move your arms up to cover your face.
You knees start wiggling all over the place
Bend both knees and wiggle them back and forth.
You flap your arms
Flap your arms up and down again.
And your feet start kicking
Start kicking your feet again.
Then you know you doin' the funky chicken
Once all of these movements are combined, you are definitely doing the funky chicken dance.
Oh, I'm feeling it now
The artist is really enjoying the dance.
I feel so unnecessary
Perhaps a silly way of saying they're feeling the rhythm and the funk.
This is the kind
This is the type of dance or song.
This is the kind of stuff
This is the type of music that makes you want to dance and feel happy.
To make you feel like you
It has a way of making you feel a certain way.
Want to do something nasty
The song creates a feeling of energy and perhaps the desire to have fun in a wild or crazy way.
Like waste some chicken gravy
The phrase is referencing doing something impulsive like spilling food on yourself.
On your white shirt
The specific action is spilling chicken gravy on your clean, white shirt.
Right down front here we go y'all
The artist is encouraging the audience to keep dancing and having fun right up front.
You work both arms and you work both feet
The dance continues with both arm and foot movements.
Use a dab of gravy, you right on the beat
Referencing the earlier line about wasting chicken gravy on your shirt, this phrase is suggesting that any movement that happens in the moment is the right one.
Do the funky chicken now
The song concludes with a repetition of the title, encouraging everyone to keep dancing to the funky chicken.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUFUS THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bobschlitz5291
I was at this and am in the video dancing.
@danbent1054
oh wow!! i bet this was history to you in fact you were in history what did u had on ?
@georgeofcourse5606
dan bent He was the only white guy. Hippie at the beginning lol. This looked like a fun show to be at though, I'm envious.
@Manilow-si2bv
Bob Schlitz Damn you are lucky woodstock ,wattstax and liveaid 3 historical concerts to be remembered forever . anyone who attended these shows are lucky.
@catdaddy3302
AL Dunbar I saw Rufus all the time in Memphis. He was usually backed by Booker T., the Memphis horns and them.
@dbd1353
thought so Bob..Picked you up in a heartbeat..lol..no dis, just messing..
@tdb3039
When life was peaceful..
@Terrance-vu2jg
Tru nah deed 😅
@ceasarandrepont1243
My mother was young and wearing an Afro and then I was born in 1973!!
@NancyDenise
Me too!!!!!!!