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 Penguin
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've another dance I know you're gonna like
You can't do the penguin, unless you shuffle your feet
When you do the funky penguin, I know it's all real
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do in the United States
Way over in England
Want you to know what I'm talking about
I'm talking about funky penguin
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Listen
Shuffle to the left, shuffle to the right
Get's so good to you, baby, you can do it all night
Everybody doing it, it's all over town
You can't mess around, got to get on down
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Come on join your feet, kick off your shoes
Let it all hang out, ain't got nothing to lose
Do it with your partner, do it by yourself
You don't hurry up and get it, you're gonna get left
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Make it funky now
Do the funky penguin
Make it funky now
Did you heard me?
Did you heard me?
Did you heard me?
Did you heard me?
Want to do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Everybody doing it
Everybody doing it
Oh ho, do the funky penguin
Oh ho, do the funky penguin
Come on in
In "Do The Funky Penguin," Rufus Thomas introduces a new dance that he believes everyone will enjoy. He emphasizes that you have to shuffle your feet to do the penguin dance right, and that when you do the funky penguin, you know it's all real. Thomas encourages people in the United States and England to join in and emphasizes the importance of getting on the dance floor and getting down to the funky penguin. The lyrics include instructions on how to do the dance- shuffle to the left and right- and encourage listeners to do it with a partner or by themselves.
The song was a hit in 1971 and was one of the first songs to combine soul music with funk. Thomas's energetic, upbeat delivery and catchy beat helped to create a dance craze, and people all over were excited to learn how to do the funky penguin. The song's upbeat message and infectious rhythm have helped to make it a classic, and it continues to be played on the radio, in clubs, and at parties.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back
Greetings, friends. This is Rufus Thomas here. I have created another dance and I am sure you will enjoy it.
You can't do the penguin, unless you shuffle your feet
I will now explain how to do the penguin - you must shuffle your feet first.
When you do the funky penguin, I know it's all real
If you perform the funky penguin dance correctly, you will certainly feel it!
Do the funky penguin
Let us begin the funky penguin dance!
Do it right now
Do not delay, start now!
Do in the United States
This dance is popular in the United States of America.
Way over in England
Even across the sea in England, people are doing the funky penguin!
Want you to know what I'm talking about
I want to make sure that you understand what the funky penguin is.
I'm talking about funky penguin
Just to clarify, I am specifically referring to the funky penguin dance.
Listen
Now, pay close attention as I give more instructions for the dance.
Shuffle to the left, shuffle to the right
Move your feet left and right in a shuffling motion.
Get's so good to you, baby, you can do it all night
The funky penguin is so enjoyable that you can dance it all night long.
Everybody doing it, it's all over town
Everyone is already performing the funky penguin dance and it has become very popular.
You can't mess around, got to get on down
Don't hesitate, you need to start dancing now!
Come on join your feet, kick off your shoes
Let loose and get comfortable by taking off your shoes and joining your feet together.
Let it all hang out, ain't got nothing to lose
Relax and express yourself fully, there's nothing to hold back.
Do it with your partner, do it by yourself
You can do the funky penguin dance either alone or with a partner.
You don't hurry up and get it, you're gonna get left
If you don't start doing the dance, you'll be left behind while everyone else enjoys it.
Make it funky now
Let's add some funk to the dance by making it even groovier!
Did you heard me?
I hope you heard what I said!
Want to do the funky penguin
Do you want to join the fun and do the funky penguin dance?
Everybody doing it
As previously mentioned, everyone is already doing the funky penguin dance!
Oh ho, do the funky penguin
Now I am encouraging you to really commit and do the funky penguin dance to the fullest.
Come on in
Come on and join us, it's a good time!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JO BRIDGES, MACK RICE, RUFUS THOMAS, TOM NIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-wn9uj4hd1c
Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back
I've another dance I know you're gonna like
You can't do the penguin, unless you shuffle your feet
When you do the funky penguin, I know it's all real
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do in the United States
Way over in England
Want you to know what I'm talking about
I'm talking about funky penguin
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Listen
Shuffle to the left, shuffle to the right
Get's so good to you, baby, you can do it all night
Everybody doing it, it's all over town
You can't mess around, got to get on down
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Come on join your feet, kick off your shoes
Let it all hang out,…
@You-Toober
This brother was FUNKY!!
Thank you for the music Rufus!
@robertopezza5588
hello
@SHARPEELEKTRA
Thanks a lot for sharing this masterpiece of good old funk!!!
@craigdavis4265
R.I.P.Mister Rufus Thomas!!!🎵🎵🎵🎧🎧🎧🎤🎤🎤🙏🙏🙏💗💗💗
@kingsports1113
Rufus Thomas was the funky beat hip-hop king of sample
@johannthedog
Thanks fellow DJ, I just retired after almost 40 years on the radio. I played this on on klr, cooler 99 back in the day. I still do the dance when ever I get the chance! (and have the wind)
@markbeatts
Where your station location was at
@user-wn9uj4hd1c
Hey everybody, Mister Rufus is back
I've another dance I know you're gonna like
You can't do the penguin, unless you shuffle your feet
When you do the funky penguin, I know it's all real
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do in the United States
Way over in England
Want you to know what I'm talking about
I'm talking about funky penguin
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Listen
Shuffle to the left, shuffle to the right
Get's so good to you, baby, you can do it all night
Everybody doing it, it's all over town
You can't mess around, got to get on down
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Do the funky penguin
Do it right now
Come on join your feet, kick off your shoes
Let it all hang out,…
@snkrs7821
한국인이잇다니 !
@everythingisontheone1505
Thanks for sharing man! This is great