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
God Bless America
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer"
God Bless America,
Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, My home sweet home
In Rufus Thomas's song God Bless America, the lyrics depict a call to Americans to stand together and acknowledge their gratitude for the country's beauty and freedom. The first line "While the storm clouds gather far across the sea," creates an image of a distant threat, suggesting that they must stand together to protect their land. The following line, "Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free," establishes that the only way to protect their country is to put aside differences and come together as one to defend their freedom. The next line continues to highlight the beauty and prosperity of America, and the lyrics "As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer" could be interpreted as a call for unity and patriotism.
In the chorus of "God Bless America," the lyrics are emotional and invoke a sense of pride and protection towards their country. The repeated phrase "God bless America," sings of a country loved by the singer, with imagery evoking the vast landscape America has. The phrase "Stand beside her and guide her through the night with a light from above" may refer to a political unrest or metaphorically the darkness of dangers that the country is facing. The following line, "From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam," is a reflection of America's diverse landscape and emphasizes the anthem's intention of representing and honoring every corner of the country.
Line by Line Meaning
While the storm clouds gather far across the sea
Despite the threat of a distant danger lurking with the potential to harm our land
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free
Let us pledge our loyalty and devotion to a nation that provides us with freedom
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair
We must express our appreciation for a country that treats its citizens with justice and equality
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer
In a highly serious and meaningful manner, let us speak to a higher power to seek guidance and blessings
God Bless America
May God provide blessings upon our country
Land that I love
I have intense affection and admiration for this country
Stand beside her, and guide her
Please protect and support this nation, and show us the way forward
Through the night with a light from above
Help us navigate through difficult times with divine intervention and wisdom
From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam
From every corner of this land, including its diverse geographic features
God bless America, My home sweet home
May God provide blessings to this country that I hold very dear and fond to my heart
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PBC ON FOX
What are your thoughts on Tyson Fury's victory?
Olivier The MaD PaNdA
Jesse lee Patterson type of Amazing.
The Frog King
Fury was fighting Wilder, the ref and the judges and STILL won!
The ๐๐ฅ
Jessika Cardenas
payless needs to be fired
MadDog H๐ฅ
FURY is the #1 HW of the ๐
bahima
Cheater
Rovin
This dude came to america, beat up the american hero and had the whole stadium to sing along with him. What a legend.
Sean
Nicky Bobby gutted hahaha
Pomadren
America hero...hahahahahaha, good one
RandomYoutubeAccount
@Benz aponesto Wilder was the one they called an american hero.