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
I
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I done take very best girl of mine, yeah
Gonna straighten up, baby, stop that cheatin' and lyin'
The way you lied about me, you lied about Louise too, (oh no, oh no) yeah
You lied about me, you lied abut Louise too (oh no, oh no)
You got me feeling so bad, I don't what to do
Baby, baby, hold you by my side
'Cause I love you, I love you
'Cause I love you, I love you
'Cause I love you, 'cause I love you
'Cause I love you, yes, I love you
'Cause I love you and I'll never let you go
Come on, come on, baby, come home, baby, come on now
Oh, oh, baby, come home, baby, come on now
Oh yeha, oh yeah, come on go home
Let me tell you, well, I'm hurtin', well, I'm hurtin' deep down inside
Baby, baby, want you by my side
'Cause I love you, I love you
'Cause I love you, I love you
'Cause I love you, 'cause I love you
'Cause I love you, yes, I love you
'Cause I love you and I'll never let you go
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
The lyrics of Rufus Thomas's song "Cause I Love You" depict a man in a relationship that is rocky due to his partner's infidelity. The first few lines indicate that he has already taken his "very best girl" and he plans to make things right by eliminating her cheating and lying. He proceeds to tell her that she has lied about him and Louise, making him feel bad, but he still wants her by his side because he loves her. He sings this repeatedly, emphasizing the strength of his love and how he will never let her go.
The chorus refrain of "everything'll be alright" is a message of hope and reassurance, despite the difficult situation they are in. The man is in pain, but he is willing to work through it because of his love for his partner. The use of repetition in the chorus, along with the upbeat and catchy melody, creates a sense of positivity, despite the difficult topic of the song.
Overall, "Cause I Love You" is a song about the complexities of love and the challenges that arise in relationships. Despite the hardships, Rufus Thomas's lyrics reveal a deep commitment to the person he loves and a desire to make things right.
Line by Line Meaning
I done take very best girl of mine, yeah
I took my very best girl and she is with me now
Gonna straighten up, baby, stop that cheatin' and lyin'
I want you to change your dirty ways and stop lying and cheating
The way you lied about me, you lied about Louise too, (oh no, oh no) yeah
You not only lied about me but also about Louise, I can't believe it
You got me feeling so bad, I don't what to do
Your actions have hurt me and I don't know how to deal with it
Let me tell you, hurtin' lay deep down inside
I am deeply hurt and it pains me inside
Baby, baby, hold you by my side
I want to hold you close to me
'Cause I love you, I love you
The reason for all this fuss is because I love you so much
'Cause I love you, 'cause I love you
The reason I'm willing to forgive you is because I love you
Yes, I love you
I love you dearly
and I'll never let you go
I will never allow us to be separated
Come on, come on, baby, come home, baby, come on now
Please come home, I miss you so much
Oh, oh, baby, come home, baby, come on now
I want you to come back to me right away
Oh yeha, oh yeah, come on go home
Please hurry up and come back home
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Don't worry, everything will be okay
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Just have faith, everything will be fine
Hey, hey, everything'll be alright
Trust me, everything will turn out okay
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUFUS THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Siboney Peltier
Walking the Dog
Rufus Thomas
EXPLICIT
Baby's back dressed in black
Silver buttons all down her back
High ho tipsy toe
She broke the needle now she can't sew
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
Well if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog.
Mary Mary quite contrary
How does your garden grow
Silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
Well if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog.
(Sax Solo)
Hey diddle diddle
The cats got the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
He jumped so high touched the sky
Didn't come back till the fourth of July.
Walking the dog
Just a-walking the dog
Well if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog.
Written by: Rufus Thomas
Album: Rufus Live!
Released: 1998
Lyrics provided by Musixmatch
qué qué
Baby's back, dressed in black,
Silver buttons all down her back
High, low, tipsy toe,
She broke a needle and she can't sew
Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll show you how to walk te dog
Asked a fellow for fifteen cents,
See the fellow he jumped the fence
Jumped so high he touched the sky,
Never got back till the fourth of July
Walkin' the dog,
Just walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it,
I'll show you how to walk the dog
Come on now, come on, come on
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
Tell me, how does your garden grow?
You got silver bells and you got cockleshells
Pretty maids all in a row
Walking the dog
Just a walkin' the dog
If you don't know how to do it
Show you how to walk the dog
Come on now, come on, come on
Oh oh, just a, just a, just a walkin'
Just a, just a, just a walkin'
Just a, just a, just a walkin'
Oh yeah, if you don't know how to do it
I'll show you how to walk the dog, oh
Just a, just a, just a, just a, just a, just a walkin'
Just a, just a, just a, just a, just a, just a walkin', oh
Edmund Hudson
It's amazing that Rufus was over 50 years old when he had some of his biggest hits. Never give up doing what you love!
rachel r
Wow never knew that cool and That went straight to my ❤️ about it never being to late.!🎧❤️🎧
Chames XXL
This is why I'm a fan.
By Ellis Johnson
Me too!
Mr Maxxx
RUFUS Thomas had some of the funkiest and funniest songs and they are still slamming
Bruce Fulper
Infectious groove. So very very good. RIP Rufus. You were one cool cat.
Amber Humphreys
Love this ! When it first came out I was 20 and I danced to it, a lot in Soho London ! Still sounds just as good today. What a great artist.
Aline Zotti
I'm an Italian Portuguese, 27 years old and listening trying to imagine this scene inside Soho. Very good!!! Lovely sound.
Stephen Brooks
Was that you in The Flamingo? We danced together.
Jeffrey Barkin
Heard this while I was REALLY Young, and every Time that I walked my Dog I would try to remember the words...
Did a Mash-Up many years later, as I remembered THIS COOL Tune, and the Band played the Real Deal beautifully, but it was "Very Funky" as I couldn't remember the REAL Lyrics!
LOVE This Tune!!!
❤ 😂