Rufus Thomas (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was a rhythm and blues an… Read Full Bio ↴Rufus Thomas (March 26, 1917 – December 15, 2001) was a rhythm and blues and soul singer from Memphis, Tennessee, United States, who recorded on Sun Records in the 1950s and on Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s. He was the father of soul singer Carla Thomas (best known for the classic song "B-A-B-Y") and keyboard player Marvell Thomas. A third daughter, Vaneese, a former French teacher, for years had a recording studio in upstate New York where she sang for television commercials.

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'm so Worried
Rufus Thomas Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well I'm so worried
That I don't know what to do
Yes I'm so worried
That I don't know what to do
I'm slowly going crazy
And it's all honey down to you

My head is going round

And my heart is full of pain
My head is going round
And my heart is full of pain
You don't care what I do
My days remain the same

It's an awful shame
It's an awful shame

To be in love with a married woman
When she's in love with another married man

Overall Meaning

In Rufus Thomas's song "I Feel so Worried," the lyrics express the overwhelming sense of worry and anxiety that the singer is experiencing. The repetition of "I'm so worried that I don't know what to do" emphasizes the intensity of their distress. The verses convey a feeling of anguish and confusion, describing the singer's descent into madness and the impact it has on their emotional state.

The line "My head is going round, and my heart is full of pain" reflects the physical and emotional turmoil the singer is experiencing. The repetition emphasizes the intensity of these feelings, highlighting the overwhelming nature of their worry. The lyrics also suggest that the source of this worry is a romantic relationship with a married woman who is in love with another married man, adding an element of forbidden love and internal conflict.

Line by Line Meaning

Well I'm so worried
I am extremely anxious and troubled

That I don't know what to do
I am unsure of how to handle this situation

Yes I'm so worried
Indeed, I am deeply concerned

That I don't know what to do
I am at a loss for what actions to take

I'm slowly going crazy
My mental state is deteriorating gradually

And it's all honey down to you
The cause of my decline is directly attributed to you

My head is going round
I feel disoriented and confused

And my heart is full of pain
I am experiencing great emotional distress

My head is going round
I feel disoriented and confused

And my heart is full of pain
I am experiencing great emotional distress

You don't care what I do
You are indifferent to my actions