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

No More Doggin Around
Rufus Thomas Lyrics

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I ain't gonna be a low down dog no more
I ain't gonna be a low down dog no more
Cos I been your dog ever since I visit your door

Baby baby this is what I'm gonna do
Baby baby this is what I'm gonna do
Get out of my house cos baby this time I'm through

If you didn't love me baby why did you have to lie
If you didn't love me baby why did you have to lie
I love you baby until the day I die

I ain't gonna be a low down dog no more

I ain't gonna be a low down dog no more
Cos I been your dog ever since I visit your door

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rufus Thomas's "No More Doggin' Around" is a declaration of independence from a one-sided and toxic relationship where the singer is being treated like a dog. The repeated phrase "I ain't gonna be a low down dog no more" is a strong assertion of his determination to break free and stop being submissive in this relationship. He is proclaiming that he is tired of being mistreated and taken for granted, as he declares that he has been her dog ever since he visited her door. The chorus provides the listener with the message that he is taking back his power and will no longer tolerate being treated poorly by the person he has loved.

The second half of the lyrics begins with the singer declaring that he is leaving her and will no longer be under her control. He emphasizes his decision by repeating the phrase "Baby baby this is what I'm gonna do" and then states that he is kicking her out of his house. The singer questions why she lied about loving him when her actions suggested otherwise. The lyric "I love you baby until the day I die" shows that he still has feelings for her and is hurt by her actions.

Overall, "No More Doggin' Around" is a song filled with raw emotion and the lyrics are filled with metaphors that speak to the singer's frustration and pain from being taken for granted in a relationship. It is a song of empowerment and liberation.

No More Doggin AroundRufus Thomas Lyrics

No More Doggin Around
Rufus Thomas Lyrics