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
Walking In The Rain
Rufus Thomas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes I'm walking in the rain
Well I'm walking and walking
Well I'm walking in the rain
Because my baby's gone
And she is gone with another man
Well it rained down rain
Washed my blues away
Oh it rained
Washed my blues away
Well my baby's gone
And I don't have a thing to say
Well I gave her all my loving
Now my hearts in misery
Oh I gave her all my loving
Now my hearts in misery
Well I gave all my money
Yet she walked away from me
The lyrics to Rufus Thomas's song "Walkin' in the Rain" are a reflection of the sadness and heartbreak that the singer is feeling. He is walking in the rain because his lover has left him for another man. The repetition of the lines "Well I'm walking and walking" emphasizes the loneliness and desperation he is feeling as he tries to process the pain of his broken heart. The rain is used as a metaphor to represent the cleansing and relief he feels as he tries to wash away his blues. Despite this, he is still tormented by the loss of his love and the fact that they left him with nothing to say.
The second verse reiterates the pain he is feeling, with a sense of hopelessness as he states that he gave his lover everything, including his love and money, and yet she still left him. The heartbreak is so great that it has left him in misery, emphasizing the depth of the pain he is experiencing.
Overall, "Walkin' in the Rain" is a poignant portrayal of the devastation caused by losing someone you love. The repetition and use of metaphor effectively capture the feelings of grief and desperation in the face of such a loss.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I'm walking and walking
I am putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward
Yes I'm walking in the rain
I am walking outside while it is raining
Well I'm walking and walking
I am continuing to walk, making slow but steady progress
Well I'm walking in the rain
I am still walking outside in the rain despite it being uncomfortable
Because my baby's gone
The reason I am walking in the rain is due to my significant other no longer being in my life
And she is gone with another man
My baby left me for another man, which is why I am walking alone
Well it rained down rain
The weather is very wet and it is pouring heavy rain
Washed my blues away
The rain helped to clear my mind of my sadness and depression
Oh it rained
There is a lot of water falling from the sky
Washed my blues away
The rain provided a sense of relief for my emotional pain
Well my baby's gone
My significant other is no longer in my life
And I don't have a thing to say
I am at a loss for words about my heartbreak
Well I gave her all my loving
I provided my significant other with all of my affection
Now my hearts in misery
I feel very unhappy and full of sorrow
Oh I gave her all my loving
I loved my significant other with all that I had
Now my hearts in misery
My heart is broken and I am experiencing emotional pain
Well I gave all my money
I provided my significant other with financial support
Yet she walked away from me
In spite of everything I did for her, she left me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RUFUS THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind