Born Ruth Alston Weston on 30th January 1928 in Portsmouth, Virginia, she attended I. C. Norcom High School, a historically black high school. Brown's father was a dockhand who directed the local church choir, but the young Ruth showed more of an interest in singing at USO shows and nightclubs. She was inspired by Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington. In 1945, Brown ran away from her home in Portsmouth along with a trumpeter, Jimmy Brown, whom she soon married, to sing in bars and clubs. She then spent a month with Lucky Millinder's orchestra, but was fired after she brought drinks to the band for free, and was left stranded in Washington, D.C.
Blanche Calloway, Cab Calloway's sister, also a bandleader, arranged a gig for Brown at a Washington nightclub called Crystal Caverns and soon became her manager. Willis Conover, a Voice of America disc jockey, caught her act and recommended her to Atlantic Records bosses, Ahmet Ertegün and Herb Abramson. Brown was unable to audition as planned though, because of a serious car accident that resulted in a nine-month hospital stay. In 1948, however, Ertegün and Abramson drove to Washington from New York City to hear her sing in the club. Although her repertoire was mostly popular ballads, Ertegün convinced her to switch to rhythm and blues. His productions for her, however, retained her pop style, with clean, fresh arrangements and the singing spot on the beat with little of the usual blues singer's embroidery.
In her first audition, in 1949, she sang "So Long", which became a hit. This was followed by "Teardrops from My Eyes" in 1950; written by Rudy Toombs, it was the first upbeat major hit for Ruth Brown, establishing her as an important figure in R&B. Recorded for Atlantic Records in New York City in September 1950, and released in October, it was on Billboard's List of number-one R&B hits (United States) for eleven weeks. The huge hit earned her the nickname "Miss Rhythm", and within a few months Ruth Brown became the acknowledged queen of R&B.
She followed up this hit with "I'll Wait for You" (1951), "I Know" (1951), "5-10-15 Hours" (1953), "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" (1953), "Oh What a Dream" (1954), "Mambo Baby" (1954), and "Don't Deceive Me" (1960). She also became known as "Little Miss Rhythm" and "the girl with the teardrop in her voice". In all, she was on the R&B charts for 149 weeks from 1949 to 1955, with sixteen top-ten blues records including five number ones, and became Atlantic's most popular artist, earning Atlantic records the proper name of "The House that Ruth Built".
During the 1960s, Brown faded from public view to become a housewife and mother, and only returned to music in 1975 at the urging of Redd Foxx, followed by a series of comic acting gigs, including roles in the sitcom Hello, Larry and the John Waters film Hairspray as local DJ Motormouth Maybelle, as well as Broadway appearances in Amen Corner and Black and Blue, which earned her a Tony Award for her performance and a Grammy award for her album Blues on Broadway, featuring hits from the show.
Brown's fight for musicians' rights and royalties in 1987 led to the founding of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation. She was inducted as a Pioneer Award recipient in its first year, 1989. In 1993, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as "The Queen Mother of the Blues".
She has become an iconic symbol to many black women for later generations, where she is also a favourite artist and inspiration for later blues artists such as Bonnie Raitt. Brown recorded and sang along with fellow rhythm and blues performer Charles Brown, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and toured with Raitt on Raitt's tour in the late 1990s, "Road Tested". Her 1995 autobiography, Miss Rhythm, won the Gleason Award for music journalism.
Brown died in a Las Vegas-area hospital on 17th November 2006, from complications following a heart attack and stroke she suffered after surgery in October 2006. A memorial concert for her was held on 22nd January 2007 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York.
Shake a Hand
Ruth Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't ever be ashamed
Just give me a chance, yes
And I'll take care of everything
Your troubles, I'll share
Let me know and I'll be there
I'll stay close to you
Shake a hand, shake a hand
Shake a hand, shake a hand
Shake a hand, shake a hand
Lord, shake a hand if you can
Be truthful to me
And I'll be truthful to you
I'm in love with you
And I don't know what to do
So, let's call it a day
I've said all I have to say
Except don't forget to pray
Yes, and shake a hand every day
Shake a hand, shake a hand
(Shake a hand, shake a hand)
Shake a hand, shake a hand
(Shake a hand, shake a hand)
Shake a hand, shake a hand
(Shake a hand, shake a hand)
Yeah, shake a hand if you can
(Shake a hand, shake a hand)
The song Shake a Hand by Ruth Brown is about being there for someone, offering support and help during tough times. The opening lines "Just leave it to me/Don't ever be ashamed/Just give me a chance, yes/And I'll take care of everything" show the singer offering their assistance, asking the person to trust them to help with their problems. The chorus "Shake a hand, shake a hand/Shake a hand, shake a hand/Shake a hand, shake a hand/Lord, shake a hand if you can" encourages the idea of connection and reaching out to others for support.
The second verse "Be truthful to me/And I'll be truthful to you/I'm in love with you/And I don't know what to do/So, let's call it a day/I've said all I have to say/Except don't forget to pray/Yes, and shake a hand every day" is about being vulnerable and honest with someone you care about. The singer is confessing their love and seeking advice or comfort. The phrase "shake a hand every day" serves as a reminder to not only seek help but to also be there for others, to connect and support one another.
The song Shake a Hand was released in 1953 and was a hit for Ruth Brown, reaching number two on the R&B charts. It was written by Joe Morris and was originally recorded as a gospel song.
Line by Line Meaning
Just leave it to me
Have faith in me that I can handle anything that comes our way
Don't ever be ashamed
Don't feel embarrassed or self-conscious about seeking help
Just give me a chance, yes
Trust me and give me the opportunity to support you
And I'll take care of everything
I will handle all your problems and ensure your well-being
Your troubles, I'll share
Your problems are my problems and I'll be there to support you
Let me know and I'll be there
I'm always available and ready to help in any way I can
I'll stay close to you
I will be there for you through thick and thin
Anyplace and anywhere
I'm willing to travel or be with you anywhere
Shake a hand, shake a hand
Extend a hand of friendship and connection
Lord, shake a hand if you can
Even if it's tough, try reaching out to someone and building a meaningful relationship
Be truthful to me
Be honest with me about your feelings and struggles
And I'll be truthful to you
I'll be honest with you and share my own feelings and struggles
I'm in love with you
I have strong feelings of affection towards you
And I don't know what to do
I need your help and support to navigate my feelings
So, let's call it a day
We've talked enough for now, let's rest and relax
I've said all I have to say
I've expressed my thoughts and feelings on this matter
Except don't forget to pray
Remember to take a moment to reflect and connect with a higher power for guidance
Yes, and shake a hand every day
Building relationships and connections with others is important, so try to connect with someone new every day
Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David Walsh
Just fantastic...........What a tremendous performer she was.
Renato Rigon
sensacional!
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1962 {July 8th} Ruth Brown performed "Shake A Hand" on the late Dick Clark's American Bandstand... About two weeks earlier on June 23rd it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart for a two week stay, peaking at #97. Originally released by Faye Adams in 1953; reached #1 {for 10 weeks} on Billboard's R&B chart. Also covered by the Mike Pedicin Quintet {#71 in 1958} and a Jackie Wilson & Linda Hopkins duet {#42 in 1963} And on Billboard's Country chart; Red Foley took it to #6 in 1953
Theron Snell
Cannot bet Faye Adams's original
Mary Zambrana
Little Richard also covered this brilliantly.