Calypso
S.Smith D.Gillespie O.Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice,
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice
Dese yankee hot dogs
Don't treat me stomach very nice.
In Trinidad, one dollar buy
Papaya juice, banana pie,
Six coconut, one female goat,
An' plenty fish to fill de boat.
One bushel bread, one barrel wine,
An' all de town, she come to dine.
But here is bad, one dollar buy
Cup of coffee, ham on rye.
Me throat she sick from necktie,
Me feet hurt from shoes.
Me pocket full of empty,
I got Calypso blues.
Dese yankee girl give me big scare,
Is black de root, is blonde de hair.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
And pads are where de girl she ain't
She jitterbug when she should waltz,
I even think her name is false.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
Is what you see, is what she got.
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Me heart, she feel so sad
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
The lyrics to S.Smith D.Gillespie O.Peterson's song Calypso describe a feeling of longing and homesickness as the singer sits by the ocean and yearns to return to Trinidad. The repeated refrain of "wa-oo-oo" and "wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay" creates a mournful tone and emphasizes the deep sadness that the singer feels. The verses describe the stark differences between life in Trinidad and life in the United States. In Trinidad, one dollar can buy an abundance of fresh produce and seafood, while in the US, one dollar buys only a cup of coffee or a sandwich. The singer also compares the exotic and flavorful cooking of the "fine calypso woman" to the bland and unsatisfying food of the US. The singer encounters a number of cultural differences, from the dance styles to the appearance of women, which create a sense of alienation and discomfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo, Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
The singer is singing a catchy calypso tune to start the song
Sittin' by de ocean Me heart, she feel so sad, Sittin' by de ocean, Me heart, she feel so sad... Don't got de money To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer is expressing his sadness at being far from his home in Trinidad and not having enough money to return
Fine calypso woman, She cook me shrimp and rice, Fine calypso woman, She cook me shrimp and rice Dese yankee hot dogs Don't treat me stomach very nice.
The singer is remembering the delicious home-cooked food of Trinidad and comparing it to the unappetizing hot dogs of America
In Trinidad, one dollar buy Papaya juice, banana pie, Six coconut, one female goat, An' plenty fish to fill de boat. One bushel bread, one barrel wine, An' all de town, she come to dine.
The singer is reminiscing about the abundance of affordable and delicious food in Trinidad, where a dollar buys a lot of different things
But here is bad, one dollar buy Cup of coffee, ham on rye. Me throat she sick from necktie, Me feet hurt from shoes. Me pocket full of empty, I got Calypso blues.
The singer is complaining about the high cost of living in America and how it is making him sick and depressed
Dese yankee girl give me big scare, Is black de root, is blonde de hair. Her eyelash false, her face is paint, And pads are where de girl she ain't
The singer is commenting on the artificial and deceptive appearance of American women, which is different from the natural beauty of Trinidadian women
She jitterbug when she should waltz, I even think her name is false. But calypso girl is good a lot, Is what you see, is what she got.
The singer is comparing the awkward and fake behavior of American women to the genuine and talented calypso dancers of Trinidad
Sittin' by de ocean Me heart, she feel so sad, Sittin' by de ocean, Me heart, she feel so sad Don't got de money To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer repeats his sadness at being far from home and not having the means to return
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo, Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo, Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay
The song ends with a repetition of the catchy calypso tune
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nat King Cole, Don George
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Minotauro_di_Chieti
Playlist:
02:07 - "And then she stopped"
07:23 - "Tin tin deo"
13:16 - Band Introduction
16:10 - "Mmm Hmm"
21:41 - "Chega de saudade" (No more blues)
32:54 - Outro
Musicians:
Trumpet - Dizzy Gillespie
Drums - Rudy Collins
Bass - Christopher White
Piano - Kenny Barron
Alto Saxophone, flute - James Moody
@dianaetalexandresigalszl4206
Astonishing and so fresh. The Quintet is absolutely magnificent. I totally and endlessly agree with all comments. This concert is a pure jewel.
Dizzy who I saw and hear in Paris with his friend James Moody thanks to my father who taught me to love this music of Jazz and like my father I do appreciate this Jazz Be Bop period which gave us so Wonderful musicians such
😍Charlie "Yardbird" Parker💓,
😍Thelonious "Sphere" Monk💗,
😍John "Dizzy" Gillespie💖,
Maximilian "Max" Roach💟 (my mentor in the art of drumming who I saw twice with Odeon Pope and Cecil Bridgewater, despite...i do not know drumming but loves that instrument which naively should i confess i thought there was no need to know to read notes...what a mistake 🙃) ,
😍Kenny Clarke💕,
😍Bud Powell💌,
😍John Coltrane💞 (who I can endlessly watch him playing on "So What" where he is closing his eyes when taking his solo on this composition made and played by Miles Davis on a film with Jimmy Cobb on drums, Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and later with the Gil Evans orchestra...Wouah what a sound, a film which introduced by someone who named the "sound of Miles" which indeed is pure beauty),
😍Elvin Jones💘 (an another mentor for me in drums who i saw as well with his Jazz Machine ) ,
and so , and so, and so , and so many other jazz musicians.
Thanks for sharing this concert of Dizzy on a year where I was born.
@gitavalimaterdey267
Amen, Random Brother! ❤
When I just read the name of that song
I didn't get the real meaning... :)
Then I heard and saw it from Dizzy:
...and theeen...
...she stopped.
😂
Dizzy Gillespie is one of the sexiest men ❤
I love his dancing and joking.
He has so much love and respect.
I feel blessed I could see this video!
Thank you, Orlando! ❤
@Grandtrunk
Fighting a very difficult cancer with a poor prognosis. Thanks for posting this incredible music that lifts me from a very dark despair! I feel good and positive when hearing such great musicians playing stupendous jazz!!
@Mrmistershesh
Good luck, Robert. Fight on.
@brunofonseca9686
I feel sorry to hear that Robert. Wish you all the best and strength to keep with your journey.
@SDLYUNSDLYUN
You Will be fine! Keep strong!
@robertyoung6278
Sorry to hear that there's always hope 1992 my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer 6 months to live ,she died in 2007 ,weed save her cuz it gave her an appetite where the meds would've killed her years before keep fighting.
@fouadmaghamez7101
hope you feel better today
@Gadzooki
I met Dizzy once at a conference and I said I loved his music. He responded, "at least someone does!" He was so kind and funny. May he play on always.
@jamesrobert4106
The man exudes class. 👌
@ifsowhynot
Unrelated to anything (aside from famous trumpet players), as a teenager I was notified that I would be able to chit-chat with Chuck Mangione after a show. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing and I didn't exactly have any Chuck Mangione merch just sitting around, so I grabbed the CD booklet of "Kind of Blue" and set off for the concert.
When the moment arrived, I presented the booklet to Chuck Mangione to sign. He looked it over, looked at me, looked at the booklet again, paused and said: "Well, I don't suppose Miles'll mind." And he signed it.
@zackpumpkinhead8882
Hey, at least SOMEONE likes it
If my music finds one person, and he likes it, I made good music.