After moving to New York in the early 1950s, she married Parker’s pianist, Duke Jordan, and studied with Lennie Tristano, but it was not until the early 1960s that she made her first recordings. One was under her name; the other was “The Outer View” with George Russell, which featured a famous 10-minute version of “You Are My Sunshine.”
In the mid-1960s, her work encompassed jazz liturgies sung in churches and extensive club work, but her appeal was narrow even within the confines of jazz. However, by the late 1970s, jazz audiences had begun to understand her uncompromising style a little more. As a result, her popularity increased - as did her appearances on record, which included albums with pianist Steve Kuhn, whose quartet she joined, and an album, Home, comprising a selection of Robert Creeley’s poems set to music and arranged by Steve Swallow.
A 1983 duo set with bassist Harvie Swartz, “Old Time Feeling” comprises several standards Jordan regularly features in her live repertoire, while the 1990s “Lost And Found” pays tribute to her bebop roots. Both sets display her unique musical trademarks, such as the frequent and unexpected sweeping changes of pitch, which still tend to confound an uninitiated audience. Her preference for the bass and voice set led to another remarkable collaboration with bassist Cameron Brown, who has been performing worldwide for more than ten years and has released the live albums “I’ve Grown Accustomed to the Bass” and “Celebration.” Entirely non-derivative, Jordan is one of only a tiny handful of jazz singers who fully deserve the appellation and for whom no other term will do.
Dat Dere
Sheila Jordan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey mama, hey mama, hey look at that over there!
And what's that doing there? And where're they going there?
And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
And who's that in my chair? And what's he doing there?
Mama, hey mama, can I go over there?
Hey mama, what is square? And where do we get air?
Quizzical kid, she doesn't want anything here
Just forever to manage to know who what why or where
Inquisitive child, sometimes the questions get wild
Like mommy can I have that big elephant over there?
Don't wanna comb my hair and where's my teddy bear?
And mama, hey look at the cowboy coming there
And can I have a pair of boots like that to wear?
And mama can I have that big elephant over there?
The time will march days will go
And little baby's going to grow
I gotta tell her what she needs to know
I'll help her along and she'll be strong
And she'll know right from wrong
As life's parade goes marching by
She's gonna need to know some reasons why
I don't have all the answers but I'll try to do what I can
We'll make a plan
You give the kid your best and hope she'll pass the test
And finally send her out into the world somewhere
And though she's grown up I bet I never will forget
Mummy, can I have that big elephant over there?
Hey why they do that there? And how you put that there?
Hey mummy, up here! Hey mummy, what that say up there?
Hey mummy, what is fair? How come I have to share?
And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
The song "Dat Dere" by Sheila Jordan is a whimsical and playful representation of the insatiable curiosity of a child. The lyrics depict a young child who is questioning the world around them, wanting to know everything from what certain objects are to where people are going. The child’s questions are innocent and seemingly never-ending, ranging from the mundane, such as asking why they have to comb their hair, to the extraordinary, like asking for a big elephant. The repetition of the phrase, "And mama can I have that big elephant over there?" throughout the song is reminiscent of a child’s persistence and eagerness to have something they desire.
The second half of the song shifts in tone as the singer, who is assumed to be the mother, realizes that it is her responsibility to teach her child the answers to these questions. She acknowledges that life is a parade that will continue to march on and that it is her job to prepare her child for the journey ahead. The mother wants her child to be strong, able to distinguish right from wrong, and to have a plan. She understands that she may not have all the answers, but she will do her best to help her child along the way.
Overall, "Dat Dere" presents a nostalgic and heartwarming tribute to the curiosity and innocence of childhood, concluding with a desire to be forever young at heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey mama, what's that there? And what's that doing there?
Curious kid asking questions about everything in sight.
Hey mama, hey mama, hey look at that over there! And what's that doing there? And where're they going there?
Excited child pointing out different things and asking a series of questions about them.
And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
The child persistently wants things that are beyond her reach.
And who's that in my chair? And what's he doing there?
Child questioning strangers in her space.
Mama, hey mama, can I go over there?
Request to move around and explore the surroundings.
Hey mama, what is square? And where do we get air?
Inquisitive child trying to understand basic concepts about her surroundings.
Quizzical kid, she doesn't want anything here Just forever to manage to know who what why or where Inquisitive child, sometimes the questions get wild Like mommy can I have that big elephant over there?
The child has a never-ending curiosity and constantly asks for explanations about everything.
Don't wanna comb my hair and where's my teddy bear? And mama, hey look at the cowboy coming there And can I have a pair of boots like that to wear?
Child has whims and wants, but mostly just wants to observe the world around her.
The time will march days will go And little baby's going to grow I gotta tell her what she needs to know I'll help her along and she'll be strong And she'll know right from wrong
The mother reflects on how time flies and the importance of teaching and guiding the child to be a good person.
As life's parade goes marching by She's gonna need to know some reasons why I don't have all the answers but I'll try to do what I can We'll make a plan
The mother knows she cannot answer all of the child's questions, but she will do her best to help the child understand life's mysteries as they arise.
You give the kid your best and hope she'll pass the test And finally send her out into the world somewhere And though she's grown up I bet I never will forget Mummy, can I have that big elephant over there?
The mother reflects on the bittersweet moments of watching the child grow up, and the child's continued persistence for things she cannot have.
Hey why they do that there? And how you put that there? Hey mummy, up here! Hey mummy, what that say up there? Hey mummy, what is fair? How come I have to share? And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
The child continues to ask questions and seek knowledge about every aspect of her surroundings.
And mummy can I have that big elephant over there? And mummy can I have that big elephant over there? And mummy can I have that big elephant over there?
The child persists in her desire to have the unattainable big elephant.
Contributed by Scarlett N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.