Born James Moore in Lobdel, Louisiana, the eldest in an orphaned family, Moore worked as a longshoreman and building worker during the late 1930s and early 1940s. One of the foremost proponents of post-war rural blues, he began performing in Baton Rouge bars under the name Harmonica Slim. He later accompanied Lightning Slim, his brother-in-law, both live and in the studio, before commencing his own recording career in 1957.
Named Slim Harpo by producer Jay Miller, the artist's solo debut coupled "I'm A King Bee" with "I Got Love If You Want It". Influenced by Jimmy Reed, he began recording for Excello and enjoyed a string of popular R&B singles which combined a drawling vocal with incisive harmonica passages. Among them were "Rainin' In My Heart" (1961), "I Love The Life I Live", "Buzzin'" (instrumental) and "Little Queen Bee" (1964). On these hits he was accompanied by understated electric backing from the regular stable of Excello musicians — including Lazy Lester, whom Harpo influenced.
The singer was known as one of the masters of the blues harmonica; the name "Slim Harpo" was a humorous takeoff on "slim harp," the popular nickname for the harmonica in blues circles.
Harpo was the point man of the 1950s Louisiana Swamp/Blues movement. Harpo, along with Lightning Slim, Lazy Lester, Lonesome Sundown, and a dozen other downhome artists recorded for A&R man J.D. Miller in Crowley, Louisiana. The records were then issued on the Excello label, based in Nashville.
Harpo's relaxed, almost lazy, performances set the tone for his subsequent work. His warm, languid voice enhanced the sexual metaphor of "I'm A King Bee", which was later recorded by the Rolling Stones. The same group also covered the pulsating "Shake Your Hips", which Harpo first issued in 1966, while the Pretty Things, the Yardbirds and Them featured versions of his songs in their early repertoires. Later, the riff from Harpo's hit "Shake Your Hips" was used in the ZZ Top hit "La Grange," and the Rolling Stones covered the song on their 1972 album, Exile On Main Street. Harpo enjoyed a notable US Top 20 pop hit in 1966 with "Baby Scratch My Back" (also a number 1 R&B hit), which revitalized his career.
Never a full-time musician, Harpo had his own trucking business during the 1960s, although he was a popular figure in the late 1960s blues revival, with appearances at several renowned venues including the Electric Circus and the Fillmore East. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack on 31 January 1970 at the age of 46, and was buried in Mulatto Bend Cemetery in Port Allen, Louisiana.
Bobby Sox Baby
Slim Harpo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just thrilled to rock n' roll
My bobby sox baby
Just thrilled to rock n' roll
Get a miserable feeling
When my baby do the stroll
She love to do the Chicken
She love to do the Chicken
She love to do the Duck
If you can't dance these
Don't you know you're outta luck?
They wanna do a tag dance
Ain't gonna let my baby go
They wanna do a tag dance
Ain't gonna let my baby go
Gotta watch my baby
When she move across the flo'
No, no, no, no
No, no
Oh, no
No, no, no, no
No-ho
Ain't gonna let my baby go
My head is spinnin'
Just like a spinnin' top
My head is spinnin'
Just like a spinnin' top
She do the Zip, she do the Zorro
She even do the Turkey Hop
In Slim Harpo's song "Bobby Sox Baby," the singer is singing about his love for his partner who is a fan of rock n' roll and loves to dance. The song is energetic and upbeat, with the singer praising his partner's dancing skills but also expressing a bit of jealousy towards those who want to dance with her. The line "get a miserable feeling when my baby do the stroll" indicates that the singer is possessive of his partner and doesn't want other people getting too close to her.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's love for his partner, calling her his "bobby sox baby" and saying that she thrills him with her love for rock n' roll. However, he also warns that if you can't dance like she can, you're "outta luck." The song also references various popular dance styles of the time, such as the Chicken, the Duck, and the Turkey Hop.
Line by Line Meaning
My bobby sox baby
I'm talking about my young girlfriend wearing bobby socks.
Just thrilled to rock n' roll
She loves to dance to rock n' roll music.
Get a miserable feeling
I feel bad when she dances with someone else.
When my baby do the stroll
I get jealous when she dances with another guy.
She love to do the Chicken
She likes to dance a popular 1950s dance called ‘The Chicken’.
She love to do the Duck
She likes to dance a popular 1950s dance called ‘The Duck’.
If you can't dance these
If you can't dance these popular dances, then you're out of luck.
Don't you know you're outta luck?
You will miss all the fun and attention if you can’t dance these popular dances.
They wanna do a tag dance
Others may want to dance with her.
Ain't gonna let my baby go
I will make sure she dances with no one else but me.
Gotta watch my baby
I have to keep an eye on her while dancing.
When she move across the flo'
I have to keep a close eye on her during her moves.
No, no, no, no
I’m strongly against anyone taking my girlfriend from me.
No, no
No way!
Oh, no
Absolutely not
No, no, no, no
I won’t let anyone get between us.
No-ho
Not at all.
Ain't gonna let my baby go
I’m going to keep her close and not let anything break us apart.
My head is spinnin'
I feel dizzy and caught up in my emotions.
Just like a spinnin'top
I’m so caught up in the moment that it feels like I’m spinning out of control.
She do the Zip, she do the Zorro
She has lots of dance moves - like ‘The Zip’ and ‘The Zorro’.
She even do the Turkey Hop
She even dances a silly dance called the Turkey Hop.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: James Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind