After college, Mahal moved to Los Angeles and formed the group Rising Sons with Ry Cooder in 1964. The group signed with Columbia Records and released one single and recorded another album which was not released by Columbia until 1992. Taj, frustrated with the mixed reaction to his music quit the group and went solo. Still with Columbia, he released a well received, self titled album in 1968, and based on its success released a second album, Natch'l Blues that same year. Two very different records - Giant Step, with his electric band, and solo De Ole Folks at Home - were released in 1969 together as a double album. This firmly established Taj as an American blues original. The double album The Real Thing, captured him live at this time, with a horn section.
He has received two Grammy awards in the category "Best Contemporary Blues Album", the first in 1997 for Señor Blues, and again in 2000 for Shoutin' in Key. He has performed on various film soundtracks including Sounder and Blues Brothers 2000, in which he also appeared.
Rockin' Robin
Taj Mahal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight
Every little swallow, every chickadee
Every little bird in the tall oak tree
The wise old owl, the big black crow
Flapping them wings sayin' go bird go
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight
A wordy little raven at the bird's first dance
Taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
He started goin' steady and bless my soul
He out popped the buzzard and the oriole
He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight
In the song Rockin' Robin by Taj Mahal, the lyrics tell a story of a robin bird that rocks and sings on treetops all day long. The little birds on J-Bird Street love to hear him sing his tune. The song describes how every little bird, including every swallow and chickadee, in the forest loves to watch and hear this robin rock and sing. Even the wise old owl and the big black crow become inspired by the Robin's rocking, flapping their wings, and saying 'go bird go.' The Robin's popularity grows so much that he even steals the show from the buzzard and the oriole, which is a major feat.
The verse about the wordy little raven who taught the Robin how to do the bop at the bird's first dance portrays the idea of passing down a skill to someone who then excels at it. Taj Mahal's version of the Rockin' Robin song is an upbeat and catchy tune that has delighted listeners for decades. The repeated chorus of "Rockin' robin, tweet tweet tweet" is sung in harmony, with call and response vocals, and captures the cheerfulness of the story.
Line by Line Meaning
He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
The robin spends his entire day perched on the top of a tree.
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
The robin hops, bops and sings joyfully.
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
The other little birds living on J-Bird St. have noticed and are aware of the robin's presence.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
The other little birds enjoy the sound of the robin's tweet tweet tweet.
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
The robin is known as 'Rockin' robin' because of the melodious tweet tweet tweet sound he makes.
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight
The other birds are anticipating a great performance from the robin tonight.
Every little swallow, every chickadee
All the birds, including swallows and chickadees, are aware of the Robin's singing prowess.
Every little bird in the tall oak tree
All of the other birds residing in the oak tree also know about the rockin' robin.
The wise old owl, the big black crow
Birds of all kinds, including owls and crows, know about the rockin' robin.
Flapping them wings sayin' go bird go
These other birds are cheering the robin on, by flapping their wings and motivating him to sing better and louder.
A wordy little raven at the bird's first dance
A verbose raven attending the Robin's first dance, most likely taught him a new dance style.
Taught him how to do the bop and it was grand
The Raven taught the robin to 'bop', or dance, and the robin was really good.
He started goin' steady and bless my soul
The robin found a romantic partner and started a steady relationship.
He out popped the buzzard and the oriole
Despite being small, the robin outperformed and outshined other birds like the buzzard and the oriole.
Contributed by Josiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.