<… Read Full Bio ↴The definitive Afroamerican gospel group in the jubilee quartet style.
Founded as the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet in Norfolk, Virginia in 1934 by A. C. “Eddie” Griffin, Robert “Peg” Ford, Henry Owens, and Bill Johnson, they began as a traditional jubilee quartet, combining the clever arrangements associated with barbershop quartets with rhythms borrowed from the blues and jazz.
The makeup of the group changed over the years, as some members were drafted during the war and new members were brought in to replace those who had retired or left to join other groups. William Langford joined the group when Griffin left in 1935 and Orlandus Wilson replaced Ford the same year. Clyde Riddick replaced Langford in 1938, Johnson left in 1948 to join “The Jubalaires” and Owens left the group later to become a preacher and solo artist. Riddick remained with the group until his retirement in 1995 and Wilson until his death in 1998.
The Gates had a broad repertoire of styles—from Owens’ mournful, understated approach in songs such as Anyhow or Hush, Somebody’s Calling My Name, to the group’s highly syncopated arrangements in Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo. Like The Mills Brothers of popular music, they would often include vocal special effects in their songs, imitating train sounds in songs such as Golden Gate Gospel Train. Langford often sang lead, using his ability to range from baritone to falsetto, while Johnson narrated in a hip syncopated style that became the hallmark for the group.
Saint-Louis Blues
The Golden Gate Quartet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hate to see that evening sun go down,
'Cause my lovin' baby done left this town.
If I feel tomorrow, like I feel today,
If I feel tomorrow, like I feel today,
I'm gonna pack my trunk and make my getaway.
She pulls my man around by her apron strings.
And if it wasn't for powder and her store-bought hair,
Oh, that man of mine wouldn't go nowhere.
I got those St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be,
Oh, my man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.
I love my man like a schoolboy loves his pie,
Like a Kentucky colonel loves his rocker and rye
I'll love my man until the day I die, Lord, Lord.
I got the St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be, Lord, Lord!
That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.
I got those St. Louis blues, I got the blues, I got the blues, I got the blues,
My man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me, Lord, Lord!
The Golden Gate Quartet's rendition of "Saint-Louis Blues" is an old blues song that captures the singer's heartbreak after their lover has left town, presumably with another woman. The singer expresses their disdain for the evening sun setting because it reminds them that their love has moved on. They declare that they will pack their trunk and leave tomorrow if they feel the same way they do today, implying that they are considering running away from their troubles.
The singer then introduces the object of their jealousy - a St. Louis woman with diamond rings who they believe is pulling their man away from them. They mention the woman's use of makeup and wigs, suggesting that she is using artificial means to lure their lover. The singer feels helpless in this situation, lamenting that their love has left them blue as can be, while their lover's heart seems as hard as a rock cast in the sea. Despite this, however, the singer professes their love for their man and vows to love them until the day they die.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate to see that evening sun go down,
It pains me to witness the setting of the sun because my lover has departed from this town.
If I feel tomorrow, like I feel today,
Should I experience tomorrow the same way I do today, I will pack up my belongings and leave.
Oh, that St. Louis woman, with her diamond rings,
This woman from St. Louis boasts expensive jewelry and has a hold on my partner, controlling him as if he were her puppet.
She pulls my man around by her apron strings.
This St. Louis woman manipulates my man and makes him do her bidding.
And if it wasn't for powder and her store-bought hair,
The only reason my man is attracted to this woman is because of her make-up and fake hair.
Oh, that man of mine wouldn't go nowhere.
If not for those superficial factors, my partner wouldn't have left me.
I got those St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be,
I am overwhelmingly sad and depressed, experiencing the St. Louis blues to their fullest extent.
Oh, my man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
My partner has an unfeeling, hard heart, as unchanging and distant as a solitary rock in the ocean.
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me.
If he was capable of love and compassion, he would never have left me in the first place.
I love my man like a schoolboy loves his pie,
My love for my partner is purely and innocently unalterable, like a young boy's adoration for his favorite dessert.
Like a Kentucky colonel loves his rocker and rye
My affection towards my partner is as strong as a Kentucky colonel's love for his favorite drink, rocker and rye.
I'll love my man until the day I die, Lord, Lord.
I will continue loving my man until my very last breath, without exception.
I got the St. Louis blues, just as blue as I can be, Lord, Lord!
I am incredibly sad, with no sign of hope, overwhelmed by the St. Louis blues.
That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea,
My lover is emotionally unavailable, insensitive and obdurate to my feelings.
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me, Lord, Lord!
Had he possessed the slightest empathy and affection, he would never have departed so cruelly.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Luana Hooft
clyde wright and luana Hooft on memories 2001 met anita witzier... zij danserses in paris Casino du Paris hij leed singer from het Golden gate qartet 1961 meet Luana her Clyde ....and a love forever is born.....Clyde still sing with a group in Paris age 87 and Luana live in Haarlem Holland and make still her oilpaintings.... they still phone eatsother weekly....
real love never die.s👄❤👍