Early life
Sparrow was born in Grenada on July 9, 1935, but moved to Trinidad when he was one year old. He was first exposed to music through the choir in Catholic school, and became interested in calypso at 14 when he joined a steel band composed of neighborhood boys. He received his performing name during his early career:
Your calypso name is given to you by your peers, based on your style. In the old days they tried to emulate British royalty. There was Lord Kitchener, Lord Nelson, Duke. When I started singing, the bands were still using acoustic instruments and the singers would stand flat footed, making a point or accusing someone in the crowd with the pointing of a finger, but mostly they stood motionless. When I sing, I get excited and move around, much like James Brown, and this was new to them. The older singers said "Why don't you just sing instead of moving around like a little Sparrow." It was said as a joke, but the name stuck. -Mighty Sparrow [1]
Calypso Monarch
In 1956, Sparrow won Trinidad's Carnival Road March and Calypso Monarch competitions with his most famous song, "Jean and Dinah". His prize for the latter was $40, and in protest of the small sum, he wrote the song "Carnival Boycott" and attempted to organize other singers to boycott the competition. About half of the singers followed [2], and Sparrow claims credit for succeeding improvements in the conditions of calypso and steelband musicians in Trinidad, as well as the formation of the Carnival Development Committee, a musicians' assistance organization. [3] Sparrow refused to participate in the competition for the next three years, but he continued to perform unofficially, even winning another Road March title in 1958 with "P.A.Y.E."
Taking calypso abroad
Calypso music enjoyed a brief period of popularity in other parts in the world during the 1950's. Trinidadian expatriate Lord Kitchener had helped popularize calypso in England, and Sparrow also found some success there. In the United States, interest in calypso was sparked largely by Harry Belafonte's 1956 album Calypso, the first LP to sell over one million copies. [4] In January 1958, Sparrow, along with longtime rival Lord Melody, traveled to New York City seeking access to the American music audience. [5] Sparrow had already been recording with Balisier and Cook Records, and with Belafonte's help [6] he also began to record for RCA Victor. He did not achieve the success he had hoped for; he said in a 2001 interview, "When nothing happened for me, I went back to England and continued on with my career." [7]
In 1960 Sparrow returned to the Calypso Monarch competition, winning his second Kingship and third Road March title with "Ten to One Is Murder" (an autobiographical song about an incident in which Sparrow allegedly shot a man [8]) and "Mae Mae." He also began recording for his own label, National Recording. [9] He continued to enjoy great popularity in Trinidad throughout the 1960's.
Soca
As soca began to supplant calypso in popularity in Trinidad during the late 1970's and early 1980's, [10] Sparrow embraced the hybrid of soul and calypso music. In 1984 he won his eighth Road March title with the soca-influenced "Doh Back Back." Also around this time he began to spend at least half the year in New York City, finding an apartment in the heavily West Indian neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens. [11] Sparrow continues to write, perform, and tour into the 21st century; in a 2001 interview he mentioned that he had been singing and performing a "Gospel-lypso" hybrid. [12]
Lyrics
Sparrow's lyrics are famous for being witty, ironic, and ribald. He sings flirtatiously of the attractions of Hispanic women in "Magarita," and of East Indian women in "Marajhin." He tells some outrageously frank tales of sexuality in "Mae Mae," "The Lizard" and "Big Bamboo." And there is humorous commentary on West Indian culture to be found in "Obeah Wedding" and "Witch Doctor." Robert Christgau called his controversial song "Congo Man" "a wildly perverse piss-take on African roots, interracial revenge, interracial sex, male-female relations, and cannibalism" [13]; the 1965 song was also criticized for its attitudes toward women and Africans, and was banned from radio airplay until 1989. [14]
Sparrow also frequently comments on social and political issues in his songs. During his early career he was a supporter of Eric Williams and his People's National Movement (PNM), [15] which formed in 1955 and led Trinidad and Tobago to independence in 1962; songs such as "Leave The Damn Doctor Alone" and "William the Conqueror" mentioned Williams directly, while others such as "Federation" (blaming Jamaica for the breakup of the short-lived West Indies Federation), "Our Model Nation" (celebrating Trinidadian independence), and "PAYE" (supporting the PNM's pay-as-you-earn tax system) echoed PNM positions. Sparrow did express discontent in 1957's "No, Doctor, No," but it was comparatively mild, and aimed at holding PNM politicians to their promises rather than replacing them.
In more recent times Sparrow continues to incorporate social issues into his music. "Crown Heights Justice" is a plea for peace and understanding in the wake of the 1991 Crown Heights Riot in Sparrow's adopted home of New York City. The themes of peace, tolerance, and concern for the poor show up repeatedly in songs such as "Human Rights" (1981), "Capitalism Gone Mad" (1983), and "This Is Madness" (1995).
References
1. ^ j.poet (1994). Sparrow. In Hot Like Fire [CD liner notes]. London: Ice Records.
2. ^ j.poet (1994). Sparrow. In Hot Like Fire [CD liner notes]. London: Ice Records.
3. ^ http://www.mightysparrow.com/biopage.htm Biography from Sparrow's official page
4. ^ http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/b/B71.HTM MusicWeb Encyclopaedia of Popular Music
5. ^ Rohlehr, Gordon (2005). First Flight: Early Calypsos of the Mighty Sparrow. In First Flight: Early Calypsos from the Emory Cook Collection (p. 8) [CD liner notes]. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
6. ^ http://www.afiwi.com/music/interviews/sparrow2001.html Interview with the Mighty Sparrow by Ital-K 2001
7. ^ Ibid.
8. ^ Delblond, Michael (Feb. 28, 2003). "Sparrow, 'the lovable rascal'." Trinidad & Tobago's Newsday.
9. ^ j.poet (1994). Sparrow. In Hot Like Fire [CD liner notes]. London: Ice Records.
10. ^ j.poet (1994). Sparrow. In Hot Like Fire [CD liner notes]. London: Ice Records.
11. ^ Ibid.
12. ^ http://www.afiwi.com/music/interviews/sparrow2001.html Interview with the Mighty Sparrow by Ital-K 2001
13. ^ http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=941&name=Mighty+Sparrow Robert Christgau's Consumer Guide
14. ^ http://www.musicweb-international.com/encyclopaedia/s/S169.HTM MusicWeb Encyclopaedia of Popular Music
15. ^ Delblond, Michael (Feb. 28, 2003). "Sparrow, 'the lovable rascal'." Trinidad & Tobago's Newsday.
Eve
The Mighty Sparrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eve was making confusion
Since in the days of Adam
Eve was making confusion
We' have a next Eve in St. Thomas
She is a trouble maker of class
Fifty years old and this old brute
Still want to share the forbidden fruit
She so old and frustrated
Always intoxicated
Always sueing somebody
Or somebody sueing she
She so damn miserable
And disagreeable
This old witch so bad
Ah had to run back to Trinidad
Night after night she worry
If a next girl just talk to me
What is the reason I don't know
Why she getting on so
Sometime she face bright like a moon
Sometime it wrinkle up like a prune
With all of that she fussing from day to day
Eve with she face like Dorian Grey
She so old and frustrated
Always intoxicated
Always sueing somebody
Or somebody sueing she
She so damn miserable
And disagreeable
This old witch so bad
Ah had to run back to Trinidad
I come to one conclusion
Her big problem is a husband
Fifty years old and she ain't settle
Now is the time she fall in stinging nettle
So there is nothing more she can do
Than to make trouble for me and you
Poor soul accept my sympathy
May she find a man to make she happy
She so old and frustrated
Always intoxicated
Always sueing somebody
Or somebody sueing she
She so damn miserable
And disagreeable
This old witch so bad
Ah had to run back to Trinidad
She walks about the city
Owing almost everybody
And she wouldn't pay one penny
Unless is through lawyers, judge or jury
This confusing Jezebel
Will confuse the devil in hell
That is a bastard of class
And if I had a dog I won't call it Eve
Eve so old and intoxicated
Always frustrated
Always sueing somebody
Or somebody sueing she
She's so damn miserable
She's so and disagreeable
This old witch so bad
Ah had to run back to Trinidad
The song "Eve" by The Mighty Sparrow talks about a woman who is causing confusion and trouble in St. Thomas, just like Eve did in the days of Adam. Despite being fifty years old, she still wants to indulge in the forbidden fruit. Her behavior is described as frustrating, miserable, and disagreeable. She is always intoxicated and suing someone or being sued. She is jealous and irritable, worrying about any girl who talks to the singer. The lyrics suggest that her main problem is that she doesn't have a husband, and this is why she causes trouble for everyone. The singer expresses sympathy for her and hopes she finds someone to make her happy.
Line by Line Meaning
Since in the days of Adam
Ever since the time of Adam
Eve was making confusion
Eve caused chaos and confusion
We' have a next Eve in St. Thomas
There is another troublemaker like Eve in St. Thomas
She is a trouble maker of class
She is a highly skilled troublemaker
Fifty years old and this old brute
This woman is fifty years old and unpleasant
Still want to share the forbidden fruit
She still desires things that are forbidden
She so old and frustrated
She is both old and irritated
Always intoxicated
She is frequently drunk
Always sueing somebody
She is constantly suing others
Or somebody sueing she
Or someone is suing her
She so damn miserable
She is extremely unhappy
And disagreeable
And unpleasant to be around
This old witch so bad
This woman is a truly terrible person
Ah had to run back to Trinidad
I had to escape and return to Trinidad
Night after night she worry
She worries every night
If a next girl just talk to me
If another woman talks to me
What is the reason I don't know
I don't know why she acts this way
Why she getting on so
Why she is so upset
Sometime she face bright like a moon
Sometimes her face is shining like the moon
Sometime it wrinkle up like a prune
Other times her face wrinkles up like a prune
With all of that she fussing from day to day
Despite her appearance, she still complains every day
Eve with she face like Dorian Grey
Eve's face resembles that of the character Dorian Gray
I come to one conclusion
I have come to a conclusion
Her big problem is a husband
Her main issue is that she doesn't have a husband
Fifty years old and she ain't settle
She is fifty years old and still unmarried
Now is the time she fall in stinging nettle
It's time for her to face the consequences of her actions
So there is nothing more she can do
She has no other options
Than to make trouble for me and you
Except to cause problems for others
Poor soul accept my sympathy
I sympathize with her unfortunate situation
May she find a man to make she happy
I hope she finds a man to make her happy
She walks about the city
She roams around the city
Owing almost everybody
She owes money to almost everyone
And she wouldn't pay one penny
And she refuses to pay anything back
Unless is through lawyers, judge or jury
Unless compelled to do so by legal means
This confusing Jezebel
This woman is a confusing and deceptive Jezebel
Will confuse the devil in hell
She is so devious she could deceive even the devil himself
That is a bastard of class
She is a truly despicable person
And if I had a dog I won't call it Eve
She is so terrible that I wouldn't even name a dog after her
Contributed by Harper B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ivan Mendoza
Give it a year.
DEATH BY BIG MAC IG reels
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