Calypso Blues
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice,
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice...
Dese yankee hot dogs
Don't treat me stomach very nice.
In Trinidad, one dollar buy
Papaya juice, banana pie,
Six coconut, one female goat,
An' plenty fish to fill de boat.
One bushel bread, one barrel wine,
An' all de town, she come to dine.
But here is bad, one dollar buy
Cup of coffee, ham on rye.
Me throat she sick from necktie,
Me feet hurt from shoes.
Me pocket full of empty,
I got Calypso blues.
Dese yankee girl give me big scare,
Is black de root, is blonde de hair.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
And pads are where de girl she ain't!
She jitterbug when she should waltz,
I even think her name is false.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
Is what you see, is what she got.
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Me heart, she feel so sad...
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
The Nat King Cole Trio's song "Calypso Blues" tells the story of a man who is reminiscing about the beauty and simplicity of his home country, Trinidad, while he sits by the ocean feeling sad. He longs for the delicious calypso cooking of a fine Trinidadian woman and the affordable prices of the island, where one dollar can buy papaya juice, banana pie, six coconuts, a female goat, and plenty of fish to fill a boat. In contrast, he finds the exorbitant prices and the unhealthy fast food of the United States, such as hot dogs, unappetizing, and unsatisfying. The man is also annoyed by the pretentiousness and artificiality of some American women, who wear fake eyelashes, paint their faces, and wear padding to enhance their figures. He misses the natural beauty and simplicity of the Trinidadian women, who are good at heart and represent themselves as they are.
The song paints a picture of the immigrant experience, where the singer has left his homeland to seek a better life in the United States but finds himself disillusioned and homesick. The lyrics also highlight the power dynamics between the colonizing and the colonized nations, where the former exploits the latter economically and culturally. However, the song shows that the singer still has hope and tries to cope with his problems through music. The calypso rhythm and the blues notes create a blend that expresses both the Caribbean and the African American experiences of oppression and resistance.
Line by Line Meaning
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
The singer expresses his sadness through an anguished wail.
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Me heart, she feel so sad...
The singer is sitting by the ocean and feeling very melancholy.
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer doesn't have enough money to go back to his home in Trinidad.
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice,
Fine calypso woman,
She cook me shrimp and rice...
The singer reminisces about a woman in Trinidad who cooked him delicious shrimp and rice.
Dese yankee hot dogs
Don't treat me stomach very nice.
The singer doesn't enjoy eating American hot dogs, as they upset his stomach.
In Trinidad, one dollar buy
Papaya juice, banana pie,
Six coconut, one female goat,
An' plenty fish to fill de boat.
In Trinidad, the singer could buy papaya juice, banana pie, six coconuts, a female goat, and lots of fish for just one dollar.
One bushel bread, one barrel wine,
An' all de town, she come to dine.
But here is bad, one dollar buy
Cup of coffee, ham on rye.
In America (where the singer is currently), one dollar only gets him a cup of coffee and a sandwich, whereas in Trinidad he could buy much more food for the same price.
Me throat she sick from necktie,
Me feet hurt from shoes.
Me pocket full of empty,
I got Calypso blues.
The singer is suffering from physical discomfort and is feeling broke and sad.
Dese yankee girl give me big scare,
Is black de root, is blonde de hair.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
And pads are where de girl she ain't!
The singer is intimidated by American women who he feels are fake and artificial - they wear hair dye, fake eyelashes, and padded undergarments.
She jitterbug when she should waltz,
I even think her name is false.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
Is what you see, is what she got.
The singer prefers calypso girls who are natural and authentic, unlike American women who don't know how to dance and have fake names and appearances.
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
The singer laments his situation with another soulful cry.
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad,
Sittin' by de ocean,
Me heart, she feel so sad...
The singer is still sitting by the ocean and feeling very sad.
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad.
The singer reiterates that he can't afford to go back to Trinidad.
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo,
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
The song ends with one final mournful cry.
Contributed by Landon W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yazan Adam
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad...
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad
Fine calypso woman
She cook me shrimp and rice
Fine calypso woman
She cook me shrimp and rice...
Dese yankee hot dogs
Don't treat me stomach very nice
In Trinidad, one dollar buy
Papaya juice, banana pie
Six coconut, one female goat
An' plenty fish to fill de boat
One bushel bread, one barrel wine
An' all de town, she come to dine
But here is bad, one dollar buy
Cup of coffee, ham on rye
Me throat she sick from necktie
Me feet hurt from shoes
Me pocket full of empty
I got Calypso blues
Dese yankee girl give me big scare
Is black de root, is blonde de hair
Her eyelash false, her face is paint
And pads are where de girl she ain't!
She jitterbug when she should waltz
I even think her name is false
But calypso girl is good a lot
Is what you see, is what she got
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad
Sittin' by de ocean
Me heart, she feel so sad...
Don't got de money
To take me back to Trinidad
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Wa-oo-oo, wa-oo-oo
Wa-oo wa-oo wa-oo wa-ay...
Weirdo Video
What brought you here?
Analê Santiago
Original ❤❤❤❤😍
Edi
Alexa :)
Juliëtte van Vliet
my sister
Sanzio Hanzō
The Blues.
& Fela Kuti
RandomGaming
I was listening to an old nat king cole album when this song played. So as usually I looked for a live version
MikeBlitzMag
One of Nat King Cole's absolute best singles. And that's saying a lot!
Ben Martin
This is fantastic! Thank you for posting it!
I came across this by tracing the origin of Louie Louie (of The Kingmen fame) "originally" by Richard Berry and The Pharoes in 1956, which was released at about the same time as Chuck Berry's Havana Moon and a cha cha track by Rene Touzet.
Chuck Berry's lyrics clearly pay homage to Cole as does Touzet's island jazz I guess I might call it, and the lineage of what is now the unmistakable sound of the long-famed, Louie Louie, covered by many famous artists over many years makes it hard to argue that this track, Calypso Blues is the what became the evolution of Louie Louie!
3am while quarantined at home during pandemic.
Daniel Brancato
I love this song/video - so simple but so good, the amazing drumming, the somber tone of Nat's voice with the Caribbean pronounciation, great lyrics, catchy tune and makes you feel for the Trinidadian
SuperChuck3
Awesome song, with incredible vocals and drum playing :P Thanks for posting