Formed in the early 1930s in Houston, Texas, they were strongly influenced by another Texas-based quartet, the Soul Stirrers. They achieved popularity after moving to Los Angeles in 1942, where their new manager, J W Alexander, helped fashion a new style that went beyond imitating the Soul Stirrers and the Golden Gate Quartet, the other reigning quartet of the era. Like the Soul Stirrers, the Travelers traded the lead between their two best singers, Kylo Turner, a baritone with the same facility as a note-bending falsetto as R.H. Harris of the Soul Stirrers, and Keith Barber, also nicknamed "Doc" or "Crip", who changed from being a sweet-voiced tenor to a hard gospel shouter under Alexander's direction. They added Jesse Whitaker — whom Ray Charles credited as one of his models when he adapted hard gospel style to secular themes to create soul music in the 1950s — as a baritone in 1947.
Alexander also changed the Travelers' performance style from the "flat-footed" style of early quartets to the church-wrecking style of other groups of their era. The singers would punctuate their singing by jumping off stage and running up the aisles in order, in Alexander's words, "to pull the sisters out of their seats". They cemented their popularity with a series of "mother songs", which replayed the same themes of gratitude and guilt for all that mother had done to steer them toward salvation.
After a handful of a cappella songs, the Travelers began recording their material with a microphone picking up the sound of their percussive foot-tapping; Specialty's early press for the group proclaimed "Something New — Walking Rhythm Spirituals," and the unique sound quickly caught on with consumers. In 1948, the group issued six singles; after just three the following year, in 1950 Specialty released no less than ten Pilgrim Travelers sides, all of them to strong sales (particularly "Jesus Met the Woman at the Well" and "Mother Bowed"). However, at the peak of their success, Barber was involved in a 1950 auto accident which left his voice ravaged; at the same time, the emergence of the Soul Stirrers' Sam Cooke made Turner's vocal style appear increasingly outdated.
The Travelers gradually fell apart in the 1950s, however, as accidents and drinking caused both Barber and Turner to leave the group. While the group continued to tour and record, adding Lou Rawls in late 1950s, it lost its hitmaking power after leaving Specialty Records in 1956. Rawls left the group in 1960; although he returned to record another album with the group after that, it soon faded from the scene.
Straight Street
The Pilgrim Travelers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right next to a liars house
Well what a fool i was
My number (oh yes it was)
Was self righteousness
Oh dont you know
Had a very little guide amount
(i better move) so i moved
You know i moved
And 'im living on straight street now
One day i, i got troubled, all about my dwelling place
Well what a place that was
I sought the lord, (oh yes i did), lord he say to me
(oh i heard him say), and he told me to leave that place
Thats why i moved, so i moved yes i moved, i had to move
Got in a hurry, and i'm living on straight street now
Oh since i moved i've really living oh i've got peace within
I thank the lord for everything so glad i've found new friends
Before i moved over here let me tell you how it was with me
So much trouble child
Old satan (oh yes he did) had me bound (oh help me lord)
And i had no liberties.
Until i moved so i moved "yes i moved" i had to move
"got in a hurry and i'm living on straight street now
And i'm living on straight street now
"Straight Street" is a song by The Pilgrim Travelers that tells the story of the singer's journey towards righteousness and leaving his old ways behind. The lyrics describe the singer's previous residence, next to a liar's house, and how his pride led him to self-righteousness, represented by his phone number. He then had a realization that he needed to change his ways and sought the Lord's guidance. The Lord told him to leave his dwelling place, and the singer moved to Straight Street, where he found peace and new friends. The song describes the joy and contentment the singer has found since moving to Straight Street and being free from the troubles and bondage of his past.
The song's theme of spiritual awakening and redemption is reflective of the African-American gospel tradition. The lyrics emphasize the importance of leaving sinful ways behind and seeking God's guidance in finding a new path. The song has become an influential classic in the gospel genre and has been covered by artists such as Johnny Cash and Etta James.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I used to live on Broadway
I used to live in a place full of distractions and temptations.
Right next to a liar's house
I lived near someone who was deceptive and dishonest.
Well, what a fool I was
I was foolish for staying in a place that didn't align with what I believed.
My number (oh yes it was)
My identity was defined by my self-righteousness and pride.
Was self-righteousness
I had too much pride in my own abilities and didn't rely enough on God.
Oh dont you know
I had a small amount of guidance that wasn't enough to keep me on the right path.
Had a very little guide amount
I lacked the guidance I needed to live a fulfilling life.
(i better move) so i moved
I decided to make a change and moved to a new place.
Yes I moved, I had to move
Moving was necessary for me to improve my life.
You know I moved
Moving to a new place helped me find my way.
And 'im living on straight street now
I now live in a place that aligns with my values and provides me with guidance.
One day I, I got troubled, all about my dwelling place
I became upset about where I was living and realized it wasn't a good fit for me.
Well what a place that was
The place I was living was causing me a lot of trouble and stress.
I sought the Lord, (oh yes I did), Lord he say to me
I turned to God for guidance and received a message from Him.
(Oh I heard him say), and he told me to leave that place
God told me that I needed to leave the place where I was living.
That's why I moved, so I moved yes I moved, I had to move
God's message was clear, so I made the decision to move to a new place.
Got in a hurry, and I'm living on straight street now
I didn't waste any time and made the move to a better place, where I am now living on a straight and narrow path.
Oh since I moved I've really living oh I've got peace within
Since moving to a better place, my life has improved and I have found inner peace.
I thank the Lord for everything so glad I've found new friends
I am grateful to God for everything, including the new connections and friendships I have made since moving.
Before I moved over here let me tell you how it was with me
I want to share what my life was like before I moved to show how much things have improved.
So much trouble child
I was dealing with a lot of problems and difficulties in my life.
Old Satan (oh yes he did) had me bound (oh help me Lord)
I was struggling with temptation and was being held back by the negative influences in my life.
And I had no liberties
I felt trapped and unable to live the life I wanted to live because of the negative influences around me.
Until I moved so I moved "yes I moved" I had to move
Moving to a new place was the only way for me to break free from the negative influences in my life and find peace.
"Got in a hurry and I'm living on straight street now
I was determined to make a change and quickly made the move to a better place where I am now living on a straight and narrow path.
And I'm living on straight street now
I am now living in a place that aligns with my values and provides me with guidance, and I am grateful for the change I have made.
Contributed by Wyatt Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.