In 1956 Tony formed his first band. In 1958, at 18, he began appearing on the BBC's Oh Boy, playing electric guitar. He was eventually offered a contract to perform at the Top Ten Club in Hamburg, Germany.
While performing in Hamburg between 1960 and 1963, Sheridan employed various backup bands. In 1961, one such band, who had met Sheridan during their first visit to Hamburg in 1960, and who worked with him on their second, was The Beatles (with their line-up at the time as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best). When German Polydor agent Bert Kaempfert saw the pairing on stage, he suggested that they make some recordings together. In 1962, after a series of singles (the first of which, "My Bonnie"/"The Saints" made it to #5 in the Hit Parade), Polydor released the album My Bonnie across Germany. The word Beatles was judged to sound too similar to the German Pidels (pronounced peedles), the plural of a slang term for penis, hence the album was credited to Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers. After The Beatles had gained fame, the album was re-released in Britain, with the credit altered to Tony Sheridan and The Beatles.
By 1967, Sheridan had become disillusioned with his Beatle-brought fame. As he was more concerned by the Vietnam War, Sheridan agreed to perform for the Allied troops. While in Vietnam however, the band that he had assembled was fired upon and one of the members was killed. Reuters reported that Sheridan himself had died. For his work entertaining the Allies, Sheridan was made an honorary Captain of the United States army.
In the early 1970s, Sheridan managed a West German radio programme of blues music, which was well-received. In 1978, the Star Club was reopened, and Sheridan performed there along with Elvis Presley's TCB Band.
On August 13, 2002, Sheridan released Vagabond, a collection largely of his own material, but also including a new cover version of "Skinny Minnie", a song he had years earlier recorded for his first album.
Jambalaya
Tony Sheridan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me gotta go, pole the pirogue down the bayou.
My yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh.
Son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou.
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
'cause tonight i'm gonna see my ma cher amio.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo,
Thibodaux, fontaineaux, the place is buzzin',
Kinfolk come to see yvonne by the dozen.
Dress in style and go hog wild, and be gayo.
Son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou.
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
'cause tonight i'm gonna see my ma cher amio.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo,
Son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou.
(oh, guitar)
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
'cause tonight i'm gonna see my ma cher amio.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo,
Son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou.
(oh, lord!
Hang tight, ooh lord!
Ah, take it out.
He's comin', ah!)
The song Jambalaya by Tony Sheridan is a festive, upbeat tune about a man named Joe who must leave his sweetheart Yvonne and go down the bayou. The song brings to life the lively scene of a party or gathering with good food, music and dancing. The chorus of "Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo, 'cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio" paints a picture of the delicious Southern Creole cuisine that would likely be served at such an event. The verse "pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo" suggests that music and drinks will be flowing and everyone is out to have a good time.
Lyrically, the song showcases a unique blend of English and French Creole influences, which is a signature component of Southern Louisiana culture, where the song takes place. The use of slang terms like "kinfolk" and "yvonne" add to the authenticity of the song's setting and contribute to its catchy, fun-loving atmosphere. Overall, the song Jambalaya is a celebration of Southern culture, cuisine, and a joyous way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye, joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh.
Farewell, Joe, I must depart, oh my.
Me gotta go, pole the pirogue down the bayou.
I must go, navigate the canoe down the river.
My yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh.
My beloved Yvonne, the sweetest of all.
Son of a gun, gonna have big fun on the bayou.
I aim to have an exciting time on the river.
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
I look forward to enjoying traditional Cajun dishes such as Jambalaya, Crawfish pie, and Fillet Gumbo.
'cause tonight i'm gonna see my ma cher amio.
Because I'm elated to be seeing my darling friend tonight.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo,
I'll play guitar, fill a jar with fruit, and rejoice.
Thibodaux, fontaineaux, the place is buzzin',
Excitement fills the air in Thibodaux and Fontaineaux.
Kinfolk come to see yvonne by the dozen.
Yvonne's dozens of relatives arrive to see her.
Dress in style and go hog wild, and be gayo.
Don your finest attire and go wild with excitement.
(oh, guitar)
The guitar plays softly in the background.
(oh, lord!
Oh, my!
Hang tight, ooh lord!
Hold on tight, oh my!
Ah, take it out.
Play it out, a bit more.
He's comin', ah!)
He arrives, oh my!
Contributed by Christian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gunaseeilan7979
Sittin' in my la, la
Waiting for my ya ya
Uh huh, uh huh
Sittin' in my la, la
Waiting for my la la
Uh huh, uh huh
It seem mighty funny
But I don't think she's comin'
Uh huh, uh huh
Hey baby hurry, now don't you make me worried
Uh huh, uh huh
I said hey baby hurry, don't make me worried
Uh huh, uh huh
Oh you know I love you
Yes I really love you
Uh huh, uh huh
Hey baby hurry, don't make me worry
Uh huh, uh huh
Hey baby hurry, don't make me worry
Uh huh, uh huh
Oh you know I love you
Yes I really love you
Uh huh, uh huh
Little bit of more young now
Sittin' in my la, la
Waiting for my ya ya
Uh huh, uh huh
Sittin' in my la, la
Waiting for my little ya ya
Uh huh, uh huh
Oh I really love you
You know I really love you
Uh huh, uh huh
Now hey baby hurry, don't make me worry
Uh huh, uh huh
Hey baby hurry, don't make me worry
Uh huh, uh huh
Oh you know I love you
Yes I really love you
Uh huh, uh huh
Oh hey baby hurry, don't make me worry
Uh huh, uh huh
Hey hey baby hurry, don't make me worry
Uh huh, uh huh
Oh you know I love you
You know I really love you
Uh huh, uh huh
Uh huh, huh huh huh
Uh huh, huh huh huh, yeah
Uh huh, huh huh huh
@donaldrocks101103
Great song!
I'm gotta comment again, I comment here months ago but I don't see the title changed!
Please Just name the title Tony Sheridan because none of The Beatles are playing here! This recording Is from Jan. 63!
Let's Dance
What'd I Say
Ruby Baby
Ya Ya
Are not The Beatles but The Beatles are In others tracks! Believe me, I wish The Beatles were In here because these are some killers tunes, I wouldn't still be listening to them If I didn't like them!
@topsyturvy1873
Tony Sheridan was a magician onstage. Legendary!
@1510Ronald
really - and without Tony Sheridan the Beatles don't exist
@narayansivananda7089
I wish, I had been an adult when this type of music AND the Beatles were in their heyday. This rocks, wow I could only imagine what it would be like in a place like the Cavern or a small stage pub hearing something with this much energy. NO autotune, NO crappy singing croaking like frogs or worse, but all fun. You can hear the fun they are having performing. I know you can find this music in some venues here and there but its work to find it. So wish I had been alive and an adult then, Music on the radio today is so lifeless and over perfected to me. Maybe it's just me. I wish they would play this on our indie stations where I live at least. Well I have youtube to get to hear it I an thankful for that!
@papercup2517
it's not just you! I know exactly what you mean. :-)
@davidgibbes5530
@PaperCup me too
@carloss3534
You're not the only one thinking this way. I am 63 and had the fortune of growing with the best of this kind of music. Lucky me!
@1510Ronald
this time was exactly in Hamburg on the Reeperbahn - without Tony Sheridan the Beatles where not be
@pauljarzemsky3256
I own the CD of this recording. The liner notes that came with it state that the band backing Tony Sheridan on this recording was Joey Dee & the Starlighters. They were from New Jersey and were the house band at the Peppermint Lounge in New York, and had a huge hit in the mid 60s called "Peppermint Twist". If you listen to it you can hear their "sound" is very similar to the instrumentation on this recording.
@rosemariebarnes175
Only on backing vocals, the band was The Beatbrothers.
@davidlamb7524
Who is playing the organ ?