The song was was one of the first credited collaborations by the acclaimed musical team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the men writing it back in 1952. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Harrison sang "Kansas City" for the Harlem based entrepreneur Bobby Robinson, and he recorded additional singles for the Fire and Fury record labels, which were owned and operated by Robinson.
After this spike of widespread success, Harrison continued to perform and record, exciting his many fans. However, it would be another ten years before he again cracked the Billboard Top 40 when he released "Let's Work Together (Part 1)", a track that went to #32 in early 1970 on the Billboard Hot 100. The 1970 hit version was distributed as a single through Sue Records (Sue 11) and was backed with "Let's Work Together (Part 2)". The full version of the tune, a five minute and ninteen second song that was included on the Sue Records album SSLP-8801, was simply called "Let's Work Together". An earlier version of the full song by Harrison came out in 1962 as "Let's Stick Together" (on Fury 1059 and Fury 1063).
A sign of Harrison's strong influence on soul music, cover versions of his song would be later be hits for both the American rock band Canned Heat and the British singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry. It was also recorded by country rock group The Kentucky Headhunters for the soundtrack to the Mickey Rourke film 'Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'. Harrison had some additional success with "My Heart Is Yours", and his non-charting singles continued to be beloved among many American rnb fans. He toured for many years with a band known as 'Wilbert Harrison and The Roamers', as well as a solo act.
Harrison died of a stroke in 1994, in a Spencer, North Carolina nursing home at the age of 65. In 2001, his recording of "Kansas City" was given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, and has also been named as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Harrison was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
Goodbye Kansas City
Wilbert Harrison Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got some crazy lil' women there
And I'm gonna get me one
I'm gonna be standing on the corner
Of Twelfth Street and Vine
I'm gonna be standing on the corner
With my Kansas City baby
And a bottle of Kansas City wine
Well I might take a train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I'm going just the same
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got some crazy lil' women there
And I'm gonna get me one
Oh but you know, yeah
Now if I stay with that woman, I know I'm gonna die
Gotta find a brand new baby
That's the reason why
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
They got some crazy lil' women there and I'm gonna get me one
They got crazy lil' women there and I'm gonna get me one
They got some crazy lil' women there and I'm gonna get me one
The song "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison is a rock and roll classic that describes the singer’s desire to travel to Kansas City, where he can find crazy women and a new love interest. The lyrics speak of the excitement and thrill of going to a new place, even if it means walking there. The song's verses repeat themselves, reinforcing the idea that the singer is determined to travel to Kansas City and find a new woman. He wants a fresh start, as he believes staying with his current partner would lead to his demise.
The chorus of the song reveals the singer's eagerness to arrive in Kansas City, as he plans to stand on the corner of Twelfth Street and Vine, drinking Kansas City wine with his new partner. He shows confidence and determination that he will find the perfect woman for him. He wants to move on, break away, and find new love.
Overall, the song "Kansas City" conveys the thrill of adventure, excitement, and the desire for a fresh start, highlighting how moving to a new city and starting afresh can be exhilarating.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
I am excited to go to Kansas City and I can't wait to get there.
They got some crazy lil' women there
And I'm gonna get me one
Kansas City has some unique and interesting women and I intend to find someone special.
I'm gonna be standing on the corner
Of Twelfth Street and Vine
With my Kansas City baby
And a bottle of Kansas City wine
I plan to hang out on the famous Twelfth Street and Vine corner with my special someone, and we'll share a bottle of wine unique to Kansas City.
Well I might take a train
I might take a plane, but if I have to walk
I'm going just the same
I will travel to Kansas City no matter what it takes, even if I have to walk there. I am determined to get there.
Now if I stay with that woman, I know I'm gonna die
Gotta find a brand new baby
That's the reason why
I'm going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come
If I stay with my current partner, it will be the end of me, so I need to go to Kansas City to find someone new and start fresh.
They got some crazy lil' women there
And I'm gonna get me one
They got crazy lil' women there
And I'm gonna get me one
They got some crazy lil' women there
And I'm gonna get me one
Kansas City has multiple unique women and I am determined to find the perfect one for me. I will not give up until I find her.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind