Wilbur de Paris (1900–1973) was a trombone player and band leader, especial… Read Full Bio ↴Wilbur de Paris (1900–1973) was a trombone player and band leader, especially known for mixing New Orleans jazz style with Swing.

Paris was born on the 11th January 1900. His brother, Sidney de Paris, was also a musician. The two brothers started a band in the late 1940s called New New Orleans Jazz. It featured Omer Simeon, the famed clarinettist with Jelly Roll Morton. Other legendary jazzmen who served in the band from time to time were drummers Zutty Singleton and Freddie Moore. The banjo chair was filled first by Eddie Gibbs and later by Lee Blair. Don Kirkpatrick was the piano player who played with them most often. This band became an institution in New York City during the 1950s, toured the world in the late 1950s, and recorded extensively.

Paris died on the 3rd January 1973.

St. Louis Blues
Wilbur De Paris Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hate to see that evening sun go down
I hate to see that evening sun go down
Cause my baby, he's gone left this town

Feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
If I'm feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
I'll pack my truck and make my give-a-way

St. Louis woman with her diamond ring
Pulls that man around by her, if it wasn't for her and her
That man I love would have gone nowhere, nowhere

I got the St. Louis blues, blues as I can be
That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea
Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me

I love my baby like a school boy loves his pie

Like a Kentucky colonel loves his mint 'n rye
I love my man till the day I die

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Wilbur DeParis's song St. Louis Blues tells the story of heartbreak and sorrow. The singers despairs seeing the evening sun going down, knowing that his lover has left town. With a melancholic tone, he expresses his feelings of emptiness and confusion, wondering if he will feel the same way the next day. He contemplates leaving town himself, packing his truck and "making his give-a-way". He then introduces a St. Louis woman with a diamond ring, who holds sway over her man with her charms, causing him to stay. The singer feels that if not for her, his love would still be by his side.

The chorus of the song repeatedly emphasizes the singer's "St. Louis blues" and how much he is suffering. He compares his lover's heart to "a rock cast in the sea," lamenting how far away he has gone from him. However, these futile emotional struggles don't diminish his unwavering love for his man. He compares this love to that of a school boy and his pie, and a Kentucky Colonel and his mint 'n rye. He declares that he will love his man until the day he dies. Overall, these lyrics paint a vivid picture of heartbreak, longing, and a deep commitment to love.

Line by Line Meaning

I hate to see that evening sun go down
The singer is sad to see the day come to an end

Cause my baby, he's gone left this town
The singer's partner has left and they are heartbroken

Feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
The singer expects to feel sad and lonely tomorrow, just like they do today

If I'm feelin' tomorrow like I feel today
The artist plans to leave town if they are still feeling miserable tomorrow

I'll pack my truck and make my give-a-way
The artist will leave town if they continue to feel unhappy

St. Louis woman with her diamond ring
A woman from St. Louis is described as having a diamond ring

Pulls that man around by her, if it wasn't for her and her
The woman controls the man in her life and without her he would not be successful

That man I love would have gone nowhere, nowhere
The man that the artist loves would not have achieved anything in life without the woman from St. Louis

I got the St. Louis blues, blues as I can be
The artist is very unhappy and feels the sadness that is characteristic of the St. Louis blues music genre

That man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea
The man the artist loves is emotionally distant and cold

Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me
The singer believes that the emotional distance of the man has caused him to leave her

I love my baby like a school boy loves his pie
The artist loves their partner very much, like a child loves their favorite food - pie

Like a Kentucky colonel loves his mint 'n rye
The singer's love for their partner is compared to the love a Kentucky colonel has for their favorite drink - mint and rye

I love my man till the day I die
The singer will love their partner for the rest of their life

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: W C HANDY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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