He was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Harris traveled as a singer and dancer with the Lucky Millinder Big Band in his youth. His first big solo hit was in 1944 with his record "Who Threw The Whiskey in the Well". He was a dynamic live performer who brought a lot of attention to the emerging styles of rhythm and blues.
Harris made a major contribution to the birth of rock and roll when he covered "Good Rocking Tonight", written and originally recorded by Roy Brown. Brown's version was a jump blues with a jazz rhythm section. Harris's cover version was much more frantic and played with a much stronger back beat. In effect, Harris, a black artist, had done what many white artists were to do later. He had turned blues into rock and roll and made one of the first rock and roll records. The song was later covered by Elvis Presley.
Harris recorded for many labels and in 1947, had a hit on Aladdin Records with "Wynonie's Blues", featuring Illinois Jacquet on tenor sax. His greatest success came at King Records where he was the leading male solo artist. "All She Wants to Do is Rock" went to Number One on the R&B charts. Many of his songs were novelty numbers, like "(Don't Roll Those) Bloodshot Eyes (at Me)", "Good Morning, Judge", and "I Love my Baby's Pudding", and his last hit, "Loving Machine".
Harris' severe alcoholism resulted in his career going into a tailspin in the mid-1950s. While other blues shouters of his generation such as Big Joe Turner were able to maintain their popularity despite changing styles, and Presley's cover versions brought his songs to a whole new audience, Harris fell into obscurity. He recorded little after 1956 and nothing after 1960. Harris' last public appearance was as a guest performer at a Motortown Revue concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California in 1966, which was universally considered to be a disaster (according to author Nick Tosches' article on Harris in Creem magazine, collected in Tosches' Unsung Heroes of Rock and Roll). Harris died of throat cancer on June 14, 1969.
Keep On Churnin'
Wynonie Harris Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep on churnin′ 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
Little boy blue come blow your horn
Cows in the meadow and sheeps in the corn
Take the sheep, leave ′em be
Keep on churnin′ 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin′ 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin′ make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
Keep on churnin' ′til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin′ make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
How now brown cow keep on eatin′ your hay
Go in your shed be sure you're fed
Go in your shed be sure you′re fed
Daddy needs butter for his shortnin' bread
Keep on churnin′ 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin′ 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
The lyrics of Wynonie Harris's song "Keep On Churnin'" are a playful ode to the process of churning butter. The repetition of the refrain "Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes" emphasizes the importance of persistence and hard work, which are necessary in both churning butter and in life. The instructions to "keep on pumpin'" and to "wipe off the paddle and churn some more" illustrate the dedication required to create a desired outcome.
The second verse, which references the nursery rhyme "Little Boy Blue," indicates that the song is meant to be lighthearted and fun. The image of cows in the meadow and sheep in the corn create a pastoral, idyllic setting that adds to the playful tone. The line "Bring the finest brown cow straight to me" emphasizes the value of quality ingredients in butter-making, and the importance of choosing the best resources possible in any endeavor.
The final verse brings the focus back to the purpose of the butter-churning: to provide butter for Daddy's shortnin' bread. This line highlights the importance of hard work and dedication to providing for one's family, while also harkening back to a simpler time when home-made goods were a regular part of daily life.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep on churnin′ 'til the butter comes
Continue cranking the butter churn until the butter is produced
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Keep operating the churn so that the cream inside starts to turn into butter
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
Remove any excess cream from the paddle and keep churning for more butter
Little boy blue come blow your horn
An invitation for someone to come help with the process of making butter
Cows in the meadow and sheeps in the corn
A description of the farm and its animals
Take the sheep, leave ′em be
Don't disturb the sheep and leave them alone
Bring the finest brown cow striaght to me
Bring the best cow for producing cream that will make the best butter
How now brown cow keep on eatin′ your hay
Encouraging the cow to keep eating its food and producing milk for cream
Go in your shed be sure you're fed
Go inside the shed where you keep food for the cow to ensure that it is well-fed
Daddy needs butter for his shortnin' bread
The reason for making butter is to use it in a recipe for shortening bread
Writer(s): Glover, Mann, Hairston
Contributed by Callie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cheesegaming5810
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
Little boy blue come blow your horn
Cows in the meadow and sheeps in the corn
Take the sheep, leave her be
Bring the finest brown cow striaght to me
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
How now brown cow keep on eatin' your hay
Go in your shed be sure you're fed
Go in your shed be sure you're fed
Daddy needs butter for his shortnin' bread
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
Instrumental Break]
Ooh now moo cow keep on swishin' your tail
Don't kick over the pail
First comes the milk, then comes the cream
Takes good butter to make your daddy scream
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin' make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more
I wanted some butter one day
Fine brown cow came my way
We kept on pumpin'
Butter came jumpin'
I'll milk you cow
Till my pail is full
Look out hereford
Here comes your bull
@crankystinkleton4284
No autotune, no twerking, no dirty words, just a wholesome song about producing dairy goods.
@Swede-js9jq
🤣😂
@Jimdixon1953
Wynonie Harris never understood why the American Dairy Farmers Association never wanted to use this song in their publicity campaigns.
@fourpreps
The saxophone solo by itself was banned in 29 states.
@shaunadamson4634
After listening to this song I need a cigarette.
@strychnine49
😂😂😂
@TEXASFENDERBENDER
This should be in the Smithsonian. A fine ode to the merits of the noble American Dairy farmer.
@Etrigan2112
I'm starting to think this song isn't actually about butter...
@petercooper2665
Etrigan2112 There were quite a lot of R&B songs from the era that were double entendres, lyrically - I grew up listening to them. Good fun!
@Etrigan2112
Peter Cooper Pfft, next thing I know you'll be telling me that Chuck Berry's My Ding-a-Ling is a double entendre, or that Springsteen's Pink Cadillac isn't actually about a car. :p