Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)

Subject: Lyr Add: JEAN AND DINAH (Mighty Sparrow)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 17 Apr 11 - 06:39 PM

No one has added these yet, so I think I might add them in. Give corrections if necessary:

JEAN AND DINAH
Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) 1956

1. Well, the girls in town feeling bad,
No more Yankees in Trinidad.
They goin' to close down the base for good,
Them girls have to make out how they could.
Brother, it is now they park up in town,
In for a penny, and in for a pound,
Believe me it's competition for so,
Trouble in the town when the price drop low.

CHORUS: So when you bounce up Jean and Dinah, Rosita and Clementina,
Round the corner posin', bet your life it's somethin' they sellin',
And when you catch 'em broken, you can get 'em all for nothin',
Don't make no row, the Yankees gone and Sparrow take over now.

2. Things bad is to hear them cry,
Not a sailor in town, the nightclubs dry,
Only West Indians like me or you,
Go in to get a drink or two.
And as we have things back in control
Ah seekin' revenge with me heart and soul,
Brother when ah spread the news around
Is to see how them cavemen come in to town.

(Chorus)

3. When the Yankee was in full swing,
Just imagine how I was suffering,
Mavis tell me straight to me face,
She find I too fast and out of place.
No, no, no, they will start to fret,
Money or not poor Sparrow can't get,
With the Yankees they have it cool,
Calypsonians too hard to fool.

(Chorus)

4. It's the glamour boys again,
We are going to rule in Port-of-Spain,
No more Yankees to spoil the fete,
Dorothy has to take what she get,
All of them who used to make style,
They makin' two shilling for a smile,
No more hotel to rest your head,
By the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat bread.
(Chorus)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 06 May 11 - 07:51 PM

So, no corrections?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 08 May 11 - 02:07 PM

I found a live version at YouTube which omits your verse 3.

There's also this "medley" version.

For amusement you can also listen to Robert Mitchum's version which is cleaned up a bit. He makes no reference to the girls "sellin'" or taking money.

I would suggest this change:

Verse 4 line 6:
They takin' two shilling with a smile,

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 08 May 11 - 04:17 PM

Edit: "Takin' two shilling for a smile". thanks Jim.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 08 May 11 - 04:23 PM

Sorry, that should be "with a smile." thanks, Jim.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: MorwenEdhelwen1
Date: 08 May 11 - 04:48 PM

And interesting about the Mitchum version- "round the dance floor posin' bet your life it's somethin' they cookin'. and in the third verse he sings "Dinah tell me straight to me face, she find me too fast and out of place." Might that be an attempt to closely link the persona with the two women?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: GUEST,Doug Gifford
Date: 06 May 15 - 07:52 PM

I think the last line should be: "No more hotel to rest your head, By the sweat of thy brow thou shall be bred."

My recording -- might be the original 78, is as follows:

Jean & Dinah
Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) 1956

Well, the girls in town feeling bad, no more Yankees in Trinidad.
They goin' to close down the base for good, Them girls have to make out how they could.
Brother, it is now they park up in town, In for a penny, and in for a pound,
Believe me it's competition for so, Trouble in the town when the price drop low.

   Chorus
   (So when you bounce up) Jean and Dinah, Rosita and Clementina,
   Round the corner posin', bet your life it's somethin' they sellin',
   And when you catch 'em broke, you can get 'em all for nothin',
   Don't make no row, the Yankee gone and Sparrow take over now.

Things bad is to hear them cry, not a sailor in town, the nightclubs dry,
Only West Indians like me or you, go in to get a drink or two.
And as we have things back in control ah seekin' revenge with me heart and soul,
Brother when ah spread the news around is to see how them cavemen come in to town
(Just to meet Miss) Jean and Dinah… chorus

It's the glamour boys again, we are going to rule Port-of-Spain,
No more Yankees to spoil the fete, Dorothy has to take what she get,
All of them who used to make style, they makin' two shilling for a smile,
No more hotel to rest your head, by the sweat of thy brow thou shall be bred.
(Mama youse) Jean and Dinah… chorus

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 07 May 15 - 09:58 PM

Genesis 3:19 (KJV): "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread...."

(This is where God curses Adam for having eaten the forbidden fruit.)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Jean and Dinah (Mighty Sparrow)
From: Gda Music
Date: 08 May 15 - 05:58 PM

There have been quite a number of recorded versions of Sparrow`s 1956 calypso *Jean and Dinah*. The fact that these recordings, manufactured at different periods of time, might all sound to be the same record. A closer listen however would reveal that Sparrow might have altered or added maybe just one odd word or exclamation to some of his lyric lines. Also some tracks are shown to include an extra verse.

http://www.grenadamusic.demon.co.uk/page12.html

The above page link shows details of 6 *Jean and Dinah* (Yankees Gone) recorded tracks, 4 of which appear to be different versions plus 2 ICE CDs copied from the 60/3* track.

GJ