Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens
| "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five | |
| B-side | "Let the Good Times Roll" |
| Released | 1946 |
| Recorded | June 26, 1946[1] |
| Genre | Jump blues |
| Length | 3:02 |
| Label | Decca |
| Songwriter(s) | Joan Whitney Kramer, Alex Kramer |
"Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" is a jump blues song, written by Alex Kramer and Joan Whitney.[1] Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five recorded the song on June 26, 1946 and Decca Records released it on a 78 rpm record.[1]
The single debuted on Billboard magazine's Rhythm and Blues Records Chart on December 14, 1946.[2] It reached number one and remained at the top position for seventeen weeks, longer than any other Jordan single.[2] It also reached number six on the broader Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[2] The B-side, "Let the Good Times Roll," peaked at number two on the R&B chart.[2]
Jordan's hit song popularized the expression "Nobody here but us chickens", but the phrase is older.[3] Its first known appearance was a joke published as a reader-submitted anecdote in Everybody's Magazine in 1908 regarding a chicken thief, formulated as, "'Deed, sah, dey ain't nobody hyah 'ceptin' us chickens."[4] From there, it was picked up by newspapers and reprinted far and wide.
References
- ^ a b c
Dexter Jr., Dave (1975). The Best of Louis Jordan (Album notes). Louis Jordan. Universal City, California: MCA Records. p. 5. MCAD-4079 (CD reissue).
{{cite AV media notes}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ a b c d
Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. pp. 229–230. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - ^ Quinion, Michael (March 15, 2014). "Wordface". World Wide Words. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
- ^ "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree". Everybody's Magazine. Vol. 19. July 1908. p. 717.