Rum and Coca-Cola
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“Rum and Coca-Cola” is the title of a popular calypso. Originally composed by Lord Invader and Lionel Belasco, it was copyrighted in the United States by entertainer Morey Amsterdam and became a huge hit in 1945 for the Andrews Sisters, spending ten weeks at the top of Billboard's U.S. Pop Singles chart.[1]
Although the song was published in the United States with Amsterdam listed as the lyricist and Jeri Sullavan and Paul Baron as musical composers, the melody had been previously published as the work of Trinidadian calypso composer Lionel Belasco on a song titled “L'Année Passée,” which was in turn based on a folksong from Martinique.[2] The original lyrics to “Rum and Coca-Cola” were written by Rupert Grant, another calypso musician from Trinidad who went by the stage name of Lord Invader.[3] (The true credits for music and lyrics were restored in a plagiarism lawsuit won by attorney Louis Nizer, the account of which can be read in his book, My Life in Court.)
According to Lord Invader
"Calypso is the folklore of Trinidad, a style of poetry, telling about current events in song. Back home in the West Indies, Trinidad, where I'm from, it's a small island, I'm proud of it. I was traveling on a bus, someplace they call Point Cumana, a bathing resort, and I happened to see the G.I.s in the American social invasion in the West Indies, Trinidad. You know the girls used to get the candies and stuff like that, and they go to the canteens with the boys and so on, have fun. So I noticed since the G.I.s came over there, they really generally chase with soda, ordinary soda, but their chaser was Rum and Coke. They drink rum, and they like Coca-Cola as a chaser, so I studied that as an idea of a song, and Morey Amsterdam had the nerve to say that he composed that song back here."[4]
The song became a local hit and was at the peak of its popularity when Amsterdam visited the island in September 1943 as part of a U.S.O. tour. Although he subsequently claimed never to have heard the song during the month he spent on the island, the lyrics to his version are clearly based on the Lord Invader version, with the music and chorus being virtually identical. However, Amsterdam's version strips the song of its social commentary. The Lord Invader version laments that U.S. soldiers are debauching local women, who "saw that the Yankees treat them nice / and they give them a better price." Its final stanza describes a newlywed couple whose marriage is ruined when "the bride run away with a soldier lad / and the stupid husband went staring mad." The Amsterdam version also hints that women are prostituting themselves, preserving the Lord Invader chorus which says, "Both mother and daughter / Working for the Yankee dollar."
Since the Yankee come to Trinidad
They got the young girls all goin' mad
Young girls say they treat 'em nice
Make Trinidad like paradise
The Andrews Sisters also seem to have given little thought to the meaning of the lyrics. According to Patty Andrews, "We had a recording date, and the song was brought to us the night before the recording date. We hardly really knew it, and when we went in we had some extra time and we just threw it in, and that was the miracle of it. It was actually a faked arrangement. There was no written background, so we just kind of faked it."[5] Years later, Maxine Andrews recalled, "The rhythm was what attracted the Andrews Sisters to 'Rum and Coca-Cola'. We never thought of the lyric. The lyric was there, it was cute, but we didn't think of what it meant; but at that time, nobody else would think of it either, because we weren't as morally open as we are today and so, a lot of stuff — really, no excuses — just went over our heads."[6]
The song was the top single of 1945 in the United States.[1] Despite its popularity, it was controversial and was banned by network radio stations because it mentioned an alcoholic beverage. The fact that it mentioned a commercial product by name also meant that it could be construed as free advertising when broadcast.
After the release of the Andrews Sisters' version of "Rum and Coca-Cola", Belasco and Lord Invader sued for copyright infringement of the song's music and lyrics, respectively. In 1948, after years of litigation, both plaintiffs won their cases, with Lord Invader receiving an award of $150,000 in owed royalties. However, Morey Amsterdam was allowed to retain copyright to the song.[2] Lord Invader also wrote a follow-up song to "Rum and Coca-Cola", titled "Yankee Dollar".
Leonard Cohen sometimes quoted a line from the song in live performances of his song "Field Commander Cohen". A version is available on the live album of the same name released in 2001.
Julio Iglesias recorded a Spanish edition of this song, titled "Ron y Coca-Cola", on his album Hey!.
Wanda Jackson covered it on her 2011 album The Party Ain't Over.
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Replies
Here Lord Invader explains and performs his Rum and Coca-Cola....http://youtu.be/sD9autVt-q8
Very interesting.
This "Rum and Coco Cola" was a fine calypso in the traditional vein of social commentary.
Sparrow's 1956 hit "Yankees Gone" (Jean and Dinah") was also a similar bit of commentary on some of the negative effects of the American presence in Trinidad during and shortly after World War II.
As far as the lyrics go, Maxine Andrews said that meaning of the lyrics of "Rum and Coco Cola" went over their heads.
Well, those lyrics, and the lyrics for "Yankees Gone" also went over our heads back in the old days.
But then again, we were children then!
Greetings Glenroy,
US military bases all over the world, have had and continue to have -- incredible social, economic, psychological and cultural impact on the land and people in the countries they are placed, the effects of which resonate, and frame attitudes, for generations - long after their personnel have departed the shores of the respective nations.
Again: you cannot have a serious discussion about Pan and calypso progress, without factoring in this, as a key element.
Pan Times
You're correct.The cultural impact of the American military presence in many countries is powerful, and that is why it is resented in some countries.
Of course the impact is not all negative. I remember there was a radio station broadcast from the US Naval Base at Chaguaramus in Trinidad (call letters WVDI) and I eagerly listened to American music and dramas that were not available on the local radio stations.
As usual, Trinidad radio was slow to catch onto the Rock and Roll music revolution of the fifties, so I got my music- Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley and the Comets etc- from WVDI.
I also enjoyed radio dramas like The Lone Ranger, Gunsmoke , Superman, Fort Laramie etc. that were popular in the US at that time. As a matter of fact I remember once changing the clock in an attempt to fool my dad who wanted to listen to cricket at the same time that Gunsmoke was on WVDI.
Unfortunately I also heard stories from old timers of school girls running and hiding from groups of US servicemen, for fear of being assaulted.
Of course this was just here-say, so who knows?
Glenroy this is a lot more than hearsay.
bugs
I wasn't referring to the prostitution. Bugs, which I know was common, especially at a time of deep poverty among many in Trinidad.
I was referring to hearing about school girls running away on the sight trucks bearing American servicemen, for fear of being raped.
I never heard any official confirmation of that, so I have to classify it as here-say.
Actually, a better word would be "alleged".