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Jerry Lee Lewis – Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

Jerry Lee Lewis - Wikipedia

About the Song

In the annals of rock and roll history, few figures stand as tall and iconic as Jerry Lee Lewis. With his untamed pompadour, flamboyant style, and ferocious piano playing, Lewis was a true original, a wild child of the music scene who embodied the untamed spirit of rock and roll. And at the heart of his legend lies one song: “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.”

Released in 1957, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” was an instant sensation, rocketing up the charts and becoming an enduring anthem of the rock and roll era. The song’s infectious energy and raw passion were unlike anything heard before, and it helped to cement Lewis’s status as a rock and roll pioneer.

A Fusion of Styles

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” was a genre-bending fusion of blues, country, and gospel, a sound that was both familiar and electrifying. Lewis’s piano playing was at the forefront, pounding out a driving rhythm that was matched by his wild, improvisational style. His vocals, too, were a key ingredient, soaring and shouting with unbridled emotion.

A Lyrical Tale of Desire

The song’s lyrics, penned by Lewis and James P. Roberts, were as raw and uninhibited as the music. They told the tale of a man overcome by desire, his body shaking with uncontrollable passion. The lyrics were suggestive and even taboo at the time, but they perfectly captured the raw energy of the rock and roll era.

A Cultural Phenomenon

“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” was more than just a hit song; it was a cultural phenomenon. The song’s raucous energy and Lewis’s flamboyant performance style helped to fuel the rock and roll rebellion, making it an anthem for a generation of young people who were breaking free from the constraints of the 1950s.

An Enduring Legacy

The song’s influence has been felt far and wide. It has been covered by countless artists, from Elvis Presley to Elton John, and it remains a staple of rock and roll radio today. “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” is more than just a song; it’s a testament to the power of rock and roll to excite, to liberate, and to change the world.

Key takeaways:

  • Jerry Lee Lewis was a true original, a wild child of the music scene who embodied the untamed spirit of rock and roll.
  • “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” was an instant sensation, rocketing up the charts and becoming an enduring anthem of the rock and roll era.
  • The song was a fusion of blues, country, and gospel, a sound that was both familiar and electrifying.
  • The lyrics were suggestive and even taboo at the time, but they perfectly captured the raw energy of the rock and roll era.
  • “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” was more than just a hit song; it was a cultural phenomenon.

Jerry Lee Lewis | Biography, Music, Songs, & Facts | Britannica

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Lyrics: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

Come along my baby, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
Yes, I said come along my baby, baby you can’t go wrong
We ain’t fakin’, while lotta shakin’ goin’ onWell, I said come along my baby, we got chicken in the barn
Woo-huh, come along my baby, really got the bull by the horn
We ain’t fakin’, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ onWell, I said shake, baby, shake
I said shake, baby, shake
I said shake it, baby, shake it
And then shake, baby, shake
Come on over, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
Oh, let’s go!Alright

Well, I said come along my baby, we got chicken in the barn
Whose barn? What barn? My barn
Come along my baby, really got the bull by the horn
We ain’t fakin’, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on

Easy now
Shake it
Ah, shake it, baby
Yeah
You can shake it one time for me
Ye-ah-ha-ah, I said come on over, baby
Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
Now, let’s get down real low one time now
Shake, baby, shake
All you gotta do, honey, is kinda stand in one spot
Wiggle around just a little bit, that’s when you got it, yeah
Come on baby, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
Now let’s go one time

Shake it baby, shake, shake it baby, shake
Woo, shake baby, come on babe, shake it, baby, shake
Come on over, whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on

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NOBODY BECOMES A LEGEND BY STANDING AT THE BOTTOM OF A HARMONY. EXCEPT HAROLD REID. Don Reid sang the words. Jimmy Fortune reached the high notes. Phil Balsley held the middle. But Harold Reid held the floor beneath all of them. He was the bass of The Statler Brothers — not always the first voice people hummed on the way home, but the one they felt before they understood why the song worked. Take Harold out of a Statler record and the song still plays. It just does not land the same way. Something underneath is gone. That was his power. He was also funny enough to own a room before the first chorus ever arrived. In a group known for faith, family, and harmony, Harold gave the Statlers something just as important: warmth. He made the crowd laugh, then dropped his voice so low it felt like the whole song had found its foundation. Near the end, he told Jimmy Fortune he had been a blessed man and was ready whenever the Lord called him. When Harold passed in 2020, Jimmy wrote the plainest truth: “Our hearts are broken tonight.” Some singers want you to look at them. Harold Reid made you feel what was missing when he was gone.

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NOBODY BECOMES A LEGEND BY STANDING AT THE BOTTOM OF A HARMONY. EXCEPT HAROLD REID. Don Reid sang the words. Jimmy Fortune reached the high notes. Phil Balsley held the middle. But Harold Reid held the floor beneath all of them. He was the bass of The Statler Brothers — not always the first voice people hummed on the way home, but the one they felt before they understood why the song worked. Take Harold out of a Statler record and the song still plays. It just does not land the same way. Something underneath is gone. That was his power. He was also funny enough to own a room before the first chorus ever arrived. In a group known for faith, family, and harmony, Harold gave the Statlers something just as important: warmth. He made the crowd laugh, then dropped his voice so low it felt like the whole song had found its foundation. Near the end, he told Jimmy Fortune he had been a blessed man and was ready whenever the Lord called him. When Harold passed in 2020, Jimmy wrote the plainest truth: “Our hearts are broken tonight.” Some singers want you to look at them. Harold Reid made you feel what was missing when he was gone.