Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens
"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] It was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2013.[2]
| "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five | |
| A-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 |
The single debuted on Billboard magazine's Rhythm and Blues Records Chart on December 14, 1946.[3] It reached number one and remained at the top position for seventeen weeks, longer than any other Jordan single.[3] It also reached number six on the broader Billboard Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart.[3] The flip side, "Let the Good Times Roll", peaked at number two on the R&B chart.[3]
Jordan's hit song popularized the expression "Nobody here but us chickens", but the phrase is older.[4] 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."[5] From there, it was picked up by newspapers and reprinted far and wide.
References
- Dexter Jr., Dave (1975). The Best of Louis Jordan (Album notes). Louis Jordan. Universal City, California: MCA Records. p. 5. MCAD-4079 (CD reissue).
- "Grammy Hall of Fame". grammy.com. Retrieved December 24, 2020.
- Whitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research. pp. 229–230. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.
- 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.