Rum and Coca-Cola
Encyclopedia
“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.
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
. 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
. (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
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."
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." 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."
The song was the top single of 1945 in the United States. 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 plaintiff
s 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. 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.
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
. Originally composed by Lord Invader
Lord Invader
Lord Invader was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice....
and Lionel Belasco
Lionel Belasco
Lionel Belasco was a prominent pianist, composer and bandleader, best known for his calypso recordings. According to various sources, he was born either in Barbados or in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; he grew up in Trinidad, the son of an Afro-Caribbean mother and a Sephardic Jewish father...
, it was copyrighted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by entertainer Morey Amsterdam
Morey Amsterdam
Morey Amsterdam was an American television actor and comedian, best known for the role of Buddy Sorrell on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s.-Early life:...
and became a huge hit in 1945 for the Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
, spending ten weeks at the top of Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
's U.S. Pop Singles chart.
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
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
calypso composer Lionel Belasco on a song titled “L'Année Passée,” which was in turn based on a folksong from Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
. 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
Lord Invader
Lord Invader was a prominent calypsonian with a very distinctive, gravelly voice....
. (The true credits for music and lyrics were restored in a plagiarism lawsuit won by attorney Louis Nizer
Louis Nizer
Louis Nizer was a noted Jewish-American trial lawyer and senior partner of the law firm Phillips Nizer Benjamin Krim & Ballon...
, the account of which can be read in his book, My Life in Court.)
According to Lord Invader
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.
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
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."
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." 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."
The song was the top single of 1945 in the United States. 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
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
of the song's music and lyrics, respectively. In 1948, after years of litigation, both plaintiff
Plaintiff
A plaintiff , also known as a claimant or complainant, is the term used in some jurisdictions for the party who initiates a lawsuit before a court...
s 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. Lord Invader also wrote a follow-up song to "Rum and Coca-Cola", titled "Yankee Dollar".
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
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
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
recorded a Spanish edition of this song, titled "Ron y Coca-Cola", on his album Hey!.
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
covered it on her 2011 album The Party Ain't Over.
External links
- http://rumandcocacolareader.com, For the full facts and original documents, go to RumandCocaColaReader.com.
- Biography of Rupert Grant (stage name, Lord Invader).
- During a concert in 1946, Lord Invader describes the circumstances behind his composition of the song and sings his version of it. Recording taken from “Calypso at Midnight”, Rounder Records 11661-1840 (2000).
- Biography of Lionel Belasco
- Legal opinion by New York District Judge Simon Rifkind, who ruled that the music to “Rum and Coca-Cola” infringed upon the copyright to Lionel Belasco's song, “L'Année Passée.” Includes a link to a piano rendition of Belasco's music.
- Ray Funk details the history of the song and quotes the Andrews Sisters describing their experience recording it. The Kaiso Newsletter, no. 33, January 14, 2000.
- The Mudcat Cafe, a website (Mudcat CaféMudcat CafeThe Mudcat Café is an online discussion group and song and tune database, which also includes many other features relating to folk music.-History:...
) devoted to folk musicology, has a forum thread that discusses the song, with postings that include the full lyrics of both the Lord Invader and Morey Amsterdam versions, as well as the lyrics to “L'Année Passée” and some alternative, more ribald lyrics for “Rum and Coca-Cola” that Amsterdam reportedly sang when entertaining troops. (“She wear grass skirt but that's O. K. / Yankee like to hit the hay.”)