Shake, Rattle and Roll – Bill Haley and his Comets

Introduction

It’s 1954, and America’s musical landscape is about to undergo a seismic shift. From a Philadelphia recording studio, a spark ignites – not with crackling pyrotechnics, but with the driving beat of an electric guitar and the infectious chant of “Shake, rattle and roll!” Bill Haley & His Comets, a group brimming with musical swagger and a touch of playful mischief, unleash a song that forever alters the course of popular music.

While not the first rock and roll tune, “Shake, Rattle and Roll” becomes its explosive anthem. Haley’s raw vocals, the band’s tight rhythm section, and the insistent piano riffs capture the youthful energy and rebellious spirit simmering beneath the surface of post-war America. It’s a call to break free from conformity, to throw your inhibitions to the wind, and let the rhythm course through your veins.

Though a cover of a blues tune by Big Joe Turner, Haley’s version injects a potent dose of rockabilly, infusing the rhythm with a driving beat and lacing the lyrics with playful double entendres that hint at the genre’s flirtatious undercurrent. It’s a song that can’t be contained on the dance floor – it spills out onto the streets, into cars, and onto radios, electrifying teenagers and sending shockwaves through the music industry.

“Shake, Rattle and Roll” wasn’t just a hit; it was a cultural phenomenon. It challenged social norms, sparked moral panic, and paved the way for the likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard. It’s a song that transcends its era, forever etched in the annals of music history as a cornerstone of rock and roll. So, put down your bobby socks, grab your poodle skirts, and get ready to be rattled to the core, because Bill Haley & His Comets are here to remind you what it truly means to shake, rattle, and roll.

Video

Lyrics

Get out in that kitchen
And rattle those pots and pans
Get out in that kitchen
And rattle those pots and pans
Well, roll my breakfast
‘Cause I’m a hungry man

I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
Well, you’ll never do nothing
To save your doggone soul

Wearing those dresses
Your hair done up so nice
Wearing those dresses
Your hair done up so nice
You look so warm
But your heart is cold as ice

I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
Well, you’ll never do nothing
To save your doggone soul

Go
Go
Go
Go

I’m like a one-eyed cat
Peeping in a seafood store
I’m like a one-eyed cat
Peeping in a seafood store
I can look at you
‘Till you don’t love me no more

I believe you’re doing me wrong
And now I know
I believe you’re doing me wrong
And now I know
The more I work
The faster my money goes

I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
I said, shake, rattle and roll
Well, you’ll never do nothing
To save your doggone soul

Shake, rattle and roll