Shine (1910 song)

"Shine" (originally titled "That's Why They Call Me Shine") is a jazz song with lyrics by Cecil Mack and Tin Pan Alley songwriter Lew Brown and music by Ford Dabney. It was published in 1910 by Gotham-Attucks and used by Ada Walker in "His Honor the Barber", an African-American road show.

It was later recorded by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Frankie Laine, usually without the explanatory introduction. It also featured as one of the songs sung by Sam (Dooley Wilson) and the band at Rick's Cafe in the movie "Casablanca". According to Perry Bradford, himself a songster and publisher, the song was written about an actual man named Shine who was with George Walker when they were badly beaten during the New York City race riot of 1900. [http://www.jass.com/cmack.html]

Ry Cooder recorded the song complete with introduction in 1978.

Louis Armstrong version

The song was performed in a film short "Rhapsody in Black and Blue" by Armstrong. A 1931 recording by Armstrong with his Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra is a subset of the complete lyric of the 1910 version and the expanded later version, with added scat singing and long instrumental ending:

[Instrumental opening ~35 sec.]

Oh chocolate drop, that’s me
’Cause, my hair is curly
Just because my teeth are pearly
Just because I always wear a smile
Like to dress up in the latest style
’Cause I’m glad I’m livin’
Take troubles all with a smile
Just because my color shade
Is different maybe
That’s why they call me "Shine"

[repeat words with scat and straight jazz instrumental ~2 min.]

SHINE (That's Why They Call Me Shine)(Cecil Mack, Lew Brown)

Ry Cooder version with original introduction

On his 1978 album "Jazz", Ry Cooder performed the song in a "52nd Street" small band setting, with the introductory verse that explains what the song is all about. He noted that it had been written in 1910 near the end of the "Coon song era", and described it as a unique comment on the black face sensibilities of that genre.

*INTRODUCTION:

When I was born they christened me plain Samuel Johnson Brown
But I hadn't grown so very big, 'fore some folks in this town
Had changed it 'round to "Sambo"; I was "Rastus" to a few
Then "Chocolate Drop" was added by some others that I knew
And then to cap the climax, I was strolling down the line
When someone shouted, "Fellas, hey! Come on and pipe the shine!"
But I don't care a bit. Here's how I figure it:

Well, just because my hair is curly
And just because my teeth are pearly
Just because I always wear a smile
Likes to dress up in the latest style*
Just because I'm glad I'm livin'
Takes trouble smilin', never whine
Just because my color's shady
Slightly different maybe
That's why they call me shine."

*ALTERNATIVE LINE:
:"Wear my jeans like a man of means (he always dresses in the latest style)."