This is a great example of Jump Blues, a style popular in the 1940s, and the immediate predecessor of Rhythm & Blues. The song was written by Roy Brown in 1949.
Have you heard the news?
There's good rockin' at midnight
Oh, I'm gonna hold my baby
With all my might
What a wonderful time we had that night
Hey, hey, there's good rockin' at midnight
Have you heard the news
There's good rockin' at midnight
Oh, I'm gonna hold my baby
With all my might
What a wonderful time we had that night
Hey, hey, there's good rockin' at midnight
Now, sweet Chalky Brown and sweet Lorraine
They got caught on Caledonia's land
Sioux City Sue, she told it all
Those fellas got drunk and they had a ball
Crying hey, hey
Good rockin' at midnight
Well, two times
[Guitar bridge]
Well, I tell y'all about now Deacon John
He got so high they had to take him home
Hear the news about Ella Brown
He stole a chicken and he ran outta town
Hey, hey, there's good rockin' at midnight
Caledonia got drunk, grinning like a pig
She fell down and she lost her wig
Charlie Brown, she laughed and she got sick
And Caledonia got mad and grabbed a brick
Crying hey, hey, there's good rockin' at midnight
Oh now let's go two times
[Saxophone bridge]
Oh yeah, wanna tell you all about now Deacon John
He got so high they had to take him home
Here's the news about Ella Brown
He stole a lot of chickens and he ran outta town
Crying hey, hey there's good rockin' at midnight
Now, now, Caledonia got drunk and grinning like a pig
She fell down and lost her wig
Charlie Brown she laughed and she got sick
Caledonia got mad ... grabbed a brick
Crying hey, hey there's good rockin' at midnight
Uh, mmmm, rock
Gonna rock, Gonna rock
Gonna rock, Gonna rock
Gonna rock, Well yeah, I'm gonna rock
Gonna rock, We gonna rock
Alright, well alright
Good rockin' at midnight
[Full band instrumental outro]
Rockin’ at Midnight was written by Roy Brown.
Rockin’ at Midnight was produced by The Fabulous Brill Brothers & Ahmet Ertegün.
The Honeydrippers released Rockin’ at Midnight on Mon Sep 24 1984.