Ry Cooder: Shine

Square

From Ry’s worst-selling album of all time, 1978’s Jazz. Shine was written by Ford Dabney and Cecil Mack, and was first performed in 1905 by Aida Overton Walker. ‘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.’

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