“Let The Good Times Roll” by Louis Jordan

You know how these days singers are always putting out songs designed to make us forget about the troubles of the world and just live for the moment?  Well such a musical ambition is nothing new.  In fact such was the professional creed which the late Louis Jordan lived by. 

And of all the songs which this legendary musician put forth, it is obviously this one which most-effectively captured that sentiment. That is to say that the phrase “let the good times roll” is still utilized in such a manner almost a century later, in addition to the song itself remaining quite popular throughout the decades.

In fact anyone who recognizes this classic tune already understands, fundamentally speaking, what it’s about, even if the only words they actually know are those derived from the title. The singer wants “everybody”, i.e. all listeners, to “have some fun”.  What this equates to, within the grand scheme of the song, is an advisement or encouragement to party. And the vocalist also puts forth that accomplishing said goal requires the adherent to “go out and spend some cash”.

You Don’t Live Twice!

In fact he gets quite philosophical concerning the whole matter. For the singer asserts that “you only live once”, as in you can’t roll the good times “when you’re dead”. And the implication behind this idea is twofold. First is the obvious one – that you have to seize the moment to enjoy yourself while the opportunity practically exists. And relatedly, the second notion would be that you never actually know when you’ll be “done” (i.e. dead), so time isn’t something to be taken for granted.

And being able to enjoy yourself in such a party-like atmosphere has nothing to do with age itself.  Indeed both the ‘young and old’ can get their groove on. All it really requires, in addition to the aforementioned monetary commitment, is fraternizing in the proper setting with likeminded individuals.

Louis Jordan also uses the occasion to give himself a shoutout. Or as he puts it, the party is really jumping when he’s “in town” doing his thing, i.e. “rarin’ to clown”. And overall this statement alludes to his highly-celebrated musical act as the genre he specialized in, which is called jump blues, regularly incorporated comedic lyrics.

In Conclusion

So looking past the era it was released in, “Let the Good Times Roll” reads a lot like party songs of today, itself once again being a prototype. For instance, we have the singer encouraging the listener to dance, or perhaps we can say more specifically in this case enjoying themselves however they see fit in a party. Either way you’re not allowed to mope. 

Then we have a call for people to band together to achieve this goal. There is also the ubiquitous ‘seize the moment’ aspect.  And there’s even a materialistic factor, in regards to the singer advising the listener not to be tight-fisted.  hen the vocalist caps it all off by giving a shoutout to himself, i.e. the braggadocio. 

But all of that being noted, the thesis sentiment behind this tune isn’t necessarily ‘get up and dance’ per se. Rather it’s more like get off your ass in general, and don’t be afraid to enjoy yourself.

When was “Let The Good Times Roll” Released?

This song originally came out on 26 June 1946, being rendered by Louis Jordan (1908-1975) and his band, who were known as the Tympany Five. It was released by the long-standing Decca Records and specifically falls under a largely-defunct genre known as jump blues, which are basically party songs.

Song’s Success

Louis Jordan is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (1987) whose moniker in his day was “the King of the Jukebox”. (The Hall of Fame itself has dubbed to him as “the Grandfather of Rock ‘n’ Roll” as well as the “Father of Rhythm & Blues”.) 

He scored quite a few number ones on what Billboard back in the days referred to as its Race Music and later Rhythm and Blues chart (which in more-modern times is called the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart). And whereas this particular tune did not top the chart (it peaked at number two, remaining on the list for 22 weeks), it still appears to be the most-enduring of all of his songs. 

In fact the term “let the good times roll” has become pervasive itself – a widespread idiom which. And according to many an English dictionary, it means the process of living a life full of fun. Indeed part of the reason this track blew up in the first place was because despite being classified as a “race” (i.e. Black) song, the tune was also widely accepted by White audiences.

And just to note, “Let the Good Times Roll” was actually a B-side. And its A-side, “Ain’t Nobody Here but Us Chickens”, did top the aforementioned chart.

Who wrote “Let The Good Times Roll”?

This song was written by Sam Theard (1904-1982) and Louis Jordan’s wife at the time, Fleecie Moore (who passed away in 1989 at age 79). As the story goes, Fleecie wasn’t actually a co-writer. Rather it was Jordan himself who collaborated with Theard, but Louis used her name to circumvent a publishing contract he was bound to. 

As an interesting side note, he and Fleecie went on to experience a tumultuous divorce in 1947. And due to songs such as this being published in her name instead of his, Jordan lost out on the associated royalties. And this contributed to him, as great of a musician as he was, suffering from a sleuth of financial issues as he aged.

Popular Covers and Usage

This song has been covered by the likes of Muddy Waters, B. B. King, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Bono and Jerry Lee Lewis.  A rendition by Ray Charles also appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. And in 1999 B. B. King actually released a tribute album dedicated to its originator, which itself is entitled “Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan”.

Additionally there have been a number of popular artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Cars and The Grateful Dead who have come out with their own songs entitled “Let the Good Times Roll” (or something similar). And they all possess a sentiment akin to the original.

In 1947 this song was featured in a movie which Louis Jordan himself starred in entitled “Reet, Petite, and Gone”. The B. B. King version also appeared in the classic Belushi/Aykroyd comedy “The Blues Brothers” (1980). And a rendition by an artist named Fishbone made it onto another successful funny film, Jim Carey’s “The Mask” (1994).

As the old saying goes, ‘nothing is new under the sun’. In other words just as “Let the Good Times Roll” may have influenced other songs, Louis Jordan and co. also got the idea for this tune from somewhere else. And that would be a brand of music called zydeco, which traces its origins back to the slaves of African descent in Louisiana (as does jazz). And just to note, Jordan himself was from Arkansas, which is just north of the Creole State.