King Radio - Mathilda (Matilda) , sound file & lyrics

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases the orignal recording of the Calypso song "Mathilda" ("Matilda") by its composer King Radio (Norman Span). Lyrics of this song and information about King Radio are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to King Radio for his musical legacy. Thanks also to those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.

Note that the song "Matilda" was recorded and popularized by Harry Belafonte in the early 1950s. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/01/king-radio-mathilda-matilda-sound-file.html for a pancocojam's post about Harry Belafonte's versions of that song.

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INFORMATION ABOUT KING RADIO
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Radio
Norman Span, known as King Radio, was a calypsonian active in the 1930s and 1940s.[1]
"
He was the composer of many calypsos which later became standards, such as "Mathilda",[2] "Man Smart, Woman Smarter",[3] and "Brown Skin Gal".[4]"
-snip-
Unfortunately, this is the only information that is found on that Wikipedia page.

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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE: King Radio - Mathilda



CanchozI Uploaded on Feb 4, 2009

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LYRICS: MATILDA (MATHILDA)
(Norman Span, aka King Radio)

Chorus
(Oh, Lord), it’s Matilda,
(Believe me, friends) It's Matilda,
(What a difficult)
Matilda, she take me money and gone Venezuela

(Everybody!)

Matilda
(That’s why love)
Matilda
(It’s difficult)
Matilda, she take me money and gone Venezuela

Verse #1
It really hurt me, friends, but what's to do?
Now listen what the woman gone and do.
(Mow dat water!)
Matilda,
She take me money and gone Venezuela

Chorus

Verse #2
So never me friends never to love again,
Now listen all me money gone in vain.
(Oh Lord!) It's Matilda who take me money and gone Venezuela

Verse #3
Five thousand dollars friends I lost,
The woman even sell me cart and horse!
(Oh Lord!) Matilda, she take me money and gone Venezuela

Chorus

Verse #4
The money was to buy a house an' land,
Now listen as she draft a serious plan,
(Fire! Water!) Matilda, she take me money and gone Venezuela

Chorus
(Everybody!)
Matilda
(Say it up, boys)
Maltida
(I get a call)
Matilda, she take me money and gone Venezuela

Verse #5
Well the money was right inside me bed,
Stuck up in the mattress right below me head,
Oh Lord, this is Matilda that take me money and gone Venezuela

Verse #6
I feel a jumbie shove me head,
He said "Boy, no money inside your bed"
(I must a lost it),
"Matilda, she take your money and gone Venezuela."

Chorus

Verse #7
Where I put my hand was all in vain,
Right on the spot, I got a serious pain,
(Mow dat water!) Matilda she take me money and gone Venezuela

Chorus
Matilda
da da da da
Matilda
ba ba ba ba
Everybody!
Matilda

[sound file cuts off with instrumental chords)
-snip-
Transcription from the recording by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.
Note that this transcription may be considered to be in part a correction of some of the words that were transcribed by MorwenEdhelwen1 on this Mudcat thread: http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=8026
Matilda, Matilda
-snip-
I agree with that King Radio sings "gone Venezuela instead of the version "run Venezuela" that was popularized by Harry Belafonte in his 1953 recording and thereafter.
Thanks, MorwenEdhelwen1. Also notice that the words to the chorus changes sometime.

A "jumbie" is an evil spirit or demon in the folklore of some Caribbean countries.

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