The Song of the day is an American R & B song, “The Twist,” by Chubby Checker. The song’s success also brought about the famous twist dance move.

“Twist” began to gain popularity on Baltimore TV station BVA’s Buddy Deane-hosted dance show. Dick Clark, the host of American Bandstand, listened to the music provided by Deane. Ballard performed on the show after his audience was enthusiastic about the song.

Unfortunately, Ballard was out of town, so Clark searched for a local musician to record the song. Checker’s voice was a near match to Ballard’s, so he chose him.

Fun Facts

• His track went to number one on September 19, 1960, on the “Billboard” Hot 100 and held there for one week, before returning to the chart in January 1962 to make a record as the only song to stay at the top spot twice in two separate chart runs.
• The Twist made a comeback in 1988 when the Fat Boys re-recorded the song with Chubby Checker. This track was a big hit in the UK and Germany.
• In July 1960, at the Rainbow Club in Wildwood, New Jersey, Checker first played “The Twist.”
• The song gained widespread attention after Checker sang it on a bandstand called Dick Clark’s American Bandstand in 1960.
• After two years of false starts, in late 1961 and early 1962, the Twist suddenly gained on in upper society.
• This song’s success was due to sightings of celebrities dancing to the tune.
• “The Twist” initially topped the US charts in two consecutive periods due to this new wave of enthusiasm, which forever changed the perception of rock and roll music.

Lyrics

(Musixmatch)

Come on, baby

Let’s do the twist

Come on, baby

Let’s do the twist

Take me by my little hand

And go like this

E-yah, twist

Baby, baby, twist

Ooh yeah, just like this

Come on, little miss

And do the twist

My daddy is sleepin’

And mama ain’t around

Yeah, daddy’s just sleepin’

And mama ain’t around

We’re gonna a-twist, a-twist, a-twistin’

‘Til we tear the house down

Come on and twist

Yeah, baby, twist

Ooh yeah, just like this

Come on, little miss

And do the twist

E-yah

Yeah, you should see my little sis

You should see my, my little sis

She really knows how to rock

She knows how to twist

Come on and twist

Yeah, baby, twist

Ooh yeah, just like this

Come on, little miss

And do the twist

Yeah

That’s all right

Yeah, twist all night

Twist

(‘Round and ’round and ’round)