Jean and Dinah
| Name of Calypsonian | The Mighty Sparrow |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Slinger Francisco, Hon. D.Litt (UWI) |
| Album Title | A Party with Sparrow |
| Release Year | 1956 |
| Record Label | Kay CRS 008 (78 rpm), Trinidad; Kalypso (45 rpm, vinyl), UK |
Music video of the Original Version of Jean and Dinah by the Mighty Sparrow [1].
Music video of a Later Version of Jean and Dinah by the Mighty Sparrow
Calypso Lyrics
| The Mighty Sparrow |
| Well, the girls in town feeling bad No more Yankees in Trinidad They going to close down the base for good Them girls have to make out how they could Brother is now they park up in town In for a penny, and in for a pound Believe me it’s competition for so Trouble in the town when the price drop low So when you bounce up |
| Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina Round the corner posing Bet your life is something they selling And if you catch them broken You can get em all for nutten Don’t make no row, the yankees gone Sparrow take over now |
| Things bad is to hear them cry Not a sailor in town, the night clubs dry Only West Indians like me or you Going to get a drink or two And as we have things back in control Ah seeking revenge with me heart and soul Brother when I spread the news around Is to see how them cave men come into town Just doh make mischief |
| Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina Round the corner posing Bet your life is something they selling And if you catch them broken You can get em all for nutten Don’t make no row, well the yankees gone Sparrow take over now |
| It’s the glamour boys again We are going to rule Port of Spain No more Yankees to spoil the fete Dorothy have to take what she get All ah them who used to make style Well they taking two shilling with a smile No more hotel to rest your head By the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread |
| Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina Round the corner posing Bet your life is something they selling And if you catch them broken You can get em all for nutten Don’t make no row, the yankees gone Sparrow take over now |
| The Mighty Sparrow |
| Well, the girls in town feeling bad No more Yankees in Trinidad They going to close down the base for good Those girls have to make out how they could Brother is now they park up in town In for a penny, and in for a pound Believe me, it is a lot of competition Trouble in the town when the price drops low So when you bounce up |
| Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina Round the corner posing Bet your life it is something they are selling And if you catch them broken You can get them all for nothing Don’t make a row, the yankees have gone Sparrow take over now |
| Things bad, it is to hear them cry Not a sailor in town, the night clubs are dry Only West Indians like me or you Going to get a drink or two And as we have things back in control I am seeking revenge with my heart and soul Brother when I spread the news around You have to see how those cave men come into town Just don’t make mischief |
| Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina Round the corner posing Bet your life it is something they are selling And if you catch them broken You can get them all for nothing Don’t make a row, the yankees have gone Sparrow take over now |
| It’s the glamour boys again We are going to rule Port of Spain No more Yankees to spoil the fete Dorothy has to take what she get All of them who used to make style Well, they are taking two shillings with a smile No more hotels to rest your head By the sweat of thy brow thou shall eat bread |
| Jean and Dinah Rosita and Clementina Round the corner posing Bet your life it is something they are selling And if you catch them broken You can get them all for nothing Don’t make a row, the yankees have gone Sparrow take over now |
About The Calypso
“Jean and Dinah” propelled the Mighty Sparrow to international fame. It won both the Calypso Monarch title and the Road March title in 1956, making Sparrow a major force in calypso at just 20 years old. It was Sparrow’s first international hit and won him the first of 8 Carnival Road March titles.
The calypso reflects on the departure of American servicemen from Trinidad after World War II. During the war, the presence of U.S. military bases brought thousands of soldiers to the island, contributing to increased activity and business in Port of Spain and surrounding communities. With his trademark humour, the Mighty Sparrow comments on how life changed after the Americans left, joking that local men suddenly found themselves receiving more attention from women. The calypso playfully captures the social changes of the period and is also known as “Yankees Gone.”
The calypso was ahead of its time. Through humour and clever storytelling, Sparrow commented on how life in Trinidad changed after the Americans left their military bases on the island. His willingness to turn current events into entertaining social commentary helped establish him as one of calypso’s most important and influential voices.
The song helped define modern calypso. Calypso was already popular before “Jean and Dinah,” but Sparrow’s style brought a sharper mix of social commentary, humour, storytelling, and catchy choruses. Many historians view the song as a turning point in the genre’s evolution.
Trivia
Sparrow originally wrote the tune as a radio advertising jingle for Salvatori, Scott & Co. Ltd, a prominent department store in Port-of-Spain. The company rejected the jingle without even listening to it. This is because the company viewed the calypso-style branding as beneath their upscale commercial status.
Undeterred, Sparrow kept the core female characters: Jean, Dinah, Rosita, and Clementina, and completely rewrote the lyrics into a profound social commentary.
After winning the prestigious Calypso Monarch and Road March titles in 1956 for the calypso, Sparrow was awarded a meagre grand prize of just $40. In stark contrast, the winner of the Carnival Queen beauty contest, a competition organized by the Trinidad Guardian Neediest Cases Committee that routinely favoured lighter-skinned or white contestants, was showered with $7,500 and a new car. Sparrow sang the calypso, “Carnival Boycott” the following year to rally his peers to boycott the Dimanche Gras show.
Hollywood actor Robert Mitchum recorded “Jean and Dinah” on his 1957 calypso album “Calypso… is like so.” Many people are surprised to learn that a major American movie star covered a Sparrow calypso.
References
The original version of the calypso is on YouTube courtesy [1]. The image of the Mighty Sparrow was taken from one of Sparrow’s record jackets displayed at [2].
[1] Danny Fitzgerald. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rVT93qkVAE
[2] https://www.discogs.com/release/11548799-Mighty-Sniper-Old-Women-Scandal
