Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)
Encyclopedia
"Don't Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man)" was a folk music single, the debut recording by the Serendipity Singers in 1964. The song was written by rockabilly
singer songwriter Ersel Hickey
. The lyrics were based on the English nursery rhyme
There Was A Crooked Man
, with a calypso music
based melody. It reached #2 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
in May 1964, and topped the 17 April 1964 WLS Silver Dollar Survey, in the middle of Beatlemania
. It was released on their debut album, The Serendipity Singers. The single's Philips catalog code was 40175.
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
singer songwriter Ersel Hickey
Ersel Hickey
Ersel Hickey , born in Brighton, New York was a rockabilly singer best known for his hit song "Bluebirds over the Mountain".-Early life:...
. The lyrics were based on the English nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
There Was A Crooked Man
There Was a Crooked Man
There Was a Crooked Man is a nursery rhyme. The phrase can also refer to:*There Was a Crooked Man..., a 1970 western film starring Kirk Douglas and Henry Fonda*There Was a Crooked Man , featuring Norman Wisdom...
, with a calypso music
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
based melody. It reached #2 on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in May 1964, and topped the 17 April 1964 WLS Silver Dollar Survey, in the middle of Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
. It was released on their debut album, The Serendipity Singers. The single's Philips catalog code was 40175.