"Rocks in My Bed" is a 1941

song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

written by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

. Harvey G. Cohen in his 2010 book ''Duke Ellington's America'' writes that "Rocks in My Bed" "presents a more honest and adult impression of sexual loneliness than most Swing Era lyrics". The lyrics arose from a conversation between two women that Ellington overheard. The academic Walter van de Leur theorized in his analysis of several Ellington pieces of the early 1940s that "Rocks in My Bed" may have been partially written by

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the ...

yet solely copyrighted to Ellington without additional attribution. Van de Leur analysed Strayhorn's reharmonisation of the piece for Ivie Anderson's 1941 vocal recording and felt that it marks the moment that Strayhorn "changed from arranger to co-composer". It was introduced by

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American blues shouter from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him". Turner's greatest fa ...

in the 1941 musical revue '' Jump for Joy''. Turner said in an interview that he assisted Ellington with the arrangement and composition of "Rocks in My Bed" whilst in preparation for ''Jump for Joy'' at the Dunbar Hotel. "Rocks in My Bed" was included in the 1997 musical comedy '' Play On!'' at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre directed by Sheldon Epps. The song has become associated with female singers. Betty Roché's version has been praised for its "gloriously bluesy scatting" and

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

's for her "earthy styling".

Notable recordings

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

- '' Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook'' (1958) *

- '' The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 2'' (1979) * Georgia Carr - '' Rocks In My Bed'' (1964) * Betty Roché - '' Lightly and Politely'' (recorded in 1960, released in 1961)

References

* * Songs with music by Duke Ellington 1940s jazz standards 1941 songs {{pop-standard-stub