Stone Cold Dead in the Market

Louis Jordan & His Tympany 5, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Jordan

About Stone Cold Dead in the Market

"Stone Cold Dead in the Market (He Had It Coming)" is a 1946 song with lyrics and music by Wilmoth Houdini, a Trinidad and Tobago musician who had moved to the United States. It was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five on Decca and later included in the Ella Fitzgerald album Ella and Her Fellas. The single was the first of five singles that Louis Jordan would take to the number-one spot on the R&B Juke Box chart. The song also reached number seven on the U. S. pop chart. The B-side of the single, "Petootie Pie," was also an R&B chart hit peaking at number three. This song received later fame in the 2010s with the 2011 release of L. A. Noire in which this song is featured. The lively tone of the music is matched by the use of dark humor in the lyrics. The song is sung in first-person and tells the story of an unnamed woman who killed her husband with a rolling pin, bashing in his skull while in a marketplace after he went out drinking and then came home and beat her. The narrative shifts back and forth between the wife who repeatedly claims that "he had it coming" and doesn't care about either revenge from his family or facing the electric chair, and the husband who recounts his side of the story apparently from beyond the grave. At the end of the song, the husband vows to come back and exact his revenge, but she repudiates by reminding him that he can't come back from the grave. Throughout the song, both the wife and the husband refrain that she didn't kill anyone else but the husband. 


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He's stone-cold dead in de market
He's stone-cold dead in de market
He's stone-cold dead in de market
I killed nobody but me husband

Last night I went out drinking
When I came home, I gave her a beating
So she catch up the rolling pin and went to work on my head
Till she bash it in

I lie cold dead in de market
Stone-cold dead in de market
I lie cold dead in de market
She killed nobody but her husband

I lick him wit' thee pot and thee fryin' pan
I lick him wit' thee pot and thee fryin' pan
I lick him wit' thee pot and thee fryin' pan
And if I kill him, he had it coming

Man, he's stone-cold dead in de market
He's stone-cold dead in de market
He's stone-cold dead in de market
I killed nobody but me husband

My family they swearin' to kill her
My family they swearin' to kill her
His family they swearin' to kill me
And if I kill him, he had it coming

I lie cold dead in the market, child
Cold dead in the market, child
I lie cold dead in the market
She kill nobody but her husband

There is one thing that I am sure
He ain't goin' to beat me no more
So I tell you that I doesn't care
If I was to die in the electric chair

Man, he's stone-cold dead in de market
He's stone-cold dead in de market
He's stone-cold dead in de market
I killed nobody but me husband

Hey, child, I'm coming back and bash you on your head one more time

No, no, man, you can't do that

You stone-cold dead in de market, murderer
Stone-cold dead in de market, de criminal
He's stone-cold dead in de market
I killed nobody but me husband

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Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), also known as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella", was an American jazz and song vocalist. With a vocal range spanning three octaves (D♭3 to D♭6), she was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing and intonation, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing. more »

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Written by: WILMOTH HOUDINI

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Release Date
"Stone Cold Dead in the Market" was released back in 1946. It came at a time when both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan were at the peak of their careers.
Chart Performance
The song was a huge hit during its time. It reached No. 1 on Billboard's "Race Records" chart, indicating its popularity among African American audiences.
Collaboration
This is one of the collaborations between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan. They collaborated on multiple songs, cementing their status as some of the most influential artists of their time.
Song Theme
The song has a dark but humorous theme, centered around a woman who kills her abusive man by hitting him with a frying pan and declares, 'I hit him on the head with my frying pan'.
Notable Cover
The song has been covered by other artists notably by British musician Heinz who produced a version in 1963.
Song Genre
"Stone Cold Dead in the Market" is widely considered a vital track in the Jump Blues genre.
Featured in Media
The song has appeared on television and in films, emphasizing its lasting cultural relevance. It was featured in the 2013 World War II movie, "The Monuments Men."
Other Popular Songs by Artists
The success of "Stone Cold Dead in the Market" is notable because it came after Ella and Louis's other major hits such as "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens".
Song Composition
The song was written by Wilmoth Houdini, a Trinidadian musician, cementing the international influence in the American musical landscape during the time.
UK Singles Chart
Apart from being a hit in the United States, the song also entered the UK Singles Chart in late 1963, where it peaked at number 30. A testament to its worldwide popularity.

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