The Twist
by Chubby Checker

Album: Best Of Chubby Checker (1960)
Charted: 14 1
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  • 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 just sleepin'
    And mama ain't around
    We're gonna twisty, twisty, twisty
    '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

    ('Round and 'round and 'round and 'round)
    ('Round and 'round and 'round and 'round)
    ('Round and 'round and 'round and 'round)
    ('Round and 'round and 'round and 'round)
    ('Round and 'round and 'round and 'round)

    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

    ('Round and 'round and 'round and 'round)
    Yeah
    That's all now
    Yeah, twist all night
    Twist
    ('Round and 'round and 'round) Writer/s: Hank Ballard
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 29

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyExactly sixty years ago today on October 29th, 1960 the 'Dick Clark Caravan of Stars' played the Memorial Auditorium in Utica, New York...
    Chubby Checker was one of the acts* to appear, at the time his covered version of "The Twist" was at position #3 on Billboard's Top 100 chart, five weeks earlier it had peaked at #1 {for 1 week}, and it spent eighteen weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1959 and 1989 Spring Gully, South Carolina native had thirty-five records on the Top 100 chart, seven made the Top 10 with three reaching at #1, the above "The Twist", "Pony Time" for 3 weeks on February 28th, 1961, and once again with "The Twist" for 2 weeks on January 7th, 1962...
    He just missed having a fourth #1 record when his "Limbo Rock" peaked at #2 {for 2 weeks} on December 16th, 1962; and the two weeks it was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Telstar" by the Tornados...
    Three of his thirty-five Top 100 entries were duets, one each with Dee Dee Sharp, Bobby Rydell, and the Fat Boys...
    Chubby Checker, born Ernest Evans, celebrated his 79th birthday earlier this month on October 3rd, 2020...
    * Some of the other acts on the bill were Fabian, Brenda Lee, Duane Eddy, Freddy Cannon, Jimmy Clanton, and Jimmy Charles...
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 20, 1960, Hank Ballad and the Midnighters were guests on the Dick Clark ABC-TV network weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time the group's original version of "The Twist" was in it's first week on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #87; nine weeks later it would peak at #28 {for 1 week} and it spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    And the week it was peaking at #28,Chubby Checker's covered version of "The Twist" was peaking at #1 {for 1 week} on the Top 100...
    Plus also that week Hank and the guys had two other records on the Top 100 chart; "Finger Poppin' Time" was at #19 and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" was in it's first week on the chart at #87...
    Between 1953 and 1969 the group had twenty-two hits on the Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart; thirteen made the Top 10 with three reaching #1, "Work with Me, Annie" for 7 weeks in 1954, "Annie Had A Baby" for 2 weeks in 1954, and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" for 3 non-consecutive weeks in 1960...
    Hank Ballard, born John Henry Kendricks, passed away on March 2nd, 2003 at the age of 75...
    May he R.I.P.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 12th 1964, Chubby Checker married Miss World* 1962, Catharina Johanna Lodders, of the Netherlands...
    At the time Chubby's "Hey, Bobba Needle" was at #26 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; one week later it would peak at #23 {for 1 week} and it spent nine weeks on the Top 100...
    Between 1959 and 1988 he had thirty three Top 100 records; seven made the Top 10 with two reaching #1, "The Twist" {in 1960 & 1961} and "Pony Time" {1961}...
    One of his thirty-three Top 100 records was a duet with Dee Dee Sharp; "Slow Twistin'" in 1962, it peaked at #3...
    In 1961 he released a seasonal record, it was a covered version of "Jingle Bell Rock", was a duet with Bobby Rydell and it peaked at #21. The record was re-released at Christmas time of 1962, that time it reached #92...
    * Mmmm, married Miss World, it's good to be 'The King of the Twist'.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 26th 1962, Joseph A. Burke, the Bishop of the Catholic diocese of Buffalo, New York, ban the 'Twist' from being heard or danced at any area Catholic school or event...
    At the time there were eight records on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart with the word 'Twist' in their titles; if fact the records at #1 and #2 were both 'Twist' records…
    "Peppermint Twist (Part 1)" by Joey Dee and the Starlighters was in its first of three weeks at #1 and Chubby Checker's "The Twist" was at #2, it had been the #1 record for the two previous weeks.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn November 13th 1961, Hank Ballard appeared as a mystery guest on the CBS-TV series 'To Tell the Truth'*...
    As noted above Hank composed "The Twist"; and on the day he appeared on 'Truth' Chubby Checker's covered version of the song re-entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #55, eight weeks later on January 7th, 1962 it would reach #1 again, this time for 2 weeks, and it stayed on the chart for 21 weeks...
    It had first reached #1 {for 1 week} on the Top 100 on September 19th, 1960 and had spent 18 weeks on the chart {and that's a grand total of 39 weeks on the Top 100...
    * 'To Tell the Truth' ran on the CBS-TV network from 1956 to 1968 with a total of 453 episodes, it then went into syndication.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 5th 1962, Chubby Checker was the guest of honor at a party* thrown by the Philadelphia Variety Club....
    At the time he had two records on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; "Slow Twistin'" was at #4, the following week it would peak at #3 {for 1 week}...
    His other record on the Top 100 was "The Twist"; it was at #60, three months earlier on January 7th, 1962 it reached #1 {for 2 weeks}...
    * At the Variety Club party a preview of Chubby's movie 'Don't Knock the Twist' was shown, the movie would have its world premiere nine days later on April 13th in New York City.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 17th 1961, Chubby Checker headlined a rock 'n roll show at the Regal Theater in Chicago, IL...
    At the time his "Pony Time" was in its third and final week at #1 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; it had entered the chart on January 23rd, 1961 and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
    On March 7th, 1961 it also reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
    The original version of the song by Don Covay* and the Goodtimers was also on the Top 100 at that time, at #66; plus another 'Pony' song was at #60, "Pony Express" by Danny and the Juniors...
    "Pony Time" was the second of his two #1 records; the first of course was "The Twist", and exactly a year later on March 17th, 1962 it was at #24 and nine weeks earlier it was at #1 for its second time...
    * Mr. Covay was the composer of "Pony Time".
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn November 30th 1963* Chubby Checker performed "Loddy Lo" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time the record was at #21 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; fifteen days later on December 15th, 1963 it peaked at #12 {for 1 week} and spent 13 weeks on the Top 100...
    The record's B-side, "Hooka Tooka", also made the Top 100; it reached #17 {for 2 weeks} on February 2nd, 1964 and stayed on the chart for 14 weeks...
    The record was his last Top 20 hit; between 1959 and 1964 he had fourteen Top 20 hits, seven Top 10 records, and two #1s; "The Twist" {twice, 1960 & 1962} and "Pony Time" {1961}...
    * Nov. 30th, 1963 was also AB host Dick Clark's 34th birthday.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 29th 1960, Chubby Checker performed "The Twist" on the ABC-TV program 'American Bandstand'...
    At the time the song was at #2* on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; the week before it had peaked at #1 {for 1 week} and spent a total of 18 weeks on the Top 100...
    The record that replaced it at #1 was "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" by Connie Francis...
    * The song at #35 at the time was the original version by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters.
  • Babbling Babette from Tulsa OkWay back in '60, my oldest brother bought the 45 rpm single "The Twist" on Parkway Records just as it was getting huge in the USA. Yep, we saw Chubby on "American Bandstand" too with his cheesy sports-coat. By that time, a lot of teens were learning the dance. What memories! And when Parkway Records re-released it in '62, it went global! By then, my folks permitted me to buy records too. The first album I bought was Chubby's "For Teen Twisters Only" in flourescent green, blue, and pink lettering with black background. Eye-blinding colors! Lots of dance tunes. Those were the days. 1962 was another big year for dance crazes, girl groups, hot rod music, and surfing music. And I must say that I think Chubby Checker should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn July 8th 1958, Hank Ballard recorded the original version of "The Twist" at the Vee-Jay Records studios in Gary, Indiana...
    As already stated above, it was released as the B-side of "Teardrops On Your Letter", which entered Billboard's Top 100 chart on March 9th, 1959 for a three week stay, peaking at #87 on its last week on the chart.
  • Randy from Fayettevile, ArA few weeks ago I attended the 2014 Songwriters Awards/Hall of Fame show in New York City & Chubby Checker was featured. There were so many younger rock stars & writers there who were in awe of Checker. What a performance! I had seen him on tour earlier in the year in Florida & he brought down the hall with his big hits. Many other rock stars wer calling for Checker to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I wonder why he isn't in already??? I still hear "The Twist" and his other big hits on various Classic Rock & Roll radio stations. You cannot sit there and not dance to these hits!! Don't fight the feeling!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 13th 1961, "Let's Twist Again" by Chubby Checker entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #85; and on August 7th it peaked at #8 (for 2 weeks) and spent 23 weeks on the Top 100...
    It dropped off the Top 100 on September 10th, but two months later on November 20th it re-entered the chart for another 10 weeks...
    The same week it re-entered the chart he had two other records on the Top 100 ; "The Fly" (at #10) and "The Twist" (at #27)...
    During 1961 he had four 'dance' theme songs on the Top 100; besides "The Twist" and "The Fly" he had "Pony Time" and "The Mess Around"...
    Mr. Checker, born Ernest Evans, will celebrate his 73rd birthday this coming October 3rd, 2014.
  • Rotunda from Tulsa, OkBack in the early Sixties, I was in high school and loved the teen dance crazes & the records about the dance crazes. There was far more teen dancing then & dance parties. Just a fun time. I think I had almost all of Chubby Checker's albums & singles. I bought his version of "The Twist" but never did see Hank Ballard's single in any record stores! But I'll betcha old Hank sure enjoyed those royalty checks due to Chubby's record sales! Ya think? Chubby's version went ballistic (#1 twice in separate years; spawned a global dance craze; crossed over into adult dancing). A few years ago, I saw a TV documentary on the Twist craze & Chubby Checker and believe it was produced by Disney TV. It's available on DVD now. I saw a copy of Chubby Checker's new CD at Walmart too ("The Very Best of Chubby Checker" on Parkway Records----Chubby's original record company!!) . A label was affixed to it that read "#1 on Billboard's All-Time HOT 100 Top Songs." Still impressive! It just makes one wonder how pitiful the Rock & oll Hall of Fame has become by ignoring nominating Chubby for induction. Really! Thanks to Songfacts for this site. Now, if you can just add more Chubby Checker hit songs onto it, things will be reelin' and a-rockin'. You should add Chubby' s other big hits---the ones that almost made it to #1. Or were indeed #1 on Cashbox and Goldmine. Billboard is OK, but they weren't the only charts around then you know. For example, Limbo Rock, Slow Twistin', Let's Twist Again, The Fly, Popeye The Hitchhiker, and the monster #1 Pony Time. The main reason many later generations aren't so familiar with Chubby's hits is that when Cameo-Parkway Records went bust & Al Klein bought it out and set up ABKCO Records in it's stead, he intentionally did not release any golden oldies compilations for any of the old Cameo-Parkway recording stars for decades and decades. That killed any interest in those stars' contributions to rock & roll or R&B music. Now, I hear ABKCO has finally released great hit compilation CDs of their old stars hits. And I just bought Chubby's "The Best of....." CD of hits. Fantastic sound. Now, that wrong has been put right. Next----that Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fiasco needs to be fixed!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyI guess you can say according to the Billboard Top 100 this week in 1962 was the height of the 'twist' craze...
    On January 21st, 1962 "Peppermint Twist" by Joey Dee & the Starlighters peaked at #1, and the record it knocked out of the top spot was "The Twist" by Chubby Checker...
    "The Twist" had been #1 for three weeks, and the "Peppermint Twist" also spent three weeks in the top spot; so for six straight weeks a 'twist' song was at the top of the chart...
    And during this week in 1962 there were a total of six songs on the Top 100 with the word 'twist' in its title...
    Mr. Checker, born Ernest Evans, celebrated his 72nd birthday three months ago on October 3rd (2013) and Mr. Dee, born Joseph DiNicola, will turn 74 years old come June 11th (2014).
  • Raunchy from Tulsa, OkI remember Chubby Checker's "The Twist" but never had the opportunity to hear the original by Hank Ballard on my area's radio "back when." I'm a "baby boomer/rocker" and I remember those fun times of the dance crazes. Every teen partied-it-up to the max because everyone was afraid of an impending nuclear war between the US and USSR. I like "The Twist" by Chubby, but I really love his big hit that he won the 1961 Grammy for (Best Rock & Roll Recording), "Let's Twist Again." Absolute fun! Hey, being a fan, I heard that a few years ago the Abkco Records Co. finally released hit compilations of the old Cameo/Parkway Records stars. Chubby's "Best Of....." CD is out there now with original hits digitally remastered. But more recently, like this fall (2013), I was at a record store & saw a newer CD hits compilation on Chubby Checker so I bought it. It had only his first 11 hits from 1960 to 1962, but well worth it. Great sound. I think the producer boosted up the bass sound. That's a good thing because of the heavy bass sounds music lovers prefer these days. I hear the Chubby Checker spent a lot of personal time promoting this record early-on, with Dick Clark's help, to get this record going in 1960. If Checker's version and Hank Ballard's original are supposedly similar, I wonder why Ballard's version never caught fire? Maybe it was the exposure on American Bandstand that made the difference? Well, it was a fun time, a dangerous time too, when rock & roll was younger, and the "rebellious" thing to do was to do the "Twist" with Chubby Checker.
  • John from Middletown, NjThe writer forgot a very early and very important 'Twist" song...from 1960, on Warwick Records # 607
    Twistin' Pneumonia" by The Genies.
  • Bubblesk from Memphis, TnWith all of Chubby Checker's hits, it's odd why Song Facts only shows three of his hits. On Billboard's website, it's noted that Checker has sold approximately 250 million records world-wide which mostly occurred during the dance-craze era. I recall when The Twist by Chubby Checker was first released & then its re-release and chart runs. By 1962, the Twist craze was in high gear world-wide & twist parties were "the thing to do." There was Twist merchandise and memorabilia sold in those times. And many other music artists recorded twist songs (i.e., Twist & Shout, Dear Lady Twist, Twistin' Postman, Twistin' The Night Away) which were at all levels of chart rankings from 1960 thru 1963. On Billboard's site it also is noted that Chubby Checker was the first recording star to place five million-selling albums in the Top Ten of the album charts at one time. And yet, Chubby Checker still isn't in The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?? He is definitely due this honor!!
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScKnowing the history behind this song, If one listens to Ballard's version and Checker's version back to back, one can tell that Checker's is a copy of Ballard's.

    P.S. I think Hank Ballard's version of this is sexy. And I know y'all might find me crazy for saying this. Lol.
  • Elmer from Westville, OkI recall the Twist craze in the early Sixties & that Chubby Checker's version of "The Twist" spawned other artist's Twist songs. According to Billboard's website, Chubby Checker is the only artist to have had five album releases in the top 12 at the same time. I am still a Chubby Checker fan and see his concerts whenever he's in my area. Great show! He's still got great pipes. He's fortunate to have had about 35 top forty hits in his career. So, after the dance craze era cooled down, Chubby still had successes. The Billboard website also mentioned that Chubby Checker has sold about 200 million records. In early 1962 I bought Chubby Checker's "The Twist" on Parkway Records when it was re-released. A cousin on mine bought Hank Ballard's original "The Twist" earlier & still owns it (very worn out), but still prefers Chubby Checker's version. The vocals are somewhat similar, but are not too similar. Chubby's version of "The Twist" is also on Billboard's List of 500 Greatest Rock & Roll Recordings.
  • Rick from Belfast, MeWhat does a good song make you want to do?....Dance!!! Of all the dance songs thru the years...this one has stood the test of time...have been dancing to this since I was 3 years old!
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyIn the fall of 1960 Chubby Checker was touring with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. On October 29th, 1960 they played in Utica, NY. Chubby only sang one song, The Twist of course, when he walked on stage they turned up all the all house lights and everyone in the place got up and danced. After he finished the song the crowd keep yelling and screaming that they brought him back out to sing the song again!!! Jimmy Charles, of 'A Million to One' fame, followed Chubby and had a difficult time settling down the audience...
  • Caitlin from Upper Township, NjAgreed with Brett, Edmonton, Canada
  • Don from Newmarket, CanadaChubby's cover og Hank Ballard's song was so good that Ballard thought it was his (Hank's) record when he first heard it on the radio.
  • Shell from Riverdale, GaThe stage name "Chubby Checker" was in homage to Fats Domino, not parody.
  • John from Seattle, WaChubby Checker flogged this dead horse another time when he performed different lyrics for this in an Oreo cookie commercial in 1990. In the commercial he was twisting apart the cookie from the creme filling.
  • Katie from Goulburn, Australia"Let's Twist Again" features heavily in "That's What I Like" a remix of 60's songs by Jive Bunny and the Master Mixers.
  • Brett from Edmonton, CanadaI actually prefer "Let's Twist Again" to "The Twist"- it's catchier and has more "soul", in my opinion.
  • Bert Van De Kamp from Den Bosch, NetherlandsChecker married a Dutch girl, Rina Lodders, a former Miss World.
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