B i o g r a p h y (by Richie Unterberger)
The greatest white female rock singer of the 1960s, Janis Joplin was also a great blues singer, making her material her own with her wailing, raspy, supercharged emotional delivery. First rising to stardom as the frontwoman for San Francisco psychedelic band Big Brother & the Holding Company, she left the group in the late '60s for a brief and uneven (though commercially successful) career as a solo artist. Although she wasn't always supplied with the best material or most sympathetic musicians, her best recordings, with both Big Brother and on her own, are some of the most exciting performances of her era. She also did much to redefine the role of women in rock with her assertive, sexually forthright persona and raunchy, electrifying on-stage presence. Joplin was raised in the small town of Port Arthur, TX, and much of her subsequent personal difficulties and unhappiness has been attributed to her inability to fit in with the expectations of the conservative community. She'd been singing blues and folk music since her teens, playing on occasion in the mid-'60s with future Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen. There are a few live pre-Big Brother recordings (not issued until after her death), reflecting the inspiration of early blues singers like Bessie Smith, that demonstrate she was well on her way to developing a personal style before hooking up with the band. She had already been to California before moving there permanently in 1966, when she joined a struggling early San Francisco psychedelic group, Big Brother & the Holding Company. Although their loose, occasionally sloppy brand of bluesy psychedelia had some charm, there can be no doubt that Joplin — who initially didn't even sing lead on all of the material — was primarily responsible for lifting them out of the ranks of the ordinary. She made them a hit at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where her stunning version of "Ball and Chain" (perhaps her very best performance) was captured on film.
After a debut on the Mainstream label, Big Brother signed a management deal with Albert Grossman and moved on to Columbia. Their second album, Cheap Thrills, topped the charts in 1968, but Joplin left the band shortly afterward, enticed by the prospects of stardom as a solo act. Joplin's first album, I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!, was recorded with the Kozmic Blues Band, a unit that included horns and retained just one of the musicians that had played with her in Big Brother (guitarist Sam Andrew). Although it was a hit, it wasn't her best work; the new band, though more polished musically, was not nearly as sympathetic accompanists as Big Brother, purveying a soul-rock groove that could sound forced. That's not to say it was totally unsuccessful, boasting one of her signature tunes in "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)." For years, Joplin's life had been a roller coaster of drug addiction, alcoholism, and volatile personal relationships, documented in several biographies. Musically, however, things were on the upswing shortly before her death, as she assembled a better, more versatile backing outfit, the Full Tilt Boogie Band, for her final album, Pearl (ably produced by Paul Rothchild). Joplin was sometimes criticized for screeching at the expense of subtlety, but Pearl was solid evidence of her growth as a mature, diverse stylist who could handle blues, soul, and folk-rock. "Mercedes Benz," "Get It While You Can," and Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" are some of her very best tracks. Tragically, she died before the album's release, overdosing on heroin in a Hollywood hotel in October 1970. "Me and Bobby McGee" became a posthumous number one single in 1971, and thus the song with which she is most frequently identified.
Bye, Bye Baby Easy Rider Intruder Light Is Faster than Sound Call on Me Coo-Coo Women Is Losers Blindman Down on Me Caterpillar All Is Loneliness The Last Time
Early performances - 1975 -
Trouble In Mind What Good Can Drinkin' Do Silver threads and golden needles Mississippi River Stealin' Black Mountain Blues Walk Right In River Jordan Mary Jane Kansas City Blues Daddy, Daddy, Daddy See See Rider San Francisco bay blues Winin' Boy Careless love I'll drown in my own tears
Non Albums Tracks - Misc -
Albert hall interview (1969) Amazing grace Blow my mind Bo diddley C'mon baby let the good times roll Catch me daddy Crazy once you know how Dear landlord Dick Cavett TV Interview (1970) Ego Rock Farewell song Flower in the sun Gutra's garden Harry Hey Baby Hi heel sneakers I Can't Turn You Loose I know you rider It's a deal Magic of love Misery 'n Moanin' At Midnight No Reason For Livin' Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out Oh My Soul One night stand Port Arthur High School Reunion Raise your hand Road block St. James Infirmary Tell mama Whisperman
Big Brother & the Holding Company Bye, Bye Baby Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye. I gotta be seeing you around When I change my living standard and I move uptown, Bye-bye, baby, bye-bye. So long, my honey, so long. Too bad you had to drift away ‘Cause I could use some company Right here on this road, on this road I'm on today. I get the feeling I could chase you clean on in the ball And wind up staying pull off, put down strung out and stalled. Honey, I ain't got time to wait on you or to fetch your super ball, I got lots of things I've got to do. I know that you got things to do and places to be. I guess I'll have to find the thing you placed on me. I may wind up in the street or sleep beneath a tree, Still I guess you know honey I've gotta go. Bye, bye-bye, baby, bye-bye. I guess you know you're on your own, It seems you just got lost somewhere out in the world And you left me here to face it all alone, You left me here to face it all alone, You left me here to face it all alone, Bye, bye-bye baby, baby bye-bye! Easy Rider Hey mama, mama, come a look at sister, She's a-standing on the levee trying to do that twist, But easy rider don't you deny my name, Oh no, oh no. Well, I got a girl with a diamond ring, I'll tell you, boys, she knows how to shake that thing. Oh! Easy rider don't you deny my name, Oh no, oh no. Play it! Well, I got a horse and he lives in a tree, He watches Huckleberry Hound on his TV. But easy rider don't you deny my name, Oh no, oh no. I would buy you a plastic suit And I would even buy you some cardboard fruit. Oh! But easy rider don't you deny my name, Oh no, oh no. Yeah, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby doll I said, easy rider, don't you deny my name, pretty baby ... Intruder You come around here Trying to make your demand. You've got a need, darling, I've seen it grow and expand. Yeah, you want to reveal my life With your own two hands. Well, tell me now What are you trying to do ? Those holes in your life Show what you require. You're needin' new eyes, Oh Lord, honey take any wire ? Yeah you've gotta save us all Before the next big fire. Tell me now What are you trying to do ? Walked in my life, Child, and I don't even know your name. You put others around behind ya As if they were lame. You insist a simple feeling Will be all the same. Well, tell me now What are you trying to do ? Now I look like I'm suffering, N-n-n-n-n-n-now I'm doing fine. One look at yourself baby, Child, I got you alive. Yeah, you're gonna take care of yours, I'll take care of mine. What are you trying to do ? Hey!
Light Is Faster Than Sound Light is faster than sound My head to the ground Mind going round Faster than sound. What goes up must go down World goes around Sun shines around Faster than sound. Suddenly I see your face Faster than sound Through the emptiness of space. Faster than sound You're turning my mind all around Faster than sound ‘Cause life is faster than sound. Faster than sound Faster than sound Light is faster than sound My head to the ground Mind going round Faster than sound. What goes up must go down World goes around Sun shines around Faster than sound. Whoa, suddenly I see your face Faster than sound Through the emptiness of space. Faster than sound You're turning my mind all around, Faster than sound ‘Cause life is faster than sound. Faster than sound Faster than sound Call on Me Well, baby, when times are bad, Now call on me, darling, and I'll come to you. When you're in trouble and feel so sad, Well, call on me, darling, come on call on me, and I'll help you. Yeah! A man and a woman have each other, baby, To find their way in this world. I need you, darling, like the fish needs the sea, Don't take your sweet, your sweet love from me. Baby, when you're down and feel so blue, Well, no, you won't drown, darling, I'll be there too. You're not alone, I'm there too, Whatever your troubles, honey, I don't care. A man and a woman have each other, baby, To find their way in this world. I need you, darling, like the fish needs the sea, Don't take your sweet, sweet love from me! Please! So baby, when times are bad, Call on me, darling, just call on me. Coo-Coo Oh, the cuckoo, she's a pretty bird, and she warbles when she flies But she never hollers cuckoo till the fourth day of July. Said Jack o'Diamonds, well Jack o'Diamonds, oh I know you of old, Honey you robbed me of my silver and out of all my gold, All of my gold, all of my gold. Well, Jack o'Diamonds, oh Jack o'Diamonds, oh I know you of old, Honey, you robbed me of my silver and out of all my gold. Said the cuckoo, she's a cruel bird, and she warbles when she flies And every time that she passes, my true love says good-bye, Well, says good-bye, well says good-bye, Ooh, ooh ... Women Is Losers Women is losers Women is losers, oh Say honey women is losers. Well, I know you must try, Lord, And everywhere Men almost seem to end up on top. Oh, if they told you they want you Say come around by your door. Whoa I say now, if they don't desert you, They'll leave you and never be here for more. Oh yeah! Women is losers Women is losers Women is losers, Lord, Lord, Lord!!! So now I know you must-a know, Lord, it's true, Men always seem to end up on top. They wear a nice shiny armor Until there is a dragon for to slay. Any day now, Course with men beggin' to pay ‘em Then they'll turn and run away, oh! Women is losers Women is losers Women is losers, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord!!! So I know you must-a know, Lord, Anywhere Men almost seem to end up on top, oh! Blindman Well, the blind man, he stood on the way and cried Blind man, he stood on the way and cried Blind man stood on the way and cried, Crying, “Oh, show me the way, show me the way, Show me the way, the way to go home.” My daddy stood on that-a way and cried My daddy stood on that-a way and cried Daddy stood on the way and cried Crying, “Oh, show me the way, show me the way, Show me the way, the way to go home.” Now now now, the blind man, he stood on the way and cried Blind man, he stood on the way and cried Blind man stood on the way and cried, Crying, “Oh, show me the way, show me the way, Show me the way, the way to go home.” “Show me the way, show me the way, Show me the way, the way to go home.” Down on Me Down on me, down on me, Looks like everybody in this whole round world They're down on me. Love in this world is so hard to find When you've got yours and I got mine. That's why it looks like everybody in this whole round world They're down on me. Saying they're down on me, down on me. Looks like everybody in this whole round world Down on me. When you see a hand that's held out toward you, Give it some love, some day it may be you. That's why it looks like everybody in this whole round world They're down on me, yeah. Lord, they're down on me, down on me, oh! Looks like everybody in this whole round world Is down on me. Believe in your brother, have faith in man, Help each other, honey, if you can Because it looks like everybody in this whole round world Is down on me. I'm saying down on me, oh, down on me, oh! It looks like everybody in this whole round world Down on me!!
Caterpillar I'm a caterpillar I'm a caterpillar Crawling for your love Crawling for your love Crawling for your love, For your love. I'm a butterfly I'm a butterfly Flying for your love Flying for your love Flying for your love, For your love. Well, I'll be anything that you want me to be. Baby, I'd even would be climbing up your tree. I'm a pterodactyl I'm a pterodactyl Dying for your love Dying for your love Dying for your love For your love. I'm an abominable snowman I'm an abominable snowman Calling for your love Calling for your love Calling for your love For your love. Well now baby, I'll be anything that you want me to be, Baby, a big monkey, a little monkey, a chimpanzee. Oh now, I'm a caterpillar I'm a caterpillar Falling for your love Falling for your love Falling for your love For your love. Oh baby, Falling for your love Falling for your love Falling for your love For your love. Falling for your love Falling for your love Falling for your love For your love. All Is Loneliness All is loneliness before me Loneliness before me. Loneliness. All is loneliness Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me. All is loneliness Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness. Loneliness come botherin' ‘round my house Loneliness come botherin' Loneliness come botherin' Loneliness come botherin' round my house Loneliness Loneliness come worryin' round my door Loneliness come worryin' Loneliness come worryin' Loneliness come worryin' round my door Loneliness, oh loneliness All is Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness before me Loneliness ... The Last Time Make it the last time, make it the last time Make it the last time, oh darling please. But I don't understand why you always pick the time When I've just talked to you with your love on my mind. To see a distant light, to hear a far-off horn To leave me one more time, I can't stand no more Say no more, well no more, Well no more, darling, please. And every time you leave I make the very same vow That when you come back I ain't gonna love you no how. But when you return you look so fine to me I can't stand no more, my darling, it's just got to be I said the last time, oh the last time, Oh the last time, darling, please. Don't you understand me, don't you understand me ? Honey, don't you understand my word ? Well, you told me that you love me, I believed you, darling, But you lied, you know it's true. Hold on to my heart, I'll believe it till you're leaving Then I'll cry. Oh darling, oh darling, Oh darling, make up your mind Oh, I can't stand your loving, honey, it's tearing me apart, You done got my soul, but now you're after my heart. Well, don't hurt me, darling, now you know how to do it so well I just got one consolation, I just wail It was the last time It was the last time It was the last time, darling, please. When you told me that you love me I believed you, darling, But you lied, you know it's true. Hold on to my heart, I'll believe it till you're leaving Then I'll cry. Well no more, well no more, Well no more without you, please! If you wanna love me, honey, please stay home, If you don't wanna love me, baby, please stay gone. Don't you understand me, don't you understand me ? Don't you understand my words ? Say no more, oh no more, Well no more, oh, darling, oh! You told me that you love me I believed you, darling, But you lied, you know it's true. Hold on to my heart, I'll believe it till you're leaving Then I'll cry, yeah. Cheap thrills
Combination of the Two Ooh! Yeah yeah! Alright, baby! Everybody's got it, They're all trying to feel it Everybody's dancing and singing romance And they want to feel more, baby. Baby, I've got to feel you more Hey come on, feeling good, baby, baby, Come on and do it, come on, come on, Come on try it with me, try it with me, baby. Oh, whoa, whoa, mama, mama, mama, Oh, whoa, alright, come on, feel it! Oh, whoa, waaaah!! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Yeah, we're gonna knock ya, rock ya, Gonna sing at ya now. Hmm! Alright, alright! Hey baby! Everybody over at the Avalon Ballroom in the San Francisco bay Everybody have-have-have have a lot of fun, I know! I can tell you they're feeling good Gotta try the feeling baby Gotta try the feeling, gotta try. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Yeah, we're gonna knock ya, rock ya, Gonna sing at ya now. Hey! Ooh! Don't matter who you are, no, Don't matter where you come from You just gotta try to feel it C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, ready. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, come on, boys! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Waah!! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Yeah, we're gonna knock ya, rock ya, Gonna sing at ya now. Do do do do do do do do do do do do do. I Need a Man to Love Whoa, I need a man to love me. Don't you understand me, baby ? Why, I need a man to love. I gotta find him, I gotta have him like the air I breathe. One lovin' man to understand can't be too much to need. You know it Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be this loneliness Baby, surrounding me. No, no, know it just can't be No it just can't be There's got to be some kind of answer. No it just can't be And everywhere I look, there's none around No it just can't be Whoa, it can't be No it just can't be, oh no! Whoa, hear me now. Whoa, won't you let me hold you ? Honey, just close your eyes. Whoa, won't you let me hold you, dear ? I want to just put my arms around ya, like the circles going ‘round the sun. Let me hold you daddy, at least until the morning comes. Because it Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be this loneliness Baby, surrounding me. No, no, no it just can't be. No it just can't be Oh, baby, baby, baby, baby, just can't be. No, no, no No it just can't be And why can't anyone ever tell me, now ? No it just can't be I wake up one morning, I realize No it just can't be Whoa, it can't be. No it just can't be Now go! Whoa, I need a man to love me Oh, maybe you can help me, please. Why, I need a man to love. But I believe that someday and somehow it's bound to come along Because when all my dreams and all my plans just cannot turn out wrong. You know it Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be now Oh no Can't be just loneliness Baby, surrounding me No, no, no, it just can't be No it just can't be Oh, baby, baby, baby, baby, it just can't be No it just can't be And who could be foolin' me ? No it just can't be I've got all this happiness No it just can't be Come, come, come on, come on, come on, and help me now. No it just can't be Please, can't you hear my cry ? No it just can't be Whoa, help ... Summertime Summertime, time, time, Child, the living's easy. Fish are jumping out And the cotton, Lord, Cotton's high, Lord, so high. Your daddy's rich And your ma is so good-looking, baby. She's looking good now, Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, No, no, no, no, don't you cry. Don't you cry! One of these mornings You're gonna rise, rise up singing, You're gonna spread your wings, Child, and take, take to the sky, Lord, the sky. But until that morning Honey, n-n-nothing's going to harm you now, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Don't you cry, Cry. Piece of My Heart Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on! Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man —yeah! Didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can ? Honey, you know I did! And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough, But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough. I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it, Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby! Oh, oh, break it! Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, oh, have a! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, You know you got it if it makes you feel good, Oh, yes indeed. You're out on the streets looking good, And baby deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right, Never, never, never, never, never, never hear me when I cry at night, Babe, I cry all the time! And each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain, But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again. I'll say come on, come on, come on, come on and take it! Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby. Oh, oh, break it! Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, Oh, oh, have a! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good. I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it, Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby! oh, oh, break it! Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, c'mon now. oh, oh, have a Have another little piece of my heart now, baby. You know you got it —whoahhhhh!! Take it! Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby, Oh, oh, break it! Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Oh, oh, have a Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, hey, You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good. Turtle Blues Ah, I'm a mean, mean woman And I don't mean no one man, no good, no. I'm a mean, mean woman, I don't mean no one man, no good. I just treats ‘em like I wants to I never treats ‘em, honey like I should. Oh, Lord, I once had a daddy, He said he'd give me everything in sight. Once had a daddy, Said he'd give me everything in sight. Yes, he did So I said, “Honey, I want the sunshine, you take the stars out of the night. Come on and give ‘em to me, babe, ‘cause I want ‘em right now.” I ain't the kind of woman Who'd make your life a bed of ease, ha ha ha ha! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not the kind of woman, no, To make your life a bed of ease. Yeah, but if you, if you just wanna go out drinkin', honey, Won't you invite me along please. Oh, I'll be so good to ya babe, yeah! Whoa, go on! I guess I'm just like a turtle That's hidin' underneath its horny shell. Whoa, whoa, oh yeah, like a turtle Hidin' underneath its horny shell. But you know I'm very well protected — I know this goddamn life too well. Oh! Now call me mean, you can call me evil, yeah, yeah, I've been called much of some things around, Honey, don't ya know I have! Whoa, call me mean or call me evil I've been called much of some things, all things around, Yeah, but I'm gonna take good care of Janis, yeah, Honey, ain't no one gonna dog me down. Alright, yeah.
Oh, Sweet Mary Yeah! Oh, sweet Mary, child of confusion, she runs the hills to cry Past the willows or an illusion, Lord, tell me the reason why. Tell me why, why is it all so hard ? Breathing in the air Breathe in the air Anyone to care. Oh! (Alright, yeah!) Oh, sweet Mary, in our story, have we nothing left to give ? But don't we all know, babe, if we're pressed to, that that's the way we live. Tell me why, why is it all so hard ? Breathing in the air Breathing in the air Anyone to care, oh, yeah! Hop now, hop now, hop now, hop now, hop now, hop now, Hop now, hop now, hop now, hop now, hop now, hop now, whoa, yeah! Ball and Chain Sittin' down by my window, Honey, lookin' out at the rain. Oh, Lord, Lord, sittin' down by my window, Baby, lookin' out at the rain. Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me, honey, And it felt just like a ball and chain. Honey, that's exactly what it felt like, Honey, just dragging me down. And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now hon', tell me why, Why does every single little tiny thing I hold on to go wrong ? Yeah it goes wrong, yeah. And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now babe, tell me why, Does every thing, every thing. Hey, here you gone today, I wanted to love you, I just wanted to hold you, I said, for so long, Yeah! Alright! Hey! Love's got a hold on me, baby, Feels like a ball and chain. Now, love's just draggin' me down, baby, Feels like a ball and chain. I hope there's someone out there who could tell me Why the man I love wanna leave me in so much pain. Yeah, maybe, maybe you could help me, come on, help me! And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now hon', tell me why, Now tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me why, yeah. And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, when I ask you, When I need to know why, c'mon tell me why, hey hey hey, Here you've gone today, I wanted to love you and hold you Till the day I die. I said whoa, whoa, whoa!! And I say oh, whoa, whoa, no honey It ain't fair, daddy it ain't fair what you do, I see what you're doin' to me and you know it ain't fair. And I say oh, whoa whoa now baby It ain't fair, now, now, now, what you do I said hon' it ain't fair what, hon' it ain't fair what you do. Oh, here you gone today and all I ever wanted to do Was to love you Honey you can still hear me rock and roll the best, Only it ain't roll, no, no, no, no, no. Sittin' down by my window, Lookin' out at the rain. Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin' down by my window, Lookin' out at the rain, see the rain. Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me, And it felt like a ball and chain. Oh this can't be in vain And I'm gonna tell you one more time, yeah, yeah! And I say oh, whoa whoa, now baby This can't be, no this can't be in vain, And I say no no no no no no no no, whoa, And I say whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Now now now now now now now now now no no not in vain Hey, hope there is someone that could tell me Hon', tell me why love is like Just like a ball Just like a ball Baaaaaaalllll Oh daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy And a chain. Yeah. Goodnight and thank you for coming and have a happy Sunday
I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!
Try (Just a Little Bit Harder) Try, try, try just a little bit harder So I can love, love, love him, I tell myself Well, I'm gonna try yeah, just a little bit harder So I won't lose, lose, lose him to nobody else. Hey! Well, I don't care how long it's gonna take you now, But if it's a dream I don't want No I don't really want it If it's a dream I don't want nobody to wake me. Yeah, I'm gonna try yeah, just a little bit harder So I can give, give, give, give him every bit of my soul. Yeah, I'm gonna try yeah, just a little bit harder So I can show, show, show him love with no control. Hey! I've waited so long for someone so fine I ain't gonna lose my chance, no I don't wanna lose it, Ain't gonna lose my chance to make you mine, all mine. All right, get it! Yeah! Try yeah, try yeah, hey, hey, hey, try yeah, Oh try whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Oh anybody, oh anybody, oh anybody, Try oh yeah (just a little bit harder) Whoa I gotta try some more, I said try yeah, aw I said try, I said try try try try try try, Oh try oh yeah, try oh yeah! Hey hey, I gotta talk to my man now, You know I, I gotta feel for my man now, I said I, I gotta work for my man now, You know I, I gotta hurt for my man now, I think-a every day for my man now, You know it, every way for my man now. I say try, try yeah, oh try yeah, Hey hey hey, try yeah-hey, oh, try... Maybe Maybe Oh if I could pray and I try, dear, You might come back home, home to me. Maybe Whoa, if I could ever hold your little hand Oh you might understand. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, yeah. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe dear I guess I might have done something wrong, Honey I'd be glad to admit it. Oh, come on home to me! Honey maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe yeah. Well I know that it just doesn't ever seem to matter, baby, Oh honey, when I go out or what I'm trying to do, Can't you see I'm still left here And I'm holding on in needing you. Please, please, please, please, Oh won't you reconsider babe. Now come on, I said come back, Won't you come back to me! Maybe dear, oh maybe, maybe, maybe, Let me help you show me how. Honey, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, Maybe, maybe, maybe, yeah, Maybe, maybe, maybe, yeah. Ooh! One Good Man Honey, I love to go to parties And I like to have a good time, But if it gets too pale after a while Honey and I start looking to find One good man. Hmm, don't you know I've been searching, Oh yes I have! One good man, Oh ain't much, honey ain't much, It's only everything, whoa. An' I don't want much outa life, I never wanted a mansion in the South. I just-a want to find someone sincere Who'd treat me like he talks, One good man. Oh honey don't you know that I've been looking. Oh, one good man Ain't much, honey it ain't much, Oh, it's only everything. All right. Some girls they want to collect their men, They wear 'em like notches on a gun. Oh honey, but I know better than that, I know that a woman only needs one. One good man, oh, Oh baby don't you know I've been looking, hmm. One good man, It ain't much, no, no honey it ain't much, Oh, it's only every little thing, Just-a everything, everything Ah yeah. As Good As You've Been to This World Live your loving life, Live it all the best you can And if you pay no attention darling To what you might ever hear from your man, I think you're just like a servant And try to keep it all to yourself. Don't you know it makes the world go round, You gotta go and honey share everywhere else. Come on, come on, come on! As good as you've been to this world So good I wanna be right back to you. As good as you've been now, As good as you've been to this whole wide world, So good I wanna be. As good as you've been now, say, As good as you've been to this whole wide world, As good as you've been, babe, So good I wanna be here. Ain't no use in being faithful, I see you look at the sky. I know what's in it make you happy there, But it only make you cry. I think you got good intentions too, They don't manage to show through. Whatever you give to the world outside, I wanna give it right back to you, yes I am! Come on, come on, come on! So you meet somebody on the street, You know you treat him mighty fine, Or you meet somebody on the street And you give him a real hard time. It's gonna come on home baby, I said it's gonna come right back home to you. I said it's gonna visit you now, Yes it is, oh yes it is. As good as you've been to this whole wide world, As good as you've been, babe, So good I wanna be here. Oh, good as you've been to this whole wide world, As good as you've been, babe, So good I wanna be here. Ah, the way you love your mother, The way you love your sister, your brother, The way you love your aunt, your uncle, Anybody now, everybody now. Good as you've been babe, hurrah! Good as you've been babe, hey! Good as you've been babe, hey! Good as you've been babe ‘Cause I'm just gonna show you now And I'm just gonna make you want it now ‘Cause I 'm just gonna give you a thrill Say, good as you been babe, hurrah, good as you been babe, Come on, good as you been babe, I say, good as you been babe, Oh daddy, good as you been babe, My man, good as you been babe, All right, yeah hey. To Love Somebody There's a light, certain kinda light, Never ever, never shone on me, no, no. Honey, I want, I want my whole life To be lived with you, babe, That's what I want oh, was to be Living and loving you. There's a way, oh everybody say You can do anything, every thing yeah. But what good, what good, Honey, what good could it ever bring ‘Cause I ain't got you with my love And I can't find you babe, no I can't. You don't know, you don't know what it's like, No you don't, honey no you don't know, You don't know what it's like To love anybody. Oh honey, I wanna talk about love And trying to hold somebody The way I love you babe, And I've been loving you babe. In my brain, oh I can see your face again, I know my frame of mind, yeah. But nobody, nobody has to ever be so blind, Honey, like I did, I know I was blind, Honey, I tell you that I was, I was very, very blind. Oh but I'm just a girl, Can't you just take a look at me and tell, Tell that I live, honey I live and I breathe for you, Don't you know I do! But what good, what good, Honey, what good could ever do ‘Cause I ain't got you, that's all I've ever wanted, And I ain't got you, babe, oh but I've been looking 'round. But you don't know, you don't know what it's like, No you don't, no, no, no, you don't know, Honey, you don't know what it's like Oh to love anybody. Oh honey I wanna talk about Trying to hold somebody when you're lonely The way I loved you, baby, And I just want you to know I tried. Oh I know that there's a way ‘Cause everybody came to me one time and said, “Honey, you can do anything, Every little thing,#148; and I think I can. Oh, but what good, what good, Honey, what awfully good can it ever, ever bring, ‘Cause I can't find you with my love, And I can't find you babe, oh anywhere. Oh, but you don't know, You don't know what it's like, No you don't and you never ever, ever did. You don't know, honey, You don't know what it's like Oh to love anybody. Oh honey I wanna talk about trying to hold you. Oh baby, baby, baby, yeah, But you don't know, You don't know what it's like, And you never ever, ever did, I said I tried to throw my love around you And I tried to help you darling. But you never ever, no you never ever, No you never ever, no you never ever, I know that you know that No you never ever, ever, ever, Oh let me throw my love, Throw my love all around you, yeah. Kozmic Blues Time keeps movin' on, Friends they turn away. I keep movin' on But I never found out why I keep pushing so hard the dream, I keep tryin' to make it right Through another lonely day, whoaa. Dawn has come at last, Twenty-five years, honey just in one night, oh yeah. Well, I'm twenty-five years older now So I know we can't be right And I'm no better, baby, And I can't help you no more Than I did when just a girl. Aww, but it don't make no difference, baby, no, no, And I know that I could always try. It don't make no difference, baby, yeah, I better hold it now, I better need it, yeah, I better use it till the day I die, whoa. Don't expect any answers, dear, For I know that they don't come with age, no, no. Well, ain't never gonna love you any better, babe. And I'm never gonna love you right, So you'd better take it now, right now. Oh! But it don't make no difference, babe, hey, And I know that I could always try. There's a fire inside everyone of us, You'd better need it now, I got to hold it, yeah, I better use it till the day I die. Don't make no difference, babe, no, no, no, And it never ever will, hey, I wanna talk about a little bit of loving, yeah, I got to hold it, baby, I'm gonna need it now, I'm gonna use it, say, aaaah, Don't make no difference, babe, yeah, Ah honey, I'd hate to be the one. I said you're gonna live your life And you're gonna love your life Or babe, someday you're gonna have to cry. Yes indeed, yes indeed, yes indeed, Ah, baby, yes indeed. I said you, you're always gonna hurt me, I said you're always gonna let me down, I said everywhere, every day, every day And every way, every way. Ah honey won't you hold on to what's gonna move. I said it's gonna disappear when you turn your back. I said you know it ain't gonna be there When you wanna reach out and grab on. Whoa babe, Whoa babe, Whoa babe, Oh but keep truckin' on. Whoa yeah, Whoa yeah, Whoa yeah, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa ... Little Girl Blue Sit there, hmm, count your fingers. What else, what else is there to do ? Oh and I know how you feel, I know you feel that you're through. Oh wah wah ah sit there, hmm, count, Ah, count your little fingers, My unhappy oh little girl, little girl blue, yeah. Oh sit there, oh count those raindrops Oh, feel 'em falling down, oh honey all around you. Honey don't you know it's time, I feel it's time, Somebody told you ‘cause you got to know That all you ever gonna have to count on Or gonna wanna lean on It's gonna feel just like those raindrops do When they're falling down, honey, all around you. Oh, I know you're unhappy. Oh sit there, ah go on, go on And count your fingers. I don't know what else, what else Honey have you got to do. And I know how you feel, And I know you ain't got no reason to go on And I know you feel that you must be through. Oh honey, go on and sit right back down, I want you to count, oh count your fingers, Ah my unhappy, my unlucky And my little, oh, girl blue. I know you're unhappy, Ooh ah, honey I know, Baby I know just how you feel. Work Me, Lord Work me Lord, work me Lord. Please don't you leave me, I feel so useless down here With no one to love Though I've looked everywhere And I can't find me anybody to love, To feel my care. So ah work me Lord, whoa use me Lord, Don't you know how hard it is Trying to live all alone. Every day I keep trying to move forward, But something is driving me, oh, back, Honey, something's trying to hold on to me, To my way of life. So don't you forget me down here, Lord, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Ah, ah, don't you forget me, Lord. Well I don't think I'm any very special Kind of person down here, I know better, But I don't think you're gonna find anybody, Not anybody who could say that they tried like I tried, The worst you can say all about me Is that I'm never satisfied. Whoa. Whoa, oh, oh, work me Lord, hmm, use me Lord, Please, honey, don't you leave me, I feel so useless down here. I can't find me anybody to love me And I've looked around, I've looked everywhere, everywhere And I can't find me anyone to love, To feel my care. So honey don't you go and leave me, Lord, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Honey, don't you go off and leave me, Lord. Can't I show you how hard it is Trying to live when you're all alone. Everyday I keep pushing, Keep trying to move forward But something is driving me, oh, back, And something's trying to hold on to me, To my way of life, why. Oh please, please, oh don't you go and Forget me down here, don't forget me, Lord. I think that maybe you can ease me, Maybe I can help you, said uh whoa, Oh please, please, don't you go and leave me Lord, No, no, no, no, no, no, no, whoa, whoa please, Hmm please, don't you leave me, Lord.
Pearl
Move Over You say that it's over baby, Lord, You say that it's over now, But still you hang around me, come on, Won't you move over. You know that I need a man, honey Lord, You know that I need a man, But when I ask you to you just tell me That maybe you can. Please dontcha do it to me babe, no! Please dontcha do it to me baby, Either take this love I offer Or honey let me be. I ain't quite a ready for walking, no no no no, I ain't quite a ready for walking, And whatcha gonna do with your life, Life all just dangling ? Oh yeah, make up your mind, honey, You're playing with me, hey hey hey, Make up your mind, darling, You're playing with me, come on now! Now either be my loving man, I said-a let me honey, let me be, yeah! You say that it's over, baby, no, You say that it's over now, But still you hang around me, come on Won't you move over. You know that I need a man, honey, I told you so. You know that I need a man, But when I ask you to you just tell me That maybe you can. Hey! Please dontcha do it to me, babe, no! Please dontcha do it to me baby, Either take this love I offer, Honey let me be. I said won't you, won't you let me be ? Honey, you're teasing me. Yeah, you're playing with my heart, dear, I believe you're toying with my affections, honey. I can't take it no more baby, And furthermore, I don't intend to. I'm just tired of hanging from the end of a string, honey, You expect me to fight like a goddamned mule. Wah, wah, wah, wah, honey... Cry Baby Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, Honey, welcome back home. I know she told you, Honey I know she told you that she loved you Much more than I did, But all I know is that she left you, And you swear that you just don't know why, But you know, honey I'll always, I'll always be around if you ever want me Come on and cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, Oh honey, welcome back home. Don't you know, honey, Ain't nobody ever gonna love you The way I try to do ? Who'll take all your pain, Honey, your heartache, too ? And if you need me, you know That I'll always be around if you ever want me Come on and cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby, Oh daddy, like you always saying to do. And when you walk around the world, babe, You said you'd try to look for the end of the road, You might find out later that the road'll end in Detroit, Honey, the road'll even end in Kathmandu. You can go all around the world Trying to find something to do with your life, baby, When you only gotta do one thing well, You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world, babe. You got a woman waiting for you there, All you ever gotta do is be a good man one time to one woman And that'll be the end of the road, babe, I know you got more tears to share, babe, So come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, And cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby. And if you ever feel a little lonely, dear, I want you to come on, come on to your mama now, And if you ever want a little love of a woman Come on and baby baby baby babe babe baby now Cry baby yeah. A Woman Left Lonely A woman left lonely will soon grow tired of waiting, She'll do crazy things, yeah, on lonely occasions. A simple conversation for the new men now and again Makes a touchy situation when a good face come into your head. And when she gets lonely, she's thinking ‘bout her man, She knows he's taking her for granted, yeah yeah, Honey, she doesn't understand, no no no no! Well, the fevers of the night, they burn an unloved woman Yeah, those red-hot flames try to push old love aside. A woman left lonely, she's the victim of her man, yes she is. When he can't keep up his own way, good Lord, She's got to do the best that she can, yeah! A woman left lonely, Lord, that lonely girl, Lord, Lord, Lord! Half Moon Half moon, night time sky, Seven stars, heaven's eyes. Seven songs on seven seas Just to bring all your sweet love home to me. Hey, you fill me like the mountains, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, You fill me like the sea, Lord, Not coming past but still at last Your love brings life to me, Your love brings life to me, hey! Rings of cloud and arms aflame, Wings rise up to call your name. Sun rolls high, Lord, it burns the ground Just to tell about the first good man I found. Yeah, you fill me like the mountains, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, You fill me like the sea, Lord, Not coming past but still at last Your love brings life to me, Your love brings life to me. Oh oh oh oh oh oh yeah! Half moon on night time sky, Seven stars, heaven's eyes. Seven songs on seven seas Just to bring all your sweet love home to me. Hey baby, you fill me like the mountains, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, You fill me like the sea, Lord, Not coming past honey still at last Lord, you fill me like the mountains, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, You fill me like the sea, Lord, Not coming past but still at last Hey, you fill me like the mountains, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, You fill me like the sea, oh Lord, You're not coming past, honey, still at last Your love brings life to me, Your love brings life to me, Your love... la la la la la, la Won't you bring life to me I said you're gonna ride around When I'm on a little home babe, Bring it on home, you bring it on home, Bring it on home, bring it on home, I said your love brings life to me, yeah. Buried Alive In The Blues ( Nick Gravenites ) The song “Buried Alive in the Blues” is an instrumental only because Janis died the night before she'd planned to record the vocal track
All caught up in a landslide, bad luck pressing in from all sides Just got knocked off of my easy ride, Buried alive in the blues Sunday morning everybody's in bed, I'm On the street, I'm talking out of my head, This dumb brick wall ain't heard a word That I've said, I'm buried alive in the blues I'm buried alive, oh yeah, in the blues I'm buried alive, somebody help me, in the blues I beg for mercy, I pray for rain, I can't be the one to accept all this blame, Something here's trying to pollute my brain, I' buried alive in the blues. It's real hard you know, it's real hard being buried alive It's real hard being buried alive When you're buried alive they walk right on by you. When you're buried alive they never care about you. When you're buried alive, oh, you reach out for somebody, And when you're buried alive you get can't seem to press on through Being buried alive is a bad condition; it's a real weird situation Being buried alive in the blues, it's a real weird situation Being buried Being buried Being buried Being buried Being buried alive in the blues, It's a real weird situation. Oh, yeah
My Baby And when I work hard all day long I tell you what, it don't bother me nohow, ‘Cause how could anything ever go wrong When I got my baby, Lord, yes, When I got my baby, oh Lord! And when they tell me love is pain I said it might be true for you, honey, But not for Janis no more, no no no no. All I've ever got to do is call my daddy's name Yeah and I got m-my baby, Lord, yeah, Yes I got my baby, good good God, Honey, I wanna tell you something that I do. Deep down, h-honey, in the dark of the night, When I lay my head down, I wanna go to sleep, And I know everything is gonna be alright, Yeah I got my baby, Lord yeah, ‘Cause I got m-my baby, oh yeah. And when I wanna call the names Or the things to be that wanna be to you. And when I wanna reach out my hand It always seems you hold me, dear, Love, don't you know how long I looked for you Daddy, daddy, daddy. Love, don't you know how hard I tried, But now I got my baby, Lord, yeah, Now I got my baby, yeah. Me & Bobby McGee Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train And I's feeling nearly as faded as my jeans. Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained, It rode us all the way to New Orleans. I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna, I was playing soft while Bobby sang the blues. Windshield wipers slapping time, I was holding Bobby's hand in mine, We sang every song that driver knew. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose, Nothing don't mean nothing honey if it ain't free, now now. And feeling good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues, You know feeling good was good enough for me, Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee. From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun, Hey, Bobby shared the secrets of my soul. Through all kinds of weather, through everything that we done, Hey Bobby baby kept me from the cold. One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away, He's looking for that home and I hope he finds it, But I'd trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday To be holding Bobby's body next to mine. Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose, Nothing, that's all that Bobby left me, yeah, But feeling good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues, Hey, feeling good was good enough for me, hmm hmm, Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee. La la la, la la la la, la la la, la la la la La la la la la Bobby McGee. La la la la la, la la la la la La la la la la, Bobby McGee, la. La La la, la la la la la la, La La la la la la la la la, hey now Bobby now Bobby McGee yeah. Na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na na na Hey now Bobby now, Bobby McGee, yeah. Lord, I'm calling my lover, calling my man, I said I'm calling my lover just the best I can, C'mon, where is Bobby now, where is Bobby McGee, yeah, Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lord Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee, Lord! Yeah! Whew! Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lord Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee. I'd like to do a song of great social and political import. It goes like this:
Mercedes Benz Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends. Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends, So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ? Oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV ? Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me. I wait for delivery each day until three, So oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV ? Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town ? I'm counting on you, Lord, please don't let me down. Prove that you love me and buy the next round, Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town ? Everybody! Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ? My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends, Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends, So oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz ? That's it! Trust Me Trust in me, baby, give me time, gimme time, um gimme time. I heard somebody say, oh, “The older the grape, Sweeter the wine, sweeter the wine.” Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow, It's growing stronger day by day, yeah, That's the price you've got to pay. Trust in me, baby, give me time, gimme time, please, a little more time. Takes a road runner just a little bit uh-longer, dear, Oh, to make up my mind, I gotta make up my mind. Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow, It's growing stronger day by day, That's the price that we both got to pay. I gotta know, know that I'm ready, oh ready to settle down, ‘Cause I think too much of your loving, baby, Yeah, I don't wanna mess your life around! So if you love me like you tell me that you're doing, dear, You shouldn't mind paying the price, any price, any price. Love is supposed to be that special kind of thing, Make anybody want to sacrifice. Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow, It's growing stronger day by day, That's the price we both gotta pay. Trust in me baby, trust in me baby, Trust in my love, in my heart. Keep the faith, baby, keep the faith in me, dear, in my love. Don't turn your face away from me, dear, oh you leave a lost girl, Oh, don't turn your love away, no no no no no no no, You gotta believe in me, baby, yeah, trust me dear, oh... Get it While You Can In this world, if you read the papers, Lord, You know everybody's fighting on with each other. You got no one you can count on, baby, Not even your own brother. So if someone comes along, He's gonna give you some love and affection I'd say get it while you can, yeah! Honey, get it while you can, Hey, hey, get it while you can, Don't you turn your back on love, no, no! Don't you know when you're loving anybody, baby, You're taking a gamble on a little sorrow, But then who cares, baby, ‘Cause we may not be here tomorrow, no. And if anybody should come along, He gonna give you any love and affection, I'd say get it while you can, yeah! Hey, hey, get it while you can, Hey, hey, get it while you can. Don't you turn your back on love, No no no, no no no no no. Oh, get it while you can, Honey get it when you're gonna wanna need it dear, yeah yeah, Hey hey, get it while you can, Don't you turn your back on love, No no no, no no no no, get it while you can, I said hold on to somebody when you get a little lonely, dear, Hey hey, hold on to that man's heart, Yeah, get it, want it, hold it, need it, Get it, want it, need it, hold it, Get it while you can, yeah, Honey get it while you can, baby, yeah, Hey hey, get it while you can!
Early performances
( From the Soundtrack of the Motion Picture "Janis" )
Trouble In Mind Trouble in mind, I'm blue But I won't be blue always, 'Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday Now all you men's the same But now I'm old enough to change my name Lord, that sun's gonna shine in my back door someday I'm gonna lay my head On that lonesome railroad line And let the 2:19 ease my troubled mind Trouble in mind, I'm blue, But I won't be blue always Child, that wind's gonna come and blow my blues away!
What Good Can Drinkin' Do
What good can drinkin' do, what good can drinkin' do? Lord, I drink all night but the next day I still feel blue There's a glass on the table, they say it's gonna ease all my pain, And there's a glass on the table, they say it's gonna ease all my pain But I drink it down, an' the next day I feel the same Gimme whiskey, gimme bourbon, give me gin Oh, gimme whiskey, give me bourbon, gimme gin 'Cause it don't matter what I'm drinkin', Lord, as long as it drown this sorrow I'm in I start drinking Friday, I start drinking Friday night Lord, I start drinking Friday, start drinking Friday night But then I wake up on Sunday, child, there ain't nothin' that's right My man he left me, child, he left me here Yeah, my good man left me, went away and left me here Lord, I'm feelin' lowdown, just give me another glass of beer What good can drinkin' do, what good can drinkin' do? Well, I drink all night but the next day I still feel blue!
Silver threads and golden needles
Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend this heart of mine And I'll never drown my sorrow in the warm glow of your wine. You can't buy my love with money, for I never was that kind, Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend this heart of mine. Go ahead! I don't want your golden mansions with a tear in every room, All I want's the love you promised, beneath the halo moon. But you think I should be happy with your money and your name And hide myself in sorrow while you play your cheatin' game. Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend this heart of mine And I'll never drown my sorrow in the warm glow of your wine. You can't buy my love with money, for I never was that kind, Silver threads and golden needles cannot mend this heart of mine.
Mississippi River Ready ? Well, I'm going down that Mississippi River, yes, I am, yes I am Well, I'm going down that Mississippi River, yes, I am, yes I am Yes I am, boy, yes I am Well, I'm goin' on that big Belle Louise, yes, I am, yes I am Well, I'm going on that big Belle Louise, yes, I am, yes I am Yes I am, boy, yes I am Oh man, where are you gonna catch your river, catch me tryin', you catch me tryin' Oh man, where are you gonna catch your river, you catch me tryin', you catch me tryin' You catch me tryin', boys, you catch me tryin' Man, will your daughter take on me? Well, I don't know, I don't know Oh man, will your daughter take on me? I don't know, I don't know I don't know, boy, I don't know Well, I'm going down that Mississippi River, yes, I am, yes I am Well, I'm going down that Mississippi River, yes, I am, yes I am Yes I am, boy, yes I am
Stealin'
Well, put your arms around me like the circles in the sun I want you to love me daddy like my easy rider done. If you don't believe that I love you, look what a fool I've been, If you don't think I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in. I'm stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't you tell on me, I'm stealin' back my same old used-to-be. Well, I got a little woman, 'bout my height and size, Now she's a married woman, sees me once in a while. If you don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been If you don't think I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in. Stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't you tell on me, I'm stealin' back my same old used-to-be. With good whiskey you stay drunk all the time, Stay drunk baby 'cause it eases my mind. If you don't believe that I love you, look what a fool I've been, If you don't think I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in. I'm stealin', stealin', pretty mama don't you tell on me I'm stealin' right back my same old used-to-be.
Black Mountain Blues Out in Black Mountain a child will smack your face I'm saying out on Black Mountain a child will smack your face The babies cryin' for liquor, and all the birds sing bass Well, those people in Black Mountain are mean as they can be And those people in Black Mountain are mean as they can be Now they uses gun powder just to sweeten up their tea Well, out in Black Mountain you can't keep a good man in jail Yeah, out in Black Mountain you can't keep a good man in jail 'Cause if the jury convicts him, the judge will pay his bail I had a man in Black Mountain, the sweetest man in town I had a man in Black Mountain, the sweetest man in the town But then he met a city gal, that's when he throwed me down Lord, I'm bound for Black Mountain, me and my razor and my gun I'm going back to Black Mountain, me and my razor and my gun I'm gonna fire him if he stands still, I'll just cut him if he runs Lord, now you've heard my story, now you've heard my news Lord, now you've heard my story, now you've heard my news Now my man can clear off, I've got the Blackest Mountain blues
Walk Right In Walk right in and sit right down, daddy, let your mind roll on You'd better walk right in and stay a little while, daddy, you can't stay too long Now everybody's talkin' 'bout your new way of walkin', do you wanna lose your mind? Lord, walk right in and sit right down, daddy, let your mind roll on Walk right in and sit right down, and daddy, let your hair hang low You'd better walk right in and stay a little while, daddy, you can stay too long Now everybody's talkin' 'bout a new way of walkin', do you wanna lose your mind? Lord, walk right in and sit right down, daddy, let your mind roll on Walk right in and sit right down, daddy, let your mind roll on You'd better walk right in and stay a little while, daddy, you can't stay too long Now everybody's talkin' 'bout a two-way woman, do you wanna lose your mind? You'd better walk right in, sit right down, daddy, let your mind roll on!
River Jordan I'm goin' down to the river Jordan I'm goin' down to the river Jordan I'm goin' down to the river Jordan I'm goin' down to the river Jordan One of these days I'm gonna sit at the welcome table I'm gonna sit at the welcome table I'm gonna sit at the welcome table Gonna sit at the welcome table One of these days I'm gonna find that blessed salvation I'm gonna find that blessed salvation I'm gonna find that blessed salvation Gonna find that blessed salvation One of these days I'm gonna walk and talk with Jesus I'm gonna walk and talk with Jesus I'm gonna walk and talk with Jesus Gonna walk and talk with Jesus One of these days I'm gonna hold hands with my Master I'm gonna hold hands with my Master I'm gonna hold hands with my Master I'm gonna hold hands with my Master One of these days Now I'm goin' down to the river Jordan I'm goin' down to the river Jordan I'm goin' down to the river Jordan Goin' down to the river Jordan One of these days
Mary Jane Now when I go to work,I work all day always tutns out the same when I bring home my hard-earned pay I spend my money all on Mary Jane Mary Jane,Mary Jane Lord my Mary Jane Oh if a man should look tame now,mean and mature, they all turns out the same 'Cause they can't do nothing to make a man feel good like my old Mary Jane Mary Jane,Mary Jane Lord my Mary Jane Now I walk in the street now lookin' for a friend one that can lend me some change and he never questions my reason why 'cause he too loves Mary Jane Mary Jane,Mary Jane Lord my Mary Jane Well I have known women that wanted no man some that wanted to say but I never knew what happened in this world 'Till I met up with Mary Jane Mary Jane,Mary Jane Lord my Mary Jane Oh when I'm feeling lonesome and I'm feelin' blue there's only one way to change Now I walk down the street now lookin' for a man one that knows my Mary Jane Mary Jane,Mary Jane it's my Mary Jane *** Thanx a lot to Courtney for this one ***
Kansas City Blues
I been rockin' and reelin', Lord as long as I can be Lord, the man that I love tryin' to make a fool out of me Babe, I'm leavin', yeah I'm a-leavin' this mornin' Goin' to Kansas City to bring Jim Jackson home Now well I used to drink and I'm gonna buy a gallon I'm gonna find me my man I say, get a pair of overalls I'm leavin', yeah I'm gonna go to Kansas City, ha ha ha Goin' to Kansas City, yeah, to make my man my own I'll walk on Beauty Street with an idea I might stay If she wants my man I'll just change my ways Lord I'm leavin', yeah I'm leavin' this mornin' Goin' to Kansas City to bring Jim Jackson home Go ahead, take it! Yeah! I been rockin' and reelin', lonesome as I can be Lord the man that I love sure made a fool out of me Babe I'm leavin', yeah I'm leavin' this mornin' Goin' to Kansas City tryin' to find a man of my own, yeah
Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
Oh, it's daddy, daddy, daddy, it's daddy, daddy, all the time Lord, that's daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, all the time If I'm awake or if I'm dreamin' Lord, my daddy daddy's on my mind Well, I brag 'bout my daddy to all the women that I see Yeah, I brag 'bout my daddy to all the women that I see Never say those damn women Lord, they're tryin' to steal my daddy away from me That's my daddy, daddy, daddy, Lord, it's daddy, daddy, all the time That's my daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, all the time If I'm awake or just dreamin' Lord, daddy daddy's on my mind Well, if your daddy likes walkin', honey, walks five miles a day Yeah, if your daddy likes walkin', walks five miles a day No matter what he wants, child, he walks off far way Oh, it's daddy, daddy, daddy, Lord, it's daddy, daddy, all the time It's my daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, all the time If I'm awake or if I'm dreamin' Lord, daddy daddy's on my mind Well, I got a lovin' daddy, treats me like a daddy should Yeah, I got a lovin' daddy, treats me like a daddy should You know he kisses me at bed time, gives me candy when I'm good Oh, it's daddy, daddy, daddy, Lord, it's daddy, daddy, all the time Lord, it's daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, all the time If I'm awake or if I'm dreamin' Lord, my daddy daddy's on my mind
See See Rider And it's hey, hey hey, she was standin' in the kitchen, honey, in her morning gown Lord, she was standin' in the kitchen, babe, in her morning gown She was standin' in the kitchen, honey, in her morning gown But I say hey hey, hey hey, Lord, see see rider, see what you done done Lord, now, see see rider, honey, see what you have done Well, see see rider, see what you done done Well hey, hey hey hey, hey hey Well, the blues ain't nothin' but a good man feelin' bad Lord, the blues ain't nothin' but a good man feelin' bad Yeah, the blues ain't nothin' but a good man feelin' bad Hey hey, hey, hey hey Lord, see see rider, honey, see what you have done Lord, well see see rider, see what you have done Yeah, see see rider, gonna see what you have done I say hey hey, hey hey
San Francisco bay blues
Got the blues from my baby Left me by the San Francisco Bay. This big ocean liner took her so far away. Didn't mean to treat her so bad She was the best girl I ever have had. She said good-bye, and she made me cry I'm gonna lay right down and die. Well, I ain't got a nickel and I ain't got a lousy dime. If she don't come back I think I'm gonna lose my mind. If she ever comes back to stay, Well, that'll be another brand new day, Walking with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay. Sittin' in my back door Wondering which way to go That woman I'm so crazy about She don't love me no more. Lord, I think I'll grab a freight train Because I'm feeling blue, Ride all the way to the end of the line Thinking only about you. Well, meanwhile in another city Just about to go insane Thought I heard my baby The way she used called my name. If she ever comin' back to stay Well, that'll be another brand new day Walking with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay (I really mean it!) Oh, walking with my baby down by the San Francisco Bay, whew!!
Winin' Boy I'm the winin' boy, don't you deny my name I'm the winin' boy, don't you deny my name Now my name Well, I'm the winin' boy, don't you deny my name I pick it up and shake it like sweet Stavin' Chain Mm, the winin' boy, don't deny now my name Now mama mama, mama look at Sis Oh, mama mama, take a look at little Sis Look at Sis Well now mama mama, mama take a look at Sis Lord, she's out on the levee doin' the Double Twist Mm, the winin' boy, don't you deny now my name I'm the winin' boy, now don't you deny my name I'm the winin' boy, don't you deny my name Now my name Lord, I'm the winin' boy, don't you deny my name I'll pick it up and shake it, Lord, like sweet Stavin' Chain Mm, the winin' boy, don't you deny now my name
Careless love
Oh love, oh love, oh careless love, Oh love, oh love, oh careless love. Oh love, oh love, oh careless love, Now now don't you see what your careless love has done. Well you worried my mother till she died And you caused my father to lose his mind. Now damn you I'm goin' to shoot you, Lord, I'm gonna shoot you both right down, I'm gonna spare no one of you child till you spin next dyin'. Oh love, oh love, oh careless love. Oh love, oh love, oh careless love. Oh love, oh love, oh careless love Oh Lord, don't you see what, what your careless love has done. Oh yeah. Careless love now don't know see how you follow me down, Careless love, don't you see how you follow me down. Well, you robbed me out of my silver, Lord, and out of my gold Ever since you been a-ridin' by side. Oh love, oh love, oh careless, Oh love, yes oh love, oh careless love. Oh love, I said love, oh careless love now Don't you see what your careless love has done, yeah.
I'll drown in my own tears
He brings a tear into my eyes When I begin, Lord, to realize. If you don't think that, honey, you'll be lonesome, You know I'll drown, drown, oh Lord, in my own tears. I know it's true into his mind A little rain is bound to fall But since you been gone honey I'm so blue, It just keeps rainin', keeps right on rainin' more and more. I didn't cry just like a child, My poor tears, Lord, they were runnin' wild. If you don't think that baby you'll be home soon now You know I'll drown, drown, oh Lord in my own tears.
Non Albums Tracks
This whole thing that's happened to me, you see, this whole success thing, er, it hasn't yet really compromised the position that I took a long time ago in Texas, that was to be true to myself, to be the person that I f ... that was on inside of me and not play games. You see, actually what I'm trying to do mostly, if I, in the whole world, is to not bullshit myself, and not bullshit anybody else. To be righteous to myself, I mean to be real, you know what I mean ? And so far, you know I'm, I'm just tryin' to ... I'm doin' that, I am, you know. I'm not wearin' cardboard eyelashes, and, and, you know, and girdles, and playin' in Las Vegas. By still bein' Janis, I just happens to be on a slightly different level or somethin' now. And ... you know I suppose it's because I've never been premeditated enough in show-business that I was worried about putting on a, a face, you know what I mean ? So I can sit here and tell you the truth. You know ? Otherwise it's slightly inhibiting, really, it doesn't, it doesn't force a game on me, because I refuse to let it force a game on me. So I can sit here and be just as honest as I would be in a bar, although I'd be a lot happier in a bar!
Amazing Grace
(Traditional - San Francisco 31-01-67)
Amazing grace How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost But now I'm found Was blind but now I see.
Blow my mind
You got the mind like a child, girl, You got to fight like a woman. Well, I think you're so wild, girl, Like the sun in the morning. I'm gonna turn you on To where you belong Pull you tight I'm gonna show you right. You blow my mind Blow my mind Blow my mind Blow my mind Pull myself together, Tell you who the boss is Now I feel like the weather You gotta do what the Lord says You blow my mind Blow my mind Blow my mind Blow my mind Oh! Pull yourself together Tell you who the boss is. Well I feel like the weather You gotta do what the Lord says. You blow my mind Hey, blow my mind Blow my mind Blow my mind You got the mind like a child, girl, You got to fight like a woman. I think you're so wild, girl, Like the sun in the morning. I'm gonna turn you on To where you belong Pull you tight I'm gonna show you right You blow my mind You blow my mind Blow my mind Blow my mind
Bo Diddley called a nanny goat To make his pretty baby a Sunday coat Bo Diddley called a bear cat To make his pretty baby a Sunday hat Hey, Bo Diddley, Hey, Bo Diddley, yeah! Hey, Bo Diddley, baby, Hey, Bo Diddley. Two, two, three I was alone Went to my baby when I get home Tell my baby the night's away Come on baby feel like that Said hey, Bo Diddley, Hey, Bo Diddley, yeah! Hey, Bo Diddley, baby, Hey, Bo Diddley. Bo Diddley bought a diamond ring Take it to my baby most anything Baby, baby, baby, all right I get home she nearly gone. Hey, Bo Diddley Hey, Bo Diddley, yeah! Hey, Bo Diddley, babe, Hey, Bo Diddley. Bo Diddley called a bear cat To make his pretty baby a Sunday hat Bo Diddley called a nanny goat To make his pretty baby a Sunday coat Hey, Bo Diddley, Hey, Bo Diddley, yeah! Hey, Bo Diddley, babe, Hey, Bo Diddley! Baby, baby, baby, come on now! Want you to know you can feel me darlin'! Baby, baby, baby, please come home now, Don't know what I'm gonna do with Mona. Hey, Bo Diddley, Hey, Bo Diddley, yeah! Hey, Bo Diddley, babe, Hey, Bo Diddley! Hey, Bo Diddley! Hey, Bo Diddley! Hey, Bo Diddley! Hey, Bo Diddley!
C'mon baby, let the good times roll C'mon baby, let me thrill your soul C'mon baby you're the best there is, Roll all night long. C'mon baby, let's close the door, C'mon baby, let's ride some more, C'mon baby, let the good times roll, Roll all night long. I feel so good when you're home. Come on baby, let's ride some more C'mon baby, rock me all night long! C'mon baby, let's close the door C'mon baby, let's ride some more C'mon baby, let the good times roll, Roll all night long. C'mon baby, let the good times roll C'mon baby, let me thrill your soul C'mon baby you're the best there is, Roll all night long. C'mon baby, let's close the door C'mon baby, let's ride some more C'mon baby, let the good times roll, Yeah, roll all night long. Feels so good when you're home Come on baby, rock me all night long! C'mon baby, let's close the door C'mon baby, let's ride some more C'mon baby, let the good times roll, Yeah, roll all night long. I feel so good when you're home. Come on baby, rock me all night long! C'mon baby, let's close the door C'mon baby, let's ride some more C'mon baby, let the good times roll, Yeah, roll all night long. Roll all night long, Roll all night long.
Oh, I'm so alone. Hey daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, now. No, no, no!!! No, no, no!!! Alright!!! Alright!!! Oh, Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord Hon, when I'm sittin' round late in the evenin', child, Wonderin' why, why, why did I ever leave, whoa, yeah. Sit around, I'm a-wonderin' Why, why did I ever leave, Hey, I gotta know now. Well, I went out searchin' for somethin', baby, I left it behind me, honey, now I see, yeah. Well alright, well alright. Well I guess I move once too often, babe, An' I woke up and found myself alone. Whoa, I guess I moved just one too many times, Woke up an' found myself alone, Hey, I don't like it! Cold sheets made me realize Catch me, daddy, 'cause I'm movin' on. Hey, hey, whoaaa Come on up, come on up, come up I've got to move on Come on up, because I've got to go Because you know I got to find me my baby, yeah I got to find me my baby, yeah You know I got to find me my baby, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've got to find me my man, come on, Come, take it on down, take it on down now A little softer babe, said a little softer babe, S-s-s-softer now, you like it like that, Said I like it like that, Feels so good to me, feels so good to me, yeah, yeah I like it like that, yeah I like it like that. Honey, I wanna kneel till I get to ya, I wanna tell you something baby I wanna tell you something baby now I wanna tell you about my baby, Lord Tell you 'bout my man. You know, I want ya, need ya, I gotta have ya 'Cause I want ya need ya, 'cause I gotta have ya 'Cause this my-my-my-my-my-my-my-man My-my-my-my-my-my-my-man now. Said I want you I need you, babe I've gotta have you, I want you I need you, babe I've gotta have you, I've been lonely in the morning Hon, I've been lonely at night. I've been lonely in the afternoon I said, "Janis, you know it ain't right". Baby, it's time you would hold me Yeah, hey, comin' home, babe, Yeah, hey, comin' home, babe, Yeah, yeah, comin' home, babe Yeah, yeah, comin' home, babe Yeah, yeah, comin' home, baby. Whoaaa Oh, I might take a plane, baby, Oh, I might take a train, baby. Oh, I guess I might finally walk in there, 'Cause I gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, I say alright! Yeah! Ooh! Hey! I said I'm goin' on down to Brownsville Gonna take, take, take your ride and roll, Whoaaa, if you see me my baby, comin', oh, come on, comin' home Alright!
Oh well it's much too early, not right now, How can I love you when I, I don't know how, I don't know how, I don't know how How can I trust my eyes, do they really see What is the truth ? It's hard for me, Hard for me, hard for me. It's hard to understand what's really there, When all my hopes they just cloud the air, Cloud the air, cloud the air. Love is all around me, till we understand It's easy to see baby, but talk to me. And love is all around us if we could be free Love is all around us if we just, if we just try to see. Ooh wah ooh Ooh wah ooh Ooh wah ooh Ooh wah ooh Ah. You say you need me, baby, as you breathe the words, That's time for you to leave, Oh no! Time to leave, time to leave. Oh please, don't push me, baby, I might learn how to play your game, Now it's your turn, It's your turn, it's your turn. I'd love to love you now till I'll be sure That this time your love won't hurt me more, Hurt me more, hurt me more, oh, come on! I think I'll go now, yeah you're always gonna break me my heart, And I see I gotta go now, honey I just wanna say Oh you're breaking my heart right now baby, Oh you're breaking my heart now now now, Now I don't wanna hurt you, no no no no, And I don't wanna hold you, yeah! I need a twenty-four hour man, So when you love me all night long I need a twenty-four hour man, Honey, where are you But doesn't really matter when I need you so It doesn't really matter, tell me yes or no. It doesn't really matter, babe I got to know It doesn't really matter, this is love, I just love to love you, ah ooh!
Dear Landlord
Dear Landlord Please don't put a price on my soul. My burden is heavy, dear, And my dreams are beyond my control, Oh yes, they are. But when that steam-boat whistle blows, Oh, honey I'm gonna give you everything I ever had to give, yeah, And I do hope that you can receive it well, I know that it must be dependin' on the way you feel that you live. Whoa, Landlord, Please heed these words that I try to speak. I know you must have suffered much, But honey you ain't alone, you ain't so unique. No, no, no, no, no. All of us at times, I said, we might have worked too hard Or too heavy, too fast and way too rushed, yeah! But everyone can fill their life with anything You can look around, but baby you just cannot touch. Whoa, my Dear Landlord, Please don't you dismiss my case. I'm not about to argue with you, And honey I'll tell ya, I'm ain't gonna move to no other place. 'Cause I just ain't gonna do it, no, no, no. Each of us has his own special gift, Oh honey, don't you know that it's got to be true And if you don't underestimate me, I'll tell you one thing, I said that I won't underestimate you, no!
Janis it's a shame you couldn't do an up tune for us but I liked that one. Later in the show.
Yeah, maybe later we'll be talking too. You're really shot after, after a number, let alone a whole evening I would think. Yeah, yeah.
You tell me you kind of collapse after a show ? Well, I'm used to it because I'm so turned on by doing one that it's hard to do, it's hard to stop after one to tell you the truth, because it just makes you wanna do more.
Your engine is revved up ? Yeah, sort of!
I know all the hip expressions, you see. Your engine is revved up. You're a real swinger, I can tell by your shoes, man!
Wait a minute, Janis, Janis. These were good enough for my grand-father, they're good enough for me. I had a lot of trouble, last week I, er, it wasn't that tune, we opened with another tune and I tore a muscle.
I heard about this. You tore a mussel somewhere near Maryland. Er ... It was closer to home than that!
Well, er ... But I played forty minutes, man! I did forty minutes!
Yeah, but how do you, how do you tear a muscle singing, was it from the exhaustion or ... No, I went ... like that.
You actually, literally tore a muscle ... I mean like that ... Every time, it hurt.
Could you feel it go ? Yeah.
Phew! Yeah.
What do they do, do they set a muscle or do they tape you up or something ? They told me to keep still.
Janis you wrote that tune that you were just singing like we just agreed to ask about. You er, you wrote the first tune, right ? I wrote the first tune. It's, er, yes I did, it's about men.
It's about men. It's a little hard to tell what it was about 'cause I was standing over there where the sound is a little distorted. Well in my story that's what it is anyway.
Yeah. D'you ever see those mule carts ?
Yeah. They, er, there's a dumb mule on there right and a long stick with a string and a carrot, and it hangs over the mule's nose, and it runs after it all day long. Some ... Who is the man in this, in this parable, the mule, or the person holding the carrot ? No, the woman is the, is the mule. Chasing something that somebody's holds her way.
Constantly chasing her man ... Yeah.
... who always eludes her. Well, they always hold something more than they're prepared to give.
I have to defend my entire sex, ladies and gentlemen! The burden of the defense. Go right ahead!
Well, one-arm wrestling I can take you two out of three. I hope so.
Do you, er, do you actually sit down when you get up in the morning and, and write out a song, or do you... When you say you write it, you compose it you write it on a paper. You just make it up, I don't write songs, I make them up.
They don't exist on paper your songs, don't they ? Sometimes I just write down the words so I don't forget 'em, but I mean I don't write songs, that's a whole different concept. I just make 'em up.
Yeah. Did you ever get back to Port Arthur, Texas ? No, but I'm going back next in August, man. And guess what I'm doin' ?
I don't know. I'm going to my 10th annual High School Reunion.
Oh! Oh! Take movies and bring 'em back to show us, will you ? Hey would you like to go ?
Well, I don't remember, I don't have any friends in your high school class. I don't either. I don't either, believe me.
You don't either ? It's hard going, man!
Weren't you a kind of a, weren't you kind of a business administration major or something in high school. No, it's something in your past. You were ... No, I worked.
Yeah. But a high school major in Art does have plenty of time.
Yeah. And do you think you'll have a lot to say to your old high-school classmates ? I don't have a lot, man.
You were not surrounded by friends in high school ? They laughed me out of class, out of town, and out of state, man.
Hmm ... Somethin' goin' on.
Thank you. Thank you.
Ego Rock ( Recording of April 4 1970, San Fransisco ) (Spoken: Let's go, let's go let's go let's go Peter you start it Richard, you start it Somebody start it) I just had to get out on the Texas plane, Lord, well it was bringing me down Yeah, I had to get out of Texas, baby, Lord, it was bringing me down I been all around the world, but Port Arthur is the worst place that I've ever found I guess they couldn't understand it there, honey, they'd laugh me off the street! Lord, I guess they couldn't understand me, baby, honey, they'd laugh, I said they'd laugh me right off the street, yeah I said I want to keep on moving, baby, be the last person I ever wanna meet Yeah, yeah, yeah, honey ain't it hard when you're all alone Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, honey ain't it hard, Lord, when you're all alone I might die real old lady, but I'd never call Texas my home, no, no, no, oh! You say you come from Texas, baby, she says she left Texas with just her name (Spoken: That's what she told me) Yes she's from Texas I tell you, she says she left Texas with just her name Yes, well I swear when that girl came to the big city, Lord, she learned a brand new game Well, yeah! Honey, I hear you talkin' about sorrow, baby but you don't know my pain, that's right! Mercy! Mercy! I hear you talking about my sorrow, you don't know my pain You know there's an inside kind of sorrow, Lord, the women are always singin' the blues All right, all right mother fucker, you sing! You know I, I dealt the Ace to the Queen, you know I played scrabble with L.B.J. Yes, I dealt an Ace to the Queen, didn't I'll tell ya I's playin' scrabble with L.B.J. Well, I don't care what the name of the game is, baby, I tell you I always seem to get my way I used to be a doggone fool, fall for a woman's story every time But no more, I swear Well, I used to be a, be a doggone fool, fall for that old woman's story every time Yes I, I'm a big boy now, yeah, they gotta come up with some kind of heavy line Well, well, yeah! Sounds like I found the man, who could take care of my time It ain't me babe, it ain't me babe! It appears to me that I found a man, that could take care of my time Well, I got my own trouble, I got my own car, I got my own little lady, I got my hotel Oh what are you talking about! Don't try to take it! Somebody talks as fine as he does, oughta be able to take care of One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine Woman, woman, it just makes me mad Ahh, ahh! Woman, yeah Woman, yeah Woman, yeah Woman, yeah Woman, yeah, yeah, it just makes me mad Oh man, shit, man... Yes, she played me for the fool I tell ya Yes and I've got to love every man she's ever had, yeah If I found a man who could put me down the way you do I mean so handy-like, you know what I mean? Yeah, I found a man, whoa, who could put me down the way you do I mean so easy like it was second nature, y'know what I mean, man? Ah maybe that man could help me, at least, honey I thought I would give you a chance I said I, what I said I could try after the, after the show tonight maybe uh ... I'm just a working man, you know Ha ha ha ha, you don't work too hard, baby! You know I ain't no Hollywood star I'm not Joe Namath, you know, I read about that in the papers today You know I'm just a working man, you don't work too hard, baby! I never ran in a football game 200 yards Ha ha ha ha ha, that's the kinda man I like, that's the kinda man I like But you know I can take care of those country girls Well I can mess around in that farmyard Lord, Lord, whoaah! Ha ha ha! ha. Whew! Whew! Wow! That's getting a little too close, too heavy here That's Nick Gravenites, that was a tune called Ego Rock. No! ... All right, rock, rock & roll song
Whoa, the last time that I saw ya Child, I know, no, you didn't say a word. And I knew, darlin' as I looked into your eyes That my feelings, oh, they'd never been heard. Well, I'm talkin' to you about love, Did you hear me, I said love, Because it's got to be such a long, long, way From denyin', from denyin'. And I say, don't say no, no, no to me no more. And I believed in you all the time, Honey, until I found out, you know, that I was so wrong. Won't you try and build a life with you, Guess I should've known it, I guess I should've known it all along. Oh, oh, oh, oh, let me hold you just once more Babe, I ask you just once more Because it's got to be such a long, long way from cryin' And I been cryin' and I got tears in my eyes. Yeah, but don't you know when you love somebody that's so precious They can never, never, never be had very cheaply No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're gonna have to pay your dues And sometimes, sometimes I guess you're bound to lose. Hey, but that's the way You're gonna learn, learn, learn to love deeply. Now oh God, I wish I could explain that myself, 'Cause I know that it's my fault, too. It's so easy to hurt you, darling, It's so hard, it's hard not to do. And I know that you showed me a new life And you'll always, you'll always be my friend. Yeah, but I don't think, honey, that I can keep from tryin' And I'll be tryin' and I been cryin' for you, baby, Yes, I have now. Well, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me What would I do without you, child ? I'm afraid that I can't say. But I hope, honey, that when you will remember Lord, it'll be, it'll be such a sunny day. Now, now, now, now, good-bye, I'll see you sometime And don't be worried, everything's just fine. Babe, I don't think That I can keep from dyin' And I've been dyin'. I say now every day I die a little bit, babe I say now every day I lose me someone in my heart I've been lonely, lonely, look around baby I said now I can't help myself I can't help myself I gotta find him, gotta, I gotta need him 'Cause I gotta find my man, find my baby 'Cause I gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, yeah, gotta Gotta, gotta, gotta, oh my Lord I gotta Help me now now now now Help me, babe, yeah, yeah, yeah, Whoaa ... Lord, Lord Lord Lord!! Whoaa ... Lord, Lord Lord Lord!! Whoaa ... Lord, Lord Lord Lord!!
Oh please don't you think baby that I am wrong to cry, yeah. You loved me, too, So how come you just sit there and laugh And laugh and laugh and laugh ? Things just can't be this way And not for very long No no no no no no no no no no no no no no. Our love affair said it's just history, yes it is. And I tried to love you in my own way, I think that you know I did. But to have you here, to see you living, Oh so near to me, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh but you are distant and so it's dead And so often people are glad to be old, yeah yeah, Our love affair is just history, yes it is. Once in a green time a flower Oh, fell in love with the sun. The passion lasted for an hour And then she wilted from her loved one. Once in a green time a flower Oh, fell in love with the sun. The passion lasted for an hour And then she wilted from her loved one. And I see you looking up at the sky, how high it is, yeah. You wonder if there is, whoa another me Now how can that be, how can it be ? Well, I sit here and I ask you, why all this ? I just got toni-ni-ni-night Our love affair said it's just a history But baby, baby, I said it's over, Charlie, I can't stand another lo-lo-lonely, I'm never too lonely. It's over baby, Where were you when I wanted ya And needed ya right by my side ? I said-a, baby, baby, don't you feel me moving, Baby, don't you hear me cry ? I know I hurt you, but Lord don't you know I cried, I know I hurt you, but babe don't you know I tried, Oh baby, oh babe, whoa.
Gutra Now now now now now now now now now now now now... Gutra Now now now now now now now now now now now now... Oh Gutra, baby this is the end Oh Gutra, baby this is the end Well I'm through with that girl, 'cause she flipped out on zen. Gutra... Goin' back to where I want to be, I'm goin' back to where I want to be, Well I'm back to my home, back in Memphis, Tennessee. Go on back back back back baby back to where I want to Go on back back back back back back baby back to where I want to be Back into my home, back in Memphis, Tennessee. Back back back back baby, back where I can go I'm goin' back back back back baby, back where I wanna go Back into my home, back in Owens, Oklahoma. Gutra... Now now now now now now now now now now now now..
Harry
Harry! Harry ? Harry, please come home. Alright!
Hey Baby ( Recording of July 28 1966, San Francisco ) Hey baby, baby Hey, hey, hey hey, hey hey child Child, child, oh Hey, hey, baby Hey, hey, hey, hey hey, child Say come on baby and tell me one more time Alright, honey, come on baby and tell about it one more time I said 25 minutes is all I have at hand Said go, go and take me in your arms Say go and take me in your arms You can buy me a house, you can buy me anything you want I want a house in the country at the time that I think came on I want a house in the country at the time that I think came on So I'll call you baby once when I need any more, hey! Hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, baby hey I said hey, hey, baby hey Oh, hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, hey, baby hey I said hey, hey, hey, baby hey, hey! Hey, hey, hey, baby hey Hey, hey, hey, baby hey Have a ham sandwich?
Put on your hi heel sneakers, Honey put your wig-hat on your head, Honey on your head. Put on your hi heel sneakers, Honey put your wig-hat on your head, Alright. You better pass some boxing gloves In case this foreman wanna fight. Put on your hi heel sneakers, Honey get your wig-hat on your head, Honey, on your head. Put on your hi, hi heel sneakers, darling, Honey you're gonna wear your wig-hat on your head. Yeah When I'm steppin' out tonight, baby I do believe, I'm really gonna knock 'em dead, oh!
I Can't Turn You Loose ( Recording of August 17 1969, Woodstock ) I can't turn you loose, if I do I'm gonna lose my mind I can't never turn you loose, if I do I'm gonna lose my mind Whoa, I can't turn you loose for nobody, I love you, yes I do, huh! Hip-shakin' mama, I love you, love no one but you Hear me, baby, I call you, call you I can't turn you loose, if I do I'm gonna lose my mind I can never turn you loose, huh, if I do I'm gonna lose my mind I can't turn you loose for nobody, I love you, yes I do, huh! Hip-shakin' mama, I love you, love no one but you Hear me, baby, I call you, call you Ah, tell me mama, baby! Hey, baby, baby, baby Now, wooh, baby, huh! Talkin' about my baby Oh baby, huh, about my baby Baby, baby I love you, I gotta do everything, ha! Baby! My! My, my, my, baby! Baby, baby, baby, baby yeah Whoa!! Baby, baby, baby, huh! Talkin' about you Every, every day, baby, gotta keep on holdin' Gotta keep on holdin' on you, baby Holdin' Oh baby, huh! Talkin' about you, ah! Huh! Baby Baby, baby, baby, baby Huh! Baby I love you Every, every day, baby Huh! Love you Baby, let me hear you say yeah! Over here, yeah! Yeah!!!! I feel good Sam, I need a little help Bring it down a little bit, Maury, bring it down a little bit I need a little help Fellas, get your hands from under your girl's dress for a minute Young ladies, yeah we're about to get into this Hold on a minute Aah!! Yeah!! Every day, baby, every day, baby, aahh!! Lord!! Yeah, baby, every, every day, baby Whoaa, whooo, ahh, aahhha Every, every day, baby Huh! Bring it on down, bring it down! Mercy! Do you feel alright? If you don't, fuck you, you oughta go home! Mercy! Do you feel alright? Get on in, daddy! I feel good, woohh, mercy, I can dig it, aww! Say you're lookin' good to me, say you're lookin' fine Say you're lookin' good to me, hon you're lookin' fine Hey you're lookin' good to me, hon you're lookin' fine Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah!! Oh!! Oh!! Oh!! Oh!! Oh yeah!! Oh yeah!! Oh yeah!! oh yeah!! Woh yeah!! Woh yeah!! Woh yeah!! Wo yeah!! — alright! Yeah, yeah, yeah, baby Yeah, yeah, yeah, I feel good because I love you You know I love you Huh! I love you Every day Huh! Babe, aw!! wooh! Huh! Say you're looking good! Mercy! Let's get the horns in Do you want to hear the horns blow? Do you want to hear the horns blow? Do you want to hear the horns blow? Yeah!! Huh, talkin' about you Say look-a here, here we go One, two, three, four, ah!! Hey! Ooh! Shit! Wohh! I Know You Rider ( Recording of July 28 1966 ) I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone You're gonna miss your lovin' baby runnin', I said runnin' in your arms Don't the moon look lonesome, when it's shinin' down through the trees Don't the moon look lonesome, when it's shinin' down through the trees Don't my, don't my man looks fine, when he comes runnin', runnin' after me I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone, honey when I'm gone Say now, I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone You're gonna miss your lovin' baby runnin', I said runnin' in your arms! I know you rider. you're gonna miss me when I'm gone I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone Yeah, you're gonna miss your lovin' baby runnin', oh, I said runnin' in your arms! And I know my baby, says he's bound to love me so, love me so Said I, I know my baby, and he's bound to love me so You know he'll close his arms around me, like a circle, he thinks I'll understand I know you rider Said you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Wooh!! She's my baby, I'll tell you Just exactly what I used to do I will leave just to leave you alone Baby, baby, when I go home. Well love you baby I don't think I will Say the words but the bells go still It's true, baby, that I want you to stay But if that remains you got to pay your will, Pay your will, yeah yeah yeah. Well, I made you cry, hang your head, Life here was just smart and vain With your guys, baby, and you've gotta see When you're alone you want to make a deal. Well now love you baby I don't think I will Say the words but the bells go still It's true, baby, that I want you to stay But if that remains you got to pay your will, Pay your will, yeah! Wooh wooh!! I wouldn't hurt but you can feel I'm leaving withdrawn you say it's a deal You may see inside my head, I love you, baby, but you're far away. Well now, love you baby I don't think I will Say the words but the bells go still It's true, baby, that I want you to stay But if that remains you got to pay your will, Pay your will, yeah yeah yeah. Pay your will, now yeah yeah Pay your will, yeah, Oh yeah, woohh!
Ooh! Hey, hey, now! Alright, You went away, had your chance to say "I love you and I need you baby" Yeah, but even if Honey, I told you daddy now You wouldn't believe me anyway, no, no, no. Maybe you will now, I've changed a lot somehow, Let me do what I say. Come back and believe my love, Please! Now, come back and believe my love, Come back, and believe the magic of love. Oh, I want the light without the darkness I want the sky without the sun, yeah! When do the stars and the moon reach out ? When they see me alone without my loved one, yeah! Oh, now baby, don't you hear me, Won't-t-t-t-t-t-t you hear me I gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta tell you, Oh baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, Honey, I just gotta tell you now, Honey, I wanna tell you that I want you to dig it! Now if you believe in magic, Don't be afraid, afraid to use it, baby, No, no, no, no, no, no, come on home Dressed in the mystic silk Or wearing rich rags and waste Darling, please! Come on back to me I know we can be Part of a magic race. Come back, and believe my love Come back, please believe my love Come back and believe the magic of love. Hey! Now come back, babe, and believe my love Come back, please believe my love Come back and believe the magic of love.
I've been misery 'n, Ever since my daddy gone, yeah. I've been, honey, I've been misery 'n, yes I have, now. Ever since my, since my daddy gone, gone, gone. But I believe that it won't, Baby, it won't be too long, If I just could hang on, Yeah, until my, till my misery Will all be gone. Whoa, I said my rooms, you know, They're so empty, empty, empty, empty, empty. Filled up with sadness, sometimes, yeah. My rooms are so empty, empty, empty, empty. Child, filled up with sadness, honey, sometimes, sometimes. Oh well it just, it just moves in, Like the fog rolls in. And I find I, well I can't see you, baby, For my tears. But I've tried. Don't you know I've tried. Cried, cried, cried, cried, cried. Baby now, I've been missin' you. Oh, I've been missin' you, babe! Yeah, and it all seems to bother me Much more that it seems it should be. So, baby, now, now, Baby, now, now, Baby, tell me why, Does it have to be Oh, so wrong for me ? I never thought I could ever want anybody, No, no, no, never did, I never did. Why am I feelin' so strange ??? Whoaaaaa, I never, never, never needed nobody, no, no, But maybe you could help me — Why am I feelin' so strange ? Yeah, an' I've got me a great, An' I've got a great big bed With two pillows for my head. Hey, but lately I been sleepin', sleepin' alone. But I've tried, Don't you know I've tried. Cried, cried, You know how I've cried. An', an' baby, I've been missin' you. Tried, Don't you know I've tried. Cried, Cried, cried, cried, cried, Baby now, I've been missin' you. Tried, Don't you know I've tried. Cried, cried, You know how I've cried. An', an' baby, I've been missin' you, Yeah ...
Moanin' At Midnight ( Recording of July 28 1966, San Francisco ) Moanin' at midnight Moanin' at midnight, yeah Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight, baby, yeah Moanin' at midnight Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight Moanin' at midnight, baby, whew-ew Well, well, well, well, well, well Somebody's knockin' on my door Somebody's knockin' Somebody's knockin' Somebody's knockin' on my door I don't want you to go and tell me to come on, hey come on right out Well, well, well, well, well, well Somebody told me I'm gonna fall Somebody told me, somebody told me I'm gonna fall Hey won't someone tell me now what's goin' on Well, well, well, well Somebody please Well Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody, somebody please Somebody, somebody please Tell me please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Somebody please Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin' at midnight, baby Moanin', I said moanin' At midnight I said moanin' at midnight Moanin' Midnight Moanin' Midnight Moanin' Midnight
No Reason For Livin'
I ain't got no reason to livin', I can't find no cause to die Lord, I ain't got no reason for livin', you give me no cause to die Lord, I ain't got no reasons for stay here, give me no cause to try I got these blues, I gotta find me that middle road Well, I ain't got mother to love me, ain't got no father to care Lord, I ain't got mother to love me, ain't got no father to care Lord, I ain't got no reasons to go on, give me no cause to stay here I got these blues, I gotta finally know why Well, I ain't got no reason for walkin', I guess I'm gonna fall or standstill Lord, I ain't got no reason for walkin', guess I'm gonna fall or standstill Lord I ain't got no reason for goin', give me no cause to stay here I got these blues, Lord I gotta finally know why Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out ( From the Soundtrack of the Motion Picture "Janis" ) Well, once I lived the life of a millionaire, spending my money, no, I didn't care Takin' my friend John out for a mighty good time Buyin' high-priced liquor, champagne and wine Then I began to fall so low, didn't have a friend, nor no place to go If I get my hands on a dollar again I'm goin' to hold on to it until the eagle grins Soon as I get back up on my feet again, everybody wants to be my long-lost friend It's might strange, without a doubt Nobody wants you when you're down and out Lord, soon as I get up on my feet again, everybody wants to be my long-lost friend It's mighty strange, without a doubt Nobody wants you when you're down and out That's what I mean, when you're down and out Oh My Soul ( Recording of July 28 1966, San Francisco )
(Spoken: This is an ol' Little Richard tune called "Oh My Soul") Oh, my soul! Oh, my soul! Baby baby baby, give me all the love you've got Don't you know you've got the best love in the house I said love, I said love, oh, my soul! Baby baby baby love your daddy all night long Baby, baby, love you all night long Love you, I'm gonna kiss you, oh, my soul! Now baby baby, well you drive me crazy Oh, baby baby, well you drive me crazy I said love, I said love, oh, my soul! Baby baby, you drive me crazy Baby baby, ah you drive me crazy I said love,I said love... Baby baby, drive me crazy, love you all night long Oh, baby, love you, love you all night long I said baby, I said baby, oh, my soul! (Spoken: Thank you very much)
When I'm on the road playin' in a town without a name, And I'm feelin' low an' everybody looks the same. Well, you catch my eye, and then you come on strong an' try to make your play. Just because we loved tonight, please don't you think it's gonna stay that way. Don't you know that you're nothin' more than a one night stand. Tomorrow I'll be on my way, an' you can catch me if you can. Honey, take me by the hand and play that game again, yeah. Everywhere I go, the people wanna make some time with me. That's okay, if the next day I can be free. Well, it's feelin' good and you're the one I'm lovin' tonight, Well, don't you go and spoil it, babe, by trying to get yourself all uptight. Don't you know that you're nothing more than a one night stand. I'll be on my way an' you can catch me if you can. Honey, take me by the hand and play that game again, yeah!!! When I'm on the road, playin' in a town without a name, Honey, I'm feelin' low and everyone looks the same. Well, it's lookin' good and you're the one that's lovin' tonight, Don't you go and spoil it babe, by trying to get yourself all uptight. Don't you know that you're nothing more than a one night stand. I'll be one my way an' you can catch me if you can. Honey, take me by the hand and play that game again. Don't you know that you're nothing more than a one night stand. Oh, I'll be on my way, you can catch me if you can. Honey, take me by the hand and play that game again. Don't you know that you're nothing more than a one night stand. Lord Lord
What do you think about your town since you've left and come back ? It's fantastic! I was across the river from the club last night, I never had more fun in my life! Except sometimes in California I have more fun. Do you plan to come back soon ? Oh ? Er, er, er, I have no immediate plans, ha ha ha!!
Did you entertain in high school, at the high school, when you went back at the high school ? Only when I walked down the aisles, man. No, I did, no, I was, er, I was a painter, and a sort of a recluse in high school. I've changed.
What happened ? I got liberated! I don't know, I just started to sing and singing makes you want to come out because painting, I feel, keeps you inside, you know ? And once you start singing you just sort of want too talk to people more and go out more and, you know, your lifestyle's becomes more a come-out, flow-out thing instead of a hold-it-and-be-quiet type.
How were you different from your schoolmates when you were a teenager ? I don't know, why don't you ask them ?
Did they make you different ? No.
Otherwise were you different in comparison with them, or were you ? I felt apart from them.
Did you take a part in football games ? I think not. I didn't go to the high school prom, and er ...
Oh, you were asked, weren't you ? No, I wasn't. I don't think, I don't think they wanted to take me. Till I'll be a hundred and sufferin'! It's enough to make you wanna sing the blues!
( Woodstock )
If there's anythin' that you need, Hon, that you've never, ever, ever had. I know you've never had it. Oh, honey, don't you just sit there cryin', Don't just sit there feelin' bad. No, no, no. You'd better get up, Now do you understand, And raise you hand! I said raise your hand, hey. You know I'm standin' about, yes I am. Want to give you all my love. Oh, honey, won't you come on and open up, I said, open up your heart. Please, let me try. You'd better to be good. Don't ya understand ? Raise your hand. I said, raise your hand, Right here, right now, c'mon!! Whoaaaaah, oh yeah!! If there's anything you need, Honey, that you ever, ever, ever try, I want you to give it up I said to give it all, don't you know that you have. You'd better be good. Don't ya understand, Raise your hand. I said, raise your hand, Raise it, Raise it, Raise it, Raise, Alright!! Ha wah do wah Ha wah do wah Ha wah do wah Ha wah do wah Whoa Whoa Whoa, hon Whoa, yeah Whoa, hon Whoa, yeah I said every day when I go out I said I wanna move. Every day when I go out I tell ya I wanna groove. I said move, yeah Said move now Move, yeah Whoa Honey, I want you to come along And raise your hand. Babe, I want you to come along, Raise your hand. If you know where you belong I'll tell you Here And now Said here and now Said here now, now, now, now, now, now, now! Raise your hand, yeah. X4 Raise your hand. X8 Hey, hey, hey, get it up now! Hey, hey, get it up now! Hey, hey, get it up now! Hey, hey, get it up! Raise your hand! X6 Raise your hand, yeah! Yeah!!! Whoa!!
Hey! All right, all right, all right, all right! Oh, ain't no problem Carry no heavy load Why can't I love you, baby ? You try to block my road. I wish ya wouldn't do it. Oh, better off to hand you Everything I own, ha ha ha ha! Strange to see you waiting for me, You try to block my road All the time. Yeah, try to block my road Please be mine! Hey, hey, hey, hey. Road block Hit me with a roadblock Come on a road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Ah! Road block My, my, my, my, my, my, road block Up ahead I see a roadblock Up ahead I see a roadblock Whoa, road block Whoa, road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Road block Oh, ain't no problem Carry no heavy load No, no! Hey! why can't I love you, baby ? You try to block my road. Why are you doin' it ? Yeah, try to block my road. Try to block my Road! Lord! Road block!!!
St. James Infirmary I went down to old Joe's bar room, on the corner by the square Well, the drinks were bein' served as usual, and this motley crowd was there Well, on my left stood Joe McKennedy, and his eyes were bloodshot red When he told me that sad story, these were the words he said: I went down to the St. James infirmary, I saw my baby there She was stretched out on a long white table, so cold, and fine, and fair Go ahead! Let her go, let her go, God bless her, wherever she may be She can search this world over, never find another man like me Yes, sixteen coal black horses, to pull that rubber tied hack Well, it's seventeen miles to the graveyard, but my baby's never comin' back Well, now you've heard my story, well, have another round of booze And if anyone should ever, ever ask you, I've got the St. James infirmary blues! Tell Mama
(Calgary 04 07 1970)
Alright!!! Alright!!! I'm ready, man! Whoaa yeah!!! You thought you had found yourself a good girl, One who would love you and give you the world. Then you find, babe, that you've been misused, Come to me, honey, I'll do what you choose. I want you to Well, tell mama All about it. Well, tell mama What you need Tell your mama, babe, What you want. Tell your mama, babe. What you need What you want. What you need What you want Whoa! an' I'll make everything alright. That girl you didn't have no sense, babe, Wasn't worth all the time that you spent. That same man he throwed you outdoors, I just heard that he quartered your clothes, hey! Well, tell mama All about it. Tell mama What you need. Tell your mama, babe, What you want Tell your mama, babe. What you need What you want What you need What you want, Whoaaa! an' I'll make everything alright, babe. Whoaa... rock & roll! Baby, Wasn't worth all the time that you spent. And that same man that throwed you outdoors, I just heard that he torn all your clothes, hey. Well, tell mama All about it Tell mama What you need Tell your mama, babe What you want Tell your mama, babe What you need What you want What you need What you want Anything I can do Anything I can do for you. Tell your mama, babe! Your mama, babe! Your mama, babe! Your mama, babe! Hey your mama, babe! Tell your mama, babe! Tell your mama, babe! Tell your mama, babe! Hey! Every time you get lonely, lonely, lonely, Every time you get lonely sometime. Every time you get lonely, lonely, lonely, Every time you get lonely sometime. Every time you got to cry, cry, Every time you gotta cry. Every time you got to cry, cry, cry, Every day, Lord. And I'd figured I'll tell you, when you go lonely, an' I figure everybody does, right ? Because as a matter of fact everybody does. I figure if you're a woman Man if you're really a woman You already know what you need, man. You already know what you're looking for, Man, i found out out at fourteen years old And I been lookin' for it every since, too, man. But, if you happen to be a young cat, You know like about seventeen years old, just about If you happen to be a young cat and you ain't figured it out yet, I'll tell you what you need, baby, When you got those strange thoughts in your head You got those strange little weirdenesses happening to you, you don't know what they are I'll tell ya what you need You need a sweet lovin' mama, babe, Honey, sweet talkin' mama, babe. You need a sweet lovin' mama, babe. Honey, sweet talkin' mama, babe. You need someone to listen to you, Someone to want you, Someone to hold you Someone to need you Someone to use you Someone to want you Someone to need you Someone to hold you Someone to want you Someone to hold you You need a mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, baby Lordy, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama. Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, yeah! Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, yeah! Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, yeah! Tell mama all about it Tell mama all about it What you need, what you want What you need, what you want Anything I can do Anything I can do Tell your mama, babe Yeah your mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Whoa mama babe! Yeah An' I'll make everything alright, yeah! Hey! Yeah!
People come around the window, People come around the door People come around and ask me If I can say some more 'Cause I'm a whisperman, yes I am! I can read somebody's back hand, and I can read your mind What you need is body heat, ask for it any time 'Cause I'm a whisperman, yeah, yes I am! I can see up your staircase, and I can see down your hall, I can see almost anything, or anything at all, 'Cause I'm a whisperman, yeah, yes I am! I can see behind your eyelid, I can see behind your head I can only check you on the windshield, Write them on your bed. 'Cause I'm a whisperman, yeah, yes I am!