The Impact of Lightfoot

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 10:28 am

No I don't Bob, just took it from a reference source, after digging deeper there are allegedly over 1,000 versions, I can't stand the song frankly but here is everything you need to know about and didn't need to know too.
http://www.louielouie.net/06-history.htm

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:17 pm

Richard Berry was an LA songwriter. They do "Rock Tours" in LA that drive right by his small, unassuming bungalow. He lived there for many, many years until his death in '96 or '97.

He wrote LL in 1955 and recorded it with the Pharaohs (not Sam's group) as a calypso song.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:35 pm

Come on Roy how can anyone hate Louis Louis? The quintessential garage band tune, haha! I don't know if they still do it but every year The Kingsman used to have a Louis Louis festival in their hometown somewhere in California where they would play it for a half an hour or longer and all sorts of people would sit in, Paul, you're from the Earthquake State aren't you? Do you know anything about this? I saw this on TV during the mid 90's.

Calypso? I was close anyway, they are both music.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 6:59 am

So is it 'Louis' or 'Louie'? Either way, it was one of the biggest tunes to play on the ice...the crowd took over the entertainment chores and left the band free just to play the progression and catch our breath...we used to let people come up and sing a verse or two...who's gonna say they didn't get the lyrics right?

It would usually morph into Wild Thing after about twenty minutes...

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:49 am

Louie, Louie

You make my heart sing

Oh baby now

You make everything grooooooveeeee

Louie Louie

What are the lyrics?

I gotta know for sure...

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 7:58 am

HORUS:

Louie Louie, oh no
Me gotta go
Aye-yi-yi-yi, I said
Louie Louie, oh baby
Me gotta go

Fine little girl waits for me
Catch a ship across the sea
Sail that ship about, all alone
Never know if I make it home

CHORUS

Three nights and days I sail the sea
Think of girl, constantly
On that ship, I dream she's there
I smell the rose in her hair.

CHORUS

Okay, let's give it to 'em, right now!

GUITAR SOLO

See Jamaica, the moon above
It won't be long, me see me love
Take her in my arms again
Tell her I'll never leave again

CHORUS

Let's take it on outa here now
Let's go!!

royclough · Post by **royclough** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:02 am

http://www.xs4all.nl/~tdg/louie1.html

The guy whose site above is, clearly obsessed with the song. Some of you may find it very interesting.

wayang · Post by **wayang** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:15 am

The imagery's a little saccharin and boneheaded...except for that "Okay, let's give it to 'em, right now!"

That's Cream of Rock-n-Roll...

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 8:36 am

"The imagery's a little saccharin..."

precisely why I think the Kingsmen did an excellent job with the song...you can't understand the lyrics!

(they also botch the music - that's rock and roll!)

stubby · Post by **stubby** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 5:24 pm

I always find Canadian takes on American events interesting, particularly those from the era when there was a substantial and vibrant US voice of dissent ...how many of you are familiar with "Black Day in July" by Lightfoot, a song about the race riots in Detroit? A good example of how much American social conscience in music has influenced and affected those of us in the North. I often wonder how credible these views are regarded by our US friends-if they are even noticed at all that is.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 5:52 pm

HORUS? I love that song, it's the epitome of rock n roll.

yettoblaster · Post by **yettoblaster** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 5:07 am

I was in High School in New England when Gordon Lightfoot was gaining popularity (in the late '60's).
We all dug him.

Way before the Edmund Fitzgerald, he did another called Ballad of The Yarmouth Castle.

Canadian Railroad Trilogy was epic.

Did She Mention My Name; Home From The Forest; Bitter Green; Mountains and Maryanne; Crossroads of Time; etc etc. All stellar songs beautifully delivered.

Sunday Concert was my favorite album.

Black Day in July, was as good as anything Phil Ochs ever wrote, topically.

Canadians always seem a bit more European, Societally, to me. Kind of a British sensibility.
Canadian comedians have a rich blend of touchstones thay can rely on. It always seems Canadians wish for the best for the U.S. And are mindly bemused when we make a mess of things.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:37 am

Did Lightfoot ever record Louie louie? haha!

Those hosers, Bob and Doug Mackenzie were very European, genteel almost.

dbailey62 · Post by **dbailey62** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:35 pm

Bill,

I think Lightfoot wondered about his credibility in regards to BDIJ too.

I do know that he stopped performing the song decades ago as, I recall hearing him say in interview, that he was uncomfortable with the idea of a Canadian criticizing the USA over its internal problems .... or something like that.

The song was banned by US radio. I've attached a link to the CBC site that links to a number of multimedia files.

http://archives.cbc.ca/IDD-1-74-743/people/gordon_lightfoot/

stubby · Post by **stubby** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:50 pm

It's a funny quandary as we have so many obvious links and similarities to the US. In many ways, I think Canadians have a unique perspective on US internal affairs that might indeed make their views of some relevance. That said, it is obviously none of our business and I can see Lightfoot's point of view. And, of course, there is also the argument that US policy affects us so intimately, in so many ways, that it is our business. Guess this ain't the forum to solve these questions!

By the way, I have played Ballad of Yarmouth Castle for years now and it's a good song, quintessential Lightfoot sound.