Some people take this stuff more seriously than we do. Or maybe they're just trying to help our tight little fraternity gain deeper meaning and perspective. Take for example Tom in Colorado Springs, who was duty bound to decipher the lyrics to "Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)" long before we mentioned the Hollies' 1972 hit in yesterday's post.
We know Tom took his job seriously from what he wrote at songfacts.com:
You know, I've scoured about every site containing the lyrics to [Long Cool Woman] and there are some parts that no matter how hard I try to hear the accepted lyrics, they just don't match with what I'm hearing. So...in contention with what everyone says the lyrics are, I am proposing my version of the lyrics. These lyrics are acquired by taking the mp3 file of the song and playing it back in an editing program and slowing the tempo down while maintaining the pitch. I slowed the speed down to 60% which made the lyrics much clearer...then in the parts that were still a little unsure I slowed it down to 50%. I'm 99.99% positive these are the actual words to this song. Most are the same as the accepted versions but there are some differences. I suggest, printing my lyrics and reading them along as you listen to the song. Anyway...this isn't meant to cause an argument, I'm just proposing this version after a long time analyzing the words. Here we go:
(Paste this link into a new window if you want to try follow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0LTRPMpOVM)
Saturday night I was downtown
Workin' for the FBI
Sittin' in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles pilin' high
Bootleggin' boozers on my left side
All the people who are doin' wrong
Just about to call up the DA man
When I heard this woman sing a song
A pair of 45's, baby, or pull my knives
My temperature started to rise
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
The first two verses were working OK for us, then ... a pair of 45's, baby? We've had enough! Our previous regard for "Long Cool Woman" is diminished somewhat, but we hold Tom in Colorado Springs in highest regard.We believe he's ready to tackle "Louie Louie."
Tom in Colorado must be one-a those New Age guys, what with using technology to sllooowww down the music in an attempt to decipher lyrics. I'll stick to the Old School natural way of listening: darkness, headphones and a bit o' organic attunement enhancement rather than rubbin' a finger along the side-a the turntable. Tom probably figures Jimi Hendrix was gay before his time (". .. 'scuse me while I kiss this guy...") since he has trouble hearing lyrics.
ReplyDelete;-{)