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Topic: BIG JOHN LYRICS

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a kaye
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BIG JOHN LYRICS
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Hello..


I was wanting to get the lyrics for "Big John Is My Name"


I have some of them figured out...However, I would like them in their entirety.


Thanks Rare Earth Fans!


akkaye



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Gus
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Are these lyrics in anyway about the original bass player?

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DAVE
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Me Too.


Can anyone help?



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Peter Rivera
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Well I like what I do...and I ...do what I like
what i do? I play the funky music.......repeat
Some of my friends smoke a little dope I gotta tell you all
Some of my friends tootin up coke
Well different strokes for different folks...but me?
playin funky music all night long....that's what turns me on.....

I might not ever make the big time yeah yeah yeah yeah
cause honky tonk joints that's my style
Hey in a one bulb lighted room ...where the women wear 50 cent perfume...

Big John is my name...playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city .... me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty..

Played my music in every honky tonk joint from maine to mexico
soulful folks ain't got no shoes ....smellin like all out doors....
I got invited to the white house but i had to turn it down cause
this here band can't stand what saddity folks are puttin down...

I might........

Big John...... 

I want to know can you get down......all the way down.....
Peter

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RAY MONETTE
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NOW I'M NOT BEING PICKY....JUST TRYIN TO HELP.

THE REFRAIN SECTION CHANGES.

"I MUST WARN YOU,THEY'LL BE A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS THERE DRINKING AND SWEATIN,AND CURSIN....AND THE BOYS IN THE BACKROOM DOIN SOME BETTIN".

IT TAKES THE PLACE OF "ONE BULB LIGHTED ROOM.......50 CENT PERFUME".


RAY

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peter Rivera
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Hey Ray what do you want...?  At least I had some.... GEEEEEZ !  gimmie a break....(kidding).  Those were off the top of my head, not bad for 34 years.....

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RAY MONETTE
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YOU DID GOOD PETER. YOU ALMOST HAD THEM ALL.
FOR SOME REASON,THAT'S ABOUT ALL MY MEMORY IS ANY GOOD FOR...SONGS,AND LYRICS. GO FIGURE??

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RAY MONETTE
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OH....BY THE WAY. TO ANSWER AN EARLIER QUESTION. JOHN WASN'T WITH US WHEN WE DID "BIG JOHN". I THINK THAT NORMAN HAD PETER IN MIND WHEN HE WROTE THE SONG,BUT JOHN FLOWED BETTER THAN PETE LYRICALLY.

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Mel
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Think there was a mid 8 section somewhere 'and all you sophisticated folk we get it on every night at nine. i must warn you theres no flashy neon sign......

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Anonymous
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BIG JOHN IS MY NAMERAREEARTH()

Well I like what I do...and I ...do what I like
what i do? I play the funky music.......repeat
Some of my friends smoke a little dope I gotta tell you all
Some of my friends sniff a little coke
Well different strokes for different folks...but me?
playin funky music all night long....that's what turns me on.....

And all you sophisticated folk we get it on every night at 9

Dont look for no fancy cars or flashy neon sign

HeyI must warn you therell be a whole lotta funk yeah drinkin and sweatin

Educating,. and the boss in the back doing his thing


Big John is my name...

playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city ....

me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty..


Played my music in every honky tonk joint from maine to mexico
soulful folks ain't got no shoes ....smellin like all out doors....
I got invited to the white house but I had to turn it down cause
me and my band can't stand what saddity folks are puttin down...

I might not ever make the big time yeah yeah yeah cause The honky tonk joints that's my style
Hey in a one bulb lighted room ...

where the women wear 50 cent perfume...

Big John is my name......

I want to know can you dig itcan you get down on the floorall the way down

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Anonymous
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I'm listening to it now, slowed down Peter clearly says "sniff a little DRUGS", thanks for the help with everything, although I didn't ask. This is cool!

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Mike
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Anonymous wrote:

I'm listening to it now, slowed down Peter clearly says "sniff a little DRUGS", thanks for the help with everything, although I didn't ask. This is cool!


No, he says "sniff a little dope".

 



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UK Dave
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I thought it was "dope" too. Hey Mike, maybe there's a version you didn't know about. Don't scrap the project just to add that though ;)

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Anonymous
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well i like what i do and i do what i like
what i do hey i play the funky music  (repeat)

some ah my friends you all smoke a little dope I gotta tell ya all
some ah my friends sniff a little coke
different strokes for different folks but me
playin funky music all night long hey that's what turns me on

i might not ever make the big time  yeah yeah yeah
cause honky tonk joints that's my style
Hey, in a one bulb lighted room
where the women wear 50 cent perfume.

big john is my name.. playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty
big john, big john thats my name playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty
played my music in every honky tonk joint from maine to mexico
soulful folks ain't got no shoes smellin like all outdoors
i got invited to the white house but i had to turn it down
cause this here band can't stand what sa-ditty folks are puttin down

"I MUST WARN YOU,THEY'LL BE A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS THERE DRINKING AND SWEATIN,AND CURSIN....AND THE BOYS IN THE BACKROOM DOIN SOME BETTIN".  (this is in there somewhere)  I'm tired of typing.you got it all..peter

big john


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Anonymous
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substitute  (folks for boys in the last line

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Mike
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UK Dave wrote:

I thought it was "dope" too. Hey Mike, maybe there's a version you didn't know about. Don't scrap the project just to add that though ;)



 Dave,

Everyone else has theirs except for you, UK JOHN and Steve. Now that I have a 2 week break from school, I'll get it out to you three guys :)

I will fly in some vocals to get a few royalties...just kidding.



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UK Dave
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Thanks Mike. Appreciated!!

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Stuart -- Chicago
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I've noticed the current Gil led Rare Earth sanitize the smoke a little dope and sniff a little coke lyric.  Can't remember what they substitute or if they just mumble something else instead, but I did notice that.  I remember cracking up hearing on one of those Alvin and the Chimpmunks albums where they did "Good Girls Don't" by the Knack. There is a line in there "...and she's sitting on you face."  Alvin and the boys completely mush it all up.  Can't have the kiddies singing that line to their parents, lol.

Stuart -- Chicago


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Stuart -- Chicago
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Actually, Ray...can you enlighten us on my above post?

Stuart -- Chicago


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RAY MONETTE
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HI STUART,

I'M PRETTY SURE THE SAME WORDS ARE USED,BUT SLURRED A LITTLE.

WE USED TO JOKE ABOUT CLEANING UP THAT LINE....."SOME OF MY FRIENDS DRINK A LITTLE COKE"........BUT HEY,WE DIDN'T WRITE THAT SONG.

RAY

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Stuart -- Chicago
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Ray,

Different Cokes for different folks kinda has a good ring to it.

Stuart


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Mike
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Stuart -- Chicago wrote:

Ray,


Different Cokes for different folks kinda has a good ring to it.

Stuart

Coca Cola Classic, Cherry Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero?

"Drinking funky soda all night long, hey, that's what turns me on". biggrin

Just kidding. Big John is one of my fave Rare Earth songs. I love the harmonica playing too. It's funky.



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Stuart -- Chicago
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I've always enjoyed Big John live more than the studio version, whether with Pete, Wayne or JR.  Sometimes when RE does a shorter show and cuts out Big John and opens with Big Brother, I'm always very disappointed.  I love the way the song is stretched out and then they do that bit towards the end, "Gonna get down, down, down, gonna get down, down, down...."  Kick ass!

Stuart -- Chicago


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UK Dave
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Personally speaking I always felt that Big John was so good it was worth the price of the Ma album. I can believe it sounded brilliant played live. To think that the Chicago version maybe disintegrating in the Motown vaults. 

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Mike
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Dave,

I know how you feel. For now, the Harpos version works...would love to hear the Chicago album though.

I love how Pete says, before the harmonica starts: "Ahh, play a little Mark, yeah!".  

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Anonymous
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I think Mike Campbell played the harmonica

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Mike
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Anonymous wrote:

I think Mike Campbell played the harmonica


I don't think that's the case. Ray, Pete and Gil would know. My money is on Mark Olson. He played some harmonica on the Band Together album.

 



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WILL
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Why some of the lyrics in every site I looked were omitted. See in RED

 

Well I like what I do...and I ...do what I like
and what I do. HEY..I play the funky music.......repeat

PETER yeah, yeah....I like what I do ya'll...and I ...do what I like
and what I do... I'll tell ya....I play the funky music....hey I wanna tell you now.


Some of my friends ya'll smoking... a little dope.

Like I said Some of my friends sniffing little coke


Well different strokes for different folks...but me?
playin funky music all night long....hey.. that's what turns me on....wow

And all you sofisticated folks, we get it on every night and night, don't  look for those fancy clubs with the flashy neon signs. Hey..I must warn you, they'll a lot of folks there kicking and sweatting, and some coursing and the boys in the bathroom doing some ?????

Big John is my name...playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city .... me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty..

Big John is my name...playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city .... me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty..

Played my music in every honky tonk joint from maine to mexico
soulful folks ain't got no shoes ....smellin like all out doors....


I got invited to the white house but i had to turn it down cause
me and my band can't stand what saddity ??? folks are puttin down...


I might not ever make the big time yeah yeah yeah
cause honky tonk joints that's my style
Hey in a one bulb lighted room ...where the women wear 50 cent perfume...

Big John is my name...playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city .... look it here....me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty..

Big John, big John that's my name...playin funky music is my claim to fame
from the big city .....me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty..

I want to know can you get down......all the way down.....

Peter



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Anonymous
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       the DYNAMIC CORVETTES did a variation of JOHN.Though............they called it somethin else.RE lesson 4 the day.



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Anonymous
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the second verse goes: "And for all you sophisticated folks we get it on every night at nine, don't look for no flashy club with the flashy neon sign. I must warn you there'll be a whole lotta folks there drinkin and sweatin, and some cursin'. And the the boys in the back room doin some (unclear)." i don't no why this verse is missing all over the net it seems.



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Mike D.
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Well I like what I do, and I do what like

What I do? Hey, I play the funky music

Yeah yeah, said I like what I do, and I do what like

What I do? Hey, I play the funky music

Hey, wanna tell you know,

some of my friends smoke a little dope

I gotta say, some of my friends sniff a little dope.

Well hey yeah, different strokes for different folks.

But me, playing funky music all night,

That's turns me on, wow!

And for all you sophisticated folks we get it on every night at nine, 

don't look for no flashy club with the flashy neon sign. 

I must warn you there'll be a whole lotta folks there drinkin and sweatin, and some cursin'. 

and the folks in the back they're throwin' some bets.

 

Big John Is My Name.

Playing funkly music is my claim to fame

From the big city,

me and my bad specialize in the nitty gritty

Big John Is My Name.

Playing funkly music is my claim to fame

From the big city,

me and my bad specialize in the nitty gritty

 

 

Play my music in every honky tonk joint 

from Maine to Mexico

Some of them folks ain't got no shoes, 

smellin' like all outdoors

I got invited to The White House,

but I had to turn it down

'cause me and my band can't stand

what sadity folks are puttin' down

Wow!

I might not ever make the big time,

but honky tonk joints, that's my style.

In a one bulg lighted room, 

where the women wear fifty cent perfume

 

 

Big John Is My Name.

Playing funkly music is my claim to fame

From the big city,

me and my bad specialize in the nitty gritty

Big John Is My Name.

Playing funkly music is my claim to fame

From the big city,

me and my bad specialize in the nitty gritty

 

I wanna know can you get down, yeah, 

all the way down down...



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RICH
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Great WHITFIELD tune,great job by PETE & the fellas.HUM is another jem...................no lyrical dispute.Wish NORMAN would've put other stuff on.....................17 minutes of MA.................bad idea.



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Kenny
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Hey  guys .

Just listened to the latest anthology album from Rare Earth .

"The best of Rare Earth"

On the subject of Big John is my Name .

They cut of the entire intro to Big John .

I couldn't believe my ears . 

Why ? In a digital age would you have to cut anything from a previously recorded song . 

Time is not limited like it would be on say... vinyl .

Go figure ?



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Anonymous
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The REAL Lyrics:

Well I like what I do, and I do what like
What I do? Hey, I play the funky music
Yeah yeah, said I like what I do, and I do what like
What I do? Hey, I play the funky music
Hey, I wanna tell you now

Some of my friends smoke a little dope
I gotta say, some of my friends sniff a little dope
Well hey yeah, different strokes for different folks
But me, playing funky music all night
That's turns me on, wow
And for all you sophisticated folks we get it on every night at nine,
Don't look for no flashy club with the flashy neon sign.
I must warn you there'll be a whole lotta folks there drinkin and sweatin, and some cursin'
And the folks in the back they're throwin' some bets

Big John is my name
Playing funkly music is my claim to fame
From the big city
Me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty
Big John is my name
Playing funkly music is my claim to fame
From the big city
Me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty

Play my music in every honky tonk joint
From Maine to Mexico
Some of them folks ain't got no shoes
Smellin' like all outdoors
I got invited to The White House
But I had to turn it down
'Cause me and my band can't stand
What saddity folks are puttin' down
I might not ever make the big time
'Cause honky tonk joints, that's my style
In a one bulb lighted room
Where the women wear fifty cent perfume

Big John is my name
Playing funkly music is my claim to fame
From the big city
Me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty
Big John is my name
Playing funky music is my claim to fame
From the big city
Me and my band specialize in the nitty gritty

I wanna know can you get down, yeah
All the way down down, yeah...

 



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Anonymous
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Yup, yup!



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