Wednesday, October 18, 2006:

The Roots Canal: Golden Age of Raunch, Part I

Dinah Washington -- Big Long Slidin' Thing
I'm feeling raunchy tonight. No, I don't have a bad stomach. I want to hear some great risqué double-entendre lyrics like they used to sing in the 1940s and 50s. For all the talk about how licentious our culture has become, nothing they're singing today is as delightfully filthy as those awesome raunchy lyrics of old-time R&B.

Here's one of my favorite "dirty" songs. Just listen to the Queen of the Blues work her way through an entire band while she pines away for her favorite trombone player:
I've been in every bar
Been in every honky tonk
Been tryin' to find my daddy
With that broke-down piece of junk
Asked everyone to help me
Cried, help me if you can
You'll know my daddy
He's that trombone-playing man
Where is my daddy
Tell me where is my daddy
With that big long slidin' thing
No wonder the good burghers of America rose up in horror when their fresh-cheeked sons and daughters started listening to that awful primitive music called rhythm-and-blues (later, rock and roll). It was just as sexy and seditious as they said it was.

[The R&B Years: 1954]

posted by Anonymous @ 00:22 | permalink |

Comments:
This is brilliant. I'll be playing this on the DIY Chart Show at the weekend and no mistake.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Robin

ViVa D!Y
∼ posted by Blogger Robin @ 6:29 AM, October 18, 2006  

Honey, Where You Been So Long? had some good posts on raunchy tunes some time back, but he didn't post this one. Did you manage to catch the rest? One of them was called "My Stove's in Good Condition," and it's a hoot.
∼ posted by Blogger Tuwa @ 10:58 AM, October 18, 2006  

OMG- I was looking for some song to record for a demo-- and all of your raunchy songs are good for my neo-burlesque jazz standard vibe! I want more!!!!

you are amazing!!!
∼ posted by Anonymous Anonymous @ 1:58 AM, November 13, 2006  

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