Hi,
So here's a ode for and about the late great Dr John.
The facts been taken from his amazing life which I've tried to encompass.
There's a couple of areas it needs some careful singing and I have deliberately changed the persona from me to Dr John in parts.
Does this work and any suggestions gratefully received before it gets recorded
:-)
Neil
Its quarter to midnight
‘The blackest white man I knew’
I’ve been hoodooed
Been taken down so low
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide
I’ve been night-tripping, when I heard
That old Mac had died
Dr John weren’t his real name
Not that that mattered that much
He nearly lost a finger
He never lost his touch
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide
I’ve been been night-tripping, when I heard
That old Mac had died
Furs and voodoo, charms and feathers
Champion Jack and Big Joe Turner
Playing knock ‘em down and drag ‘em out juke joints
And tragic magic busts
Its quarter to midnight
Money’s flowing like fine French wine
But the tables ain’t for turning
What’s your’s sure ain’t mine
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide
I’ve been been night-tripping, when I heard
That old Mac had died
Lawyers bogarting my money
Doing what I had to make them rich
With rhythm and strumming, kept ripping and running
I just couldn’t call it quits
Its quarter to midnight
When I heard the news
Gone to meet his maker
Mac Rebennack sure paid his dues
No more night tripping, no voodoo charms
Stride piano or big easy slides
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide
I’ve been been night-tripping, when I heard
That old Mac had died
c N Connor 2019
