Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Trying to keep her out of sight
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
When up pops the wife
I said, ah I can't find nothing wrong with being friends cos sometimes
She lets me use the car
She said if you can't find nothing wrong with your mind
You'd better find something wrong with her, her
So I began to explain ah that it wasn't just ah what she thought
I'd better find something to do with my time
The fact is I've just been caught
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Trying to get away clean
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
When up pops the queen
Trying to double talk, get myself in trouble talk, catching myself in lies
Catching myself in lies
Mama just looked at me as if I was, ah, crazy
And didn't even bat an eye
So I began to try to explain, ah that it just wasn't what she thought
I'd better find something to do with my time
The fact is ah just been caught, just been caught,
Sneakin, sneakin, sneakin,
Trying to talk doubletalk, get myself in trouble talk
Catching myself in lies, catching myself in lies
Mama just looked at me as if i was crazy
She didn't even bat an eye
Sneakin' Sally through the alley with sally
Sneakin' Sally through the alley with sally
Sneakin Sally through the alley
Sneakin Sally through the alley
Sneakin Sally through the alley
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Trying to keep her out of sight
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
When up pops the wife
I said, ah I can't find nothing wrong with being friends cos sometimes
She lets me use the car
She said if you can't find nothing wrong with your mind
You'd better find something wrong with her, her
So I began to explain ah that it wasn't just ah what she thought
I'd better find something to do with my time
The fact is I've just been caught
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
Trying to get away clean
Sneakin' Sally through the alley
When up pops the queen
Trying to double talk, get myself in trouble talk, catching myself in lies
Catching myself in lies
Mama just looked at me as if I was, ah, crazy
And didn't even bat an eye
So I began to try to explain, ah that it just wasn't what she thought
I'd better find something to do with my time
The fact is ah just been caught, just been caught,
Sneakin, sneakin, sneakin,
Trying to talk doubletalk, get myself in trouble talk
Catching myself in lies, catching myself in lies
Mama just looked at me as if i was crazy
She didn't even bat an eye
Sneakin' Sally through the alley with sally
Sneakin' Sally through the alley with sally
Sneakin Sally through the alley
Sneakin Sally through the alley
Sneakin Sally through the alley
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley Lyrics as written by Allen Toussaint
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The meaning of this song was related to me by my old friend Sally Kaye . Sally was Mac Rebennack’s ( Dr John ) second wife . \nAs it was told to me Mac was married to his first wife Christina , which I also knew but in my old age cannot remember her last name, While he was having an affair with Sally. Mac had Sally over at his house while Christina was out . Christina came home way earlier than expected and Mac was trying to sneak Sally down the alley between his house trying to make sure that Christina didn’t see her. Christina had long suspected something was going on and met them in the alley.\nSally told me that Mac was telling the story to a good friend and they wrote the song. Sally said that Mac didn’t want his name associated with it because he was still married to Christina at the time.\nI cannot attest to the validity of the story, I wasn’t there when it happened, but I have known Sally for a very long time and knew she was very honest and trustworthy.\nEventually Mac, Dr. Jean, divorced Christina and married Sally. The house was in the French quarter next to hotel Le Richelieu on Chartres St in the French Quarter