Me got fire, can't put it out
If I was gonna make you shout
I'm goin' down to get my squaw
We're gonna buy a great big car
Me big chief, me feelin' good
Me gonna do everything me could
Me big chief me got 'em tibe
Me gonna take 'em for a ride
My flag boy just went by
My flag boy is full of fire
My whole tribe is having fun
We gonna dance 'til morning come
Me big chief, me got my band
Girls in wild rags, near Tremayne
Me big chief, me got my food
Drink firewater, gonna get me blue
Me big chief, me feelin' good
Me gonna do everything me could
Find a levee and burn it down
If I was gonna make you shout
I'm goin' down to get my squaw
We're gonna buy a great big car
Me big chief, me feelin' good
Me gonna do everything me could
Me gonna take 'em for a ride
My flag boy just went by
My flag boy is full of fire
My whole tribe is having fun
We gonna dance 'til morning come
Girls in wild rags, near Tremayne
Me big chief, me got my food
Drink firewater, gonna get me blue
Me big chief, me feelin' good
Me gonna do everything me could
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
It'd be nice is some Southerner could confirm the significance of "burning down the levee", since it comes up in several songs. In Elton John's "Burn Down the Levee", it has a very ominous tone, but here it seems to more fit the idea of the Louisiana tradition of lighting bonfires on the levee and partying through the night. Otherwise, I wonder why people would want to "burn the levee down".
@Moonmadness Please ignore the preceding comment. It's not "Burn down the Levee" by Elton John, It's "Burn down the Mission". Randy Newman has a song "Let's burn down the Cornfield". Anyway, I screwed up but I down see how to edit or delete comments.
@Moonmadness Please ignore the preceding comment. It's not "Burn down the Levee" by Elton John, It's "Burn down the Mission". Randy Newman has a song "Let's burn down the Cornfield". Anyway, I screwed up but I down see how to edit or delete comments.
I, too, have wondered about the meaning of this phrase. Haven’t found anything specific to this lyric’s phrase that defines it, which is a bit frustrating.
On Christmas Eve in many of Louisiana parishes upriver, there is a tradition on that night to burn huge bonfires that have been carefully stacked & oftentimes quite artistically done, to light the river for “Papa Noel”s journey bringing gifts for all children. This is the only thing festive thing that I’ve found which relates to burning the levee, in an abstract sort of way. I take this phrase to have a very happy & festive connotation from the overall meaning of Big Chief; do any Louisianans burn bonfires on their levees during Mardi Gras? Or maybe even St Joseph’s Day?