Creeque Alley Lyrics
Just to leave the folk music behind
Zol and Denny workin' for a penny
Tryin' to get a fish on the line
In a coffee house Sebastian sat
And after every number they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher
In L.A., you know where that's at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
"Who can sing a song the way that you do, let's go south"
Denny said "Zolly, golly, don't you think that I wish"
"I could play guitar like you"
Zol, Denny and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl)
And after every number they'd pass the hat
McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin higher
In L.A., you know where that's at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
But she changed her mind one day
Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike
"Take me to New York right away"
When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps
Called John and Zol and that was the Mugwumps
McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher
But that's what they were aimin' at
And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
Don't you work as hard as you play
Make up, break up, everything is shake up
Guess it had to be that way
Sebastian and Zol formed the Spoonful
Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful
McGuinn and McGuire just a-catchin' fire
In L.A., you know where that's at
And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass
Di-di-di-dit dit dit di-di-di-dit, who-o-oa
And Mitchy wants to go to the sea
Cass can't make it, she says we'll have to fake it
We knew she'd come eventually
Greasin' on American Express cards
It's low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard
Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations
Can't go on indefinitely
And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality
www.creequealley.com breaks this song down line by line. It's essentially a reference to the history of the band and some of their former bands/bandmates (John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky of Lovin' Spoonful for example).
Actually elysiarenee, this song is the entire story of the band that sang it. The Mama's and the Papas were one of the most incredible folk rock groups of the 1960's. The band members were Mama Cass, Mama Michelle, Papa John, and Papa Denny. They sang with incredible harmony, and loved what they did. You are right about Mama Cass dying of a heart attack. Her daughter had a small role in the movie "American Graffitti". John Phillips (Papa John) died just last year. His daughter has a starring role in the Disney Channel show "So Weird".
The young woman in American Graffiti was McKenzie Phillips, who is Papa John Phillips' daughter from his first marriage.
The young woman in American Graffiti was McKenzie Phillips, who is Papa John Phillips' daughter from his first marriage.
Good song. Just not too fond of the Mama Cass line at the end of every verse....
This song is the detailed story of the band. The name comes from how John did his writing, he would head a page with the place where an idea or inspiration came. So Creeque Alley (in Jamaica) is where it was written. Their producer was holding back the song "California Dreamin" from release because the /beach Boys were running the charts and he knew that "California" would get little air play and be buried. But the band was hungry and poor, so while at the producers office Cass "stole" an American Express Card that was on the guys desk while he was on a call. They bought plane tickets to Jamaica and lived on the "stolen" card hopping from hotel to hotel every three days so as not to get busted by the "Heat" aka cops. They didn't know that the producer knew they had the card and just thought that they were down there writing the music he wanted for the album. They were in a cafe listening to American radio when they heard their own song on and the DJ say it was climbing the charts! Oh, BTW, "Mugwumps" was the bands name before it was "Mamas and Papas"!
@scottyboyd And as a follow up to this conversation I have a great puzzle for you all! Where did the band get the original name of "Mugwumps" from?
@scottyboyd And as a follow up to this conversation I have a great puzzle for you all! Where did the band get the original name of "Mugwumps" from?
Hint: It was a very political time in New York when the Mamas and papas got together! Scotty
Hint: It was a very political time in New York when the Mamas and papas got together! Scotty
alas i am young and do not understand most of the referneces in this song and cannot explain them to you. from what i understand it's about the folk music culture in the 60s. mama cass is the fabulous mamas and the papas member who sings such songs as dream a little dream of me. she died of a heart attack in the early 70s. :(
If only more bands did a song like this - quote their roots - fab stuff
I love this song and how it tells the story about all the stars of the folk 60's scene. I think it's cool that they all knew each other before they were ever famous.
It seems that the www.creequealley.com link is no longer functional. Luckily, the analysis of the song by Richard Thorpe is preserved here : http://everything2.com/index.pl?node=Creeque+Alley&lastnode_id=124&searchy=search|
www.creequealley.com has now been restored.
www.creequealley.com has now been restored.
Richard Thorpe
Richard Thorpe
And now for another installment of "Music Histories": You may ask WHO McGwinn and McGuire are in the song! They are types of communication manipulation. A McGwinn is a word or term that sounds like another but has a completely different meaning.Think of Two, to, too or Read and red or Who's your daddy, Hoosier Daddy'& Hoesier Daddy
A McGuire is a concept, idea, or thing that shows a total connection. Think of the apple peal, the apple sead and the apple tree. They are all connected and any could just be called "The Apple"! Keep learning! Scotty
@scottyboyd McGwinn and McGuire is Roger McGwinn of the Byrds. and Barry McGuire had Eve Of Distruction hit.
@scottyboyd McGwinn and McGuire is Roger McGwinn of the Byrds. and Barry McGuire had Eve Of Distruction hit.
Pretty good analysis so far, but some corrections and additions: McGuinn and McGuire are Roger McGuinn and Barry McGuire of the Byrds and they couldn't get much higher refers to their hit "8 Miles High".
Zal and Sebastian are Zal Yanovsky and John Sebastian who started the Lovin's Spoonful, in their early days singing in clubs and coffee houses.
Mugwumps were the Mamas and Papas before changing their name.