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Mama Told Me (Not to Come) (Eric Burdon cover) Lyrics
Want some whiskey in your water?
or sugar in your tea?
What's all these crazy questions
they askin' me?
This is the craziest party
there ever could be.
Don't turn on the lights
'cause I don't want to see
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come (oh)
That ain't the way to have fun, no! (nuh uh!)
Open up your window
Let some air into this room
I think I'm almost choking from
The smell of stale perfume
And that cigarette you're smoking
'Bout scare me half to death
Open up the window sucka
Let me catch my breath
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
That ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, son (She said! ohh yeah!)
(All right)
The radio is blastin',
Someone's knockin' at the door
I'm lookin' at my girlfriend
She passed out on the floor
I seen so many things
I ain't never seen before!
Don't know what it is
I don't wanna see no more
Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
(She said!) That ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, no!
Mama told me, Mama told me, My mama told me
Told me, told me... (Mama told me)
Well yeah, she told me, told me
Ohh yeah, yeah!
Mama told me not to come (Mama, mama told me)
My Mama, Mama told me,
That ain't the way to have fun, no!
That ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, no! (Ya hear?)
That ain't the way to have fun, son
(Listen to me! Listen to me now!) Mama told me... now
(I can't hear ya now!)
That ain't the way to have fun, no! (Yeaaah, yeah!)
That ain't the way to have fun, son (Somebody shout it!)
That ain't the way to have fun, no! (Uh huh!)
That ain't the way to have fun, son
(Ma really told me)
(really told me)
(really told meeee, yeah!)
or sugar in your tea?
What's all these crazy questions
they askin' me?
This is the craziest party
there ever could be.
Don't turn on the lights
'cause I don't want to see
Mama told me not to come (oh)
That ain't the way to have fun, no! (nuh uh!)
Let some air into this room
I think I'm almost choking from
The smell of stale perfume
And that cigarette you're smoking
'Bout scare me half to death
Open up the window sucka
Let me catch my breath
Mama told me not to come
That ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, son (She said! ohh yeah!)
Someone's knockin' at the door
I'm lookin' at my girlfriend
She passed out on the floor
I seen so many things
I ain't never seen before!
Don't know what it is
I don't wanna see no more
Mama told me not to come
(She said!) That ain't the way to have fun, son
Told me, told me... (Mama told me)
Ohh yeah, yeah!
My Mama, Mama told me,
That ain't the way to have fun, son
That ain't the way to have fun, son
(I can't hear ya now!)
That ain't the way to have fun, son (Somebody shout it!)
That ain't the way to have fun, son
(really told me)
(really told meeee, yeah!)
Song Info
Submitted by
aniota On Jan 28, 2002
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well i see no one has actually commented on anything but how messed up the lyrics are, but i was wondering if this song could be about like a freak out or bad trip or something. .
like the part:
"The radio is blastin' Someone's knocking at the door I'm lookin' at my girlfriend She's passed out on the floor"
and then:
"I seen so many things I ain't never seen before Don't know what it is I don't wanna see no more"
kinda sounding like hes had enough. . too many visuals. . and he just wants it to stop.
anyone else?
Born, 1951, grew up in the hippie movement. Whiskey in your water is a term used for an abuser of alcohol Sugar (coke) in your tea (brewed mary jane) Combination drug usages were common to find a new high. Drugs were not what hey are today. Parties like these were peaceful, full of friendliness, lots of free sex. No one abused anyone or unfortunately some one, possibly on a bad trip would break your back and toss you out a 3 story window. BS was not tolerated with the hippies. They were passive but if you crossed the wrong one, say on...
Born, 1951, grew up in the hippie movement. Whiskey in your water is a term used for an abuser of alcohol Sugar (coke) in your tea (brewed mary jane) Combination drug usages were common to find a new high. Drugs were not what hey are today. Parties like these were peaceful, full of friendliness, lots of free sex. No one abused anyone or unfortunately some one, possibly on a bad trip would break your back and toss you out a 3 story window. BS was not tolerated with the hippies. They were passive but if you crossed the wrong one, say on angle dust (PCP) he'd tear your head off and shit down your neck for disrupting the music. Everything else is pretty much self stated including 'that cigaret you're smoking (what you people call a blunt today) is scarin me to death" (the way they sang the song) They were great in concert and their concerts were in fact a live version of their songs, this one included. Cya Doc
I don't worry about the meaning, i just sit back and listen to it...let the song wrap you in its warm embrace. Let the song be in control, not you
This song was written by Randy Newman as lightheared reflection of the LA party scene in the mid 1960's. I feel like it's pretty obvious what the song is about but it is in fact a damn song. Man, if only I were born in 1950 and not 1990, haha.
But who knew Newman wrote it, just learned that today.
A kid goes to a party against his mother's advice, and is shocked by the drinking, smoking- and everything else that happens at a party. The police come to break it up.
There are some words missing in the refrain. It should read "That ain't no way to have fun, son." The words "no way" are missing each time a variation of the refrain is repeated.
Also, it should be "It scares me half to death" rather than "Don't scare me . . ." Anyway, I love this song. It's great.
I thought it was "that ain't THE way to have fun". I can hear it more clearly than I can hear "NO way"...
And I don't think anyone can tell what he's saying when its "that cigarette your smokin', [blank] scare me half to death" cause it sounds like he was cut off. He definitly said "scare" without an "s", so I think "don't" makes more sense.
It was great how this song was playing when I had sex with a 16 year old and my mom was like "don't do anything with her until she's 17!". It was ironic.
Great, timeless party song. Who says "sucker" anymore, much less a white guy? Must've been from the ghetto.
@Shep420 "that cigarette you're smoking about scares me half to death"
@Shep420 "that cigarette you're smoking about scares me half to death"
I like this song.
Holy crap, two comments up for the best song of the 60s? What's up with that? Fantastic.
Scary tune!