Spotcheck Billy's a junkie who's in love with a prostitute - he's in a "squeeze play" on the "cheesy side of town" (i.e. he's in the quarter where the prostitutes and drug dealers ply their trade, and he only has enough cash in his pocket for one or the other.)
He'd rather spend his money on his favorite girl, who goes by the name "Juanita" - not only because he loves her, but also because he's concerned that his use of speedballs (a combination of heroin and cocaine) is endangering his life (regular use of speedballs often results in cardiac arrest).
"Juanita", however has another client this evening -- literally, an overweight man soaking in the bathtub of her rented-by-the-hour room.
One can imagine Billy standing in the hallway, "Juanita" with the door just cracked open, and telling him to go away, come back Monday or Tuesday (presumably the "slow nights" in the trade), she has a high-paying client with a bathing fetish and she doesn't need him hanging around, acting crazy and scaring him off.
Since Billy can't get time with his "Juanita" tonight he wants to save his money for Monday or Tuesday -- knowing that otherwise he'll just run out and blow it on speedballs that might just as likely kill him -- he's begging her to throw him a "dime" (a bag of weed) or a "line" of cocaine -- just enough to keep the monkey off his back for the night.
For me the killer line is "I hear you moan, I hear you moan, I hear you moan." That's Billy with his ear against the door listening to Juanita servicing her client for the evening.
Sexual jealousy, addiction, longing and love .. one of my all-time favorite songs and one of Little Feat's best.. check out the live version on "Waiting for Columbus". No doubt Lowell George was writing from personal experience .. what a talent. R.I.P.
@jivetolkin Wonderfully thorough explanation of both the story (which I already basically got) and all the terminology, which was a mystery to me. I loved Little Feat, and this is my favorite album.
@jivetolkin Wonderfully thorough explanation of both the story (which I already basically got) and all the terminology, which was a mystery to me. I loved Little Feat, and this is my favorite album.
Spotcheck Billy's a junkie who's in love with a prostitute - he's in a "squeeze play" on the "cheesy side of town" (i.e. he's in the quarter where the prostitutes and drug dealers ply their trade, and he only has enough cash in his pocket for one or the other.)
He'd rather spend his money on his favorite girl, who goes by the name "Juanita" - not only because he loves her, but also because he's concerned that his use of speedballs (a combination of heroin and cocaine) is endangering his life (regular use of speedballs often results in cardiac arrest).
"Juanita", however has another client this evening -- literally, an overweight man soaking in the bathtub of her rented-by-the-hour room.
One can imagine Billy standing in the hallway, "Juanita" with the door just cracked open, and telling him to go away, come back Monday or Tuesday (presumably the "slow nights" in the trade), she has a high-paying client with a bathing fetish and she doesn't need him hanging around, acting crazy and scaring him off.
Since Billy can't get time with his "Juanita" tonight he wants to save his money for Monday or Tuesday -- knowing that otherwise he'll just run out and blow it on speedballs that might just as likely kill him -- he's begging her to throw him a "dime" (a bag of weed) or a "line" of cocaine -- just enough to keep the monkey off his back for the night.
For me the killer line is "I hear you moan, I hear you moan, I hear you moan." That's Billy with his ear against the door listening to Juanita servicing her client for the evening.
Sexual jealousy, addiction, longing and love .. one of my all-time favorite songs and one of Little Feat's best.. check out the live version on "Waiting for Columbus". No doubt Lowell George was writing from personal experience .. what a talent. R.I.P.
@jivetolkin Wonderfully thorough explanation of both the story (which I already basically got) and all the terminology, which was a mystery to me. I loved Little Feat, and this is my favorite album.
@jivetolkin Wonderfully thorough explanation of both the story (which I already basically got) and all the terminology, which was a mystery to me. I loved Little Feat, and this is my favorite album.