Lowell George of Little Feat wrote the music to Dixie Chicken, but he did NOT write the lyrics. They are by one of his songwriting partners, Martin Kibbee, who is quoted in many places telling the story of the lyrics. He and Lowell stayed up all night trying to write a song, and Lowell had the riff but they couldn't come up with words. While driving home, Kibbee passed a billboard advertising "Dixie Chicken" -- and he was inspired. He says he had the lyrics done by the time he got home.
He doesn't explain what a Dixie chucken is, or a Tennessee lamb, but isn't it obvious? You be my lover, I'll be yours. Or you be my sugar daddy, I'll be your sugar baby.
What's brilliant about the song is that the chorus is so joyful even though the story is sad. In the end, it doesn't matter that she took advantage of so many of "us." We all had great fun with her, and now we're in this happy drinking club of her discards, singing the broken promise she made: "If you'll be my Dixie Chicken, ..."
Lowell George of Little Feat wrote the music to Dixie Chicken, but he did NOT write the lyrics. They are by one of his songwriting partners, Martin Kibbee, who is quoted in many places telling the story of the lyrics. He and Lowell stayed up all night trying to write a song, and Lowell had the riff but they couldn't come up with words. While driving home, Kibbee passed a billboard advertising "Dixie Chicken" -- and he was inspired. He says he had the lyrics done by the time he got home. He doesn't explain what a Dixie chucken is, or a Tennessee lamb, but isn't it obvious? You be my lover, I'll be yours. Or you be my sugar daddy, I'll be your sugar baby. What's brilliant about the song is that the chorus is so joyful even though the story is sad. In the end, it doesn't matter that she took advantage of so many of "us." We all had great fun with her, and now we're in this happy drinking club of her discards, singing the broken promise she made: "If you'll be my Dixie Chicken, ..."