Long John Baldry Don't try to lay no boogie woo Lyrics

Y'know, I remember, a few years ago, some funny things used to happen to me.

About 1956, '57, at that time there was no "blues scene", or not really any kind of scene in London.

And I used to go out and play my guitar, in the streets, and sing things, and with passing the hat round.

I remember one particular night, I was playing my guitar in a little alley just off of Wardour St in Soho, and I got busted by the police... and this policeman came up and dragged me and my guitar, and my hat full of pennies, off to the police station.

Anyway, the next day I had to appear in Marlborough St police court, and it was quite a day.

Police officer, giving his evidence: "Oi was proceedin' in a southerly direction m'lord, when I heard strange sounds, comin' from Wardour Place, m'lord. A sort of boo-jee-woo-jee music was bein' played. On further investigation, Oi saw the defendant, standin' there, with a guitar, and an old 'at on the floor, collectin' pennies. Well I decided he was contravenin' a breach of the peace there, as there was a traffic jam about five miles long beyond Wardour St, wonderin' what all the fuss was about, so then I arrested the defendent."

"Er, just one moment, officer, what is this boo-jee-woo-jee music you were talking about?"

"Oh, well, m'lord," said the officer getting out his notebook, obviously he'd been doing up his homework. "It's a kind of a jazz rhythm music, peculiar to the American Negro."

"Oh! And what was the defendant doing, playing this kind of music there in Wardour St?"

Anyway, I got off with a caution, a year's conditional discharge. But I'll always remember that policeman, and his "boo-jee-woo-jee". So don't try to lay no boo-jee-woo-jee on the King of Rock and Roll...

Don't you tell me n-n-n-no lies woman 'cause all you know I've told
Don't sell me no alibi sister 'cause all you've got I've sold
You better leave that midnight sneakin' to the one who worked it out
I don't wanna hear no back talk speakin' go on and shut yer mouth
And everything's gonna work out tight if you act like you been told
So don't try to lay no boogie woogie on the king of rock and roll.

Don't you feed me no TV dinners when you know I'm used to steak
I don't need no rank beginners when it's time to shake that shake
You better pull your Thing together, reach in and dust it out
And if ya feel that yer a__ can't dig it then I guess you know the route
It ain't a matter of pork 'n beans gonna justify your soul
Just don't try to lay no boogie woogie on the king of rock and roll.

You weren't alive when I started to drive, so don't put none on me
You didn't arrive 'til late '45 but your head's in '53.
You got what it takes to keep the heads a-spinnin' down by the old rim shack
And you come across just like a fool grinnin' in the back of a red Cadillac.
You can't come across the [inaudible] bridge until you pay the toll
So don't try to lay no boogie woogie on the king of rock and roll.