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Singng Principal "Women's Lib" question...

waxjunkywaxjunky 1,850 Posts
edited August 2007 in Strut Central
What does dude say at the end of the first verse, right after "signify"? I've always wondered and it's time to ask. If SS can't answer, no one can.

  Comments

  • MjukisMjukis 1,675 Posts
    "I don't wanna siginify, but the groundhog's gonna be a mail man!"

    Ehm, that's what I always thought, but I'm sure I'm wrong. I mean seriously, WTF?
  • waxjunkywaxjunky 1,850 Posts
    that's pretty much what I hear.

  • akoako https://soundcloud.com/a-ko 3,413 Posts
    i always thought it was something like "but the ground you're on's gonna be _____...." i dont know. i really cant tell. i want this question answered.

    who plays on this track? great musicianship all around...

    is the third verse "bitch, your lawyer called today..."? does he say bitch? i cant tell.
  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts
    To me it always sounded like "but the groundhog's gonna be up here on there".

    I did some research just now, and the publisher of "Woman's Lib" is Lu-Pine Production (or Lu-Pine Production Company). The label seems to have originated in Detroit, and the titles in the 50's represent a bit of Detroit doo-wop. The label was was run by Robert West, who also had a string of other labels too (including Contour). Some of his titles were picked up by Atlantic for distribution (which was common for a lot of small indie soul labels in the 60's). Apparently there was some troubles going on with one of his business partners, and was shot, at least according to this link:
    http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/3838/3557.html?1054857956

    For whatever reason, that lead him to Las Vegas, and I bring that up because the Singing Principal 45 on Flick is listed as being from Las Vegas. Lupine Records also revived in Las Vegas and both the Lupine and Flick labels shared the same address.





    Looking at another site, it states that Robert West was Eddie Floyd's uncle, and not only was responsible for getting Betty Lavett signed to Atlantic, but also released some of the first sides by The Supremes before they became the Supremes.

    I only bring this up because I was not aware of a soul scene in Las Vegas, and considering the connections West had, "Woman's Lib" may have been of Detroit origin. Some of it reminds me of Mack Rice.

    BMI lists a Larry Woolen as a contact for the music owned by Lupine, so it may be possible (maybe) that he has some documentation of who played on the song, unless his role is just on the publishing side.
  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    "I don't want to signify, but the groundhog's gonna be up there man!"

    Is what I always thought it was.
  • Phill_MostPhill_Most 4,594 Posts
    "the groundhog's gonna be her mailman". old black people slang translation for whites: a warning for when you about to fuck somebody's ass up. like, i'm gonna put you in the ground and you gonna need a groundhog to deliver mail to yo dead ass from here on out.

    you're welcome.
  • Phill_MostPhill_Most 4,594 Posts
    btw, if you're a and want to cop an OG of that 45, PM ya boy. serious inquiries only. in other words, don't pm me with some sucker deal cuz i won't even reply to yo cheap ass
  • BreakSelfBreakSelf 2,925 Posts
    Bass line is identical to 'Express Yourself' right?
  • Phill_MostPhill_Most 4,594 Posts
    Bass line is identical to 'Express Yourself' right?
    pretty close
  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    Once again, I have to say that a johmbolaya appreciation thread is in order.

    To me it always sounded like "but the groundhog's gonna be up here on there".

    I did some research just now, and the publisher of "Woman's Lib" is Lu-Pine Production (or Lu-Pine Production Company). The label seems to have originated in Detroit, and the titles in the 50's represent a bit of Detroit doo-wop. The label was was run by Robert West, who also had a string of other labels too (including Contour). Some of his titles were picked up by Atlantic for distribution (which was common for a lot of small indie soul labels in the 60's). Apparently there was some troubles going on with one of his business partners, and was shot, at least according to this link:
    http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/3838/3557.html?1054857956

    For whatever reason, that lead him to Las Vegas, and I bring that up because the Singing Principal 45 on Flick is listed as being from Las Vegas. Lupine Records also revived in Las Vegas and both the Lupine and Flick labels shared the same address.





    Looking at another site, it states that Robert West was Eddie Floyd's uncle, and not only was responsible for getting Betty Lavett signed to Atlantic, but also released some of the first sides by The Supremes before they became the Supremes.

    I only bring this up because I was not aware of a soul scene in Las Vegas, and considering the connections West had, "Woman's Lib" may have been of Detroit origin. Some of it reminds me of Mack Rice.

    BMI lists a Larry Woolen as a contact for the music owned by Lupine, so it may be possible (maybe) that he has some documentation of who played on the song, unless his role is just on the publishing side.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    I want to know how the UK's Action ended up licensing and issuing the 45.
  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    I want to know how the UK's Action ended up licensing and issuing the 45.

    Probably the same way they licensed the mysterious Joe S. Maxey 45.

    This (on the Action label) from the comments on a blog post I did about the record.

    Sampo Teikari said...
    And yeah, the people behind Action almost certainly did know what was going on here. The label was owned by John Abbey[/b], one of the biggest soul enthusiasts in sixties Britain. He also founded the still active fortnightly magazine Blues & Soul back in 1966, and is nowadays in Atlanta running the great Ichiban label, which has put out many contemporary roots soul releases over the past twenty years.


    This....



    and this...




    which are both in actuality this...



  • pickwick33pickwick33 8,946 Posts
    Sampo Teikari said...
    And yeah, the people behind Action almost certainly did know what was going on here. The label was owned by John Abbey[/b], one of the biggest soul enthusiasts in sixties Britain. He also founded the still active fortnightly magazine Blues & Soul back in 1966, and is nowadays in Atlanta running the great Ichiban label, which has put out many contemporary roots soul releases over the past twenty years.

    ...not quite - Ichiban went out of business around '98-99.
  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts
    "the groundhog's gonna be her mailman". old black people slang translation for whites: a warning for when you about to fuck somebody's ass up. like, i'm gonna put you in the ground and you gonna need a groundhog to deliver mail to yo dead ass from here on out.

    you're welcome.

  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    Sampo Teikari said...
    And yeah, the people behind Action almost certainly did know what was going on here. The label was owned by John Abbey[/b], one of the biggest soul enthusiasts in sixties Britain. He also founded the still active fortnightly magazine Blues & Soul back in 1966, and is nowadays in Atlanta running the great Ichiban label, which has put out many contemporary roots soul releases over the past twenty years.

    ...not quite - Ichiban went out of business around '98-99.

    I'll let Sampo know when I see him...
  • waxjunkywaxjunky 1,850 Posts
    "the groundhog's gonna be her mailman". old black people slang translation for whites: a warning for when you about to fuck somebody's ass up. like, i'm gonna put you in the ground and you gonna need a groundhog to deliver mail to yo dead ass from here on out.

    you're welcome.

    Solid. Thank you much.
  • MjukisMjukis 1,675 Posts
    There's always a sense of satisfaction when you find out the meaning of some hard-to-hear line. I can still remember the inner peace i felt when I found out that indecipherable line in Whitneys My love is your love is "and the chains of Amistad couldn't hold us". There's a dancehall cover of it too, where the singer just adlibs some line about stars instead. So I guess it wasn't just me.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    "the groundhog's gonna be her mailman". old black people slang translation for whites: a warning for when you about to fuck somebody's ass up. like, i'm gonna put you in the ground and you gonna need a groundhog to deliver mail to yo dead ass from here on out.

    you're welcome.

    so the artist is saying, "if you want woman's liberation, I'm going to kill you"? (Metaphorically speaking)?

  • tripledoubletripledouble 7,636 Posts
    ok, whats the line from showxbiz & ag "party groove"?
    "as stretch loosens over to the band" ???
    i cant pretend to get close on that one
    "zulu...gestapo" had me lost for a while
  • Phill_MostPhill_Most 4,594 Posts
    "the groundhog's gonna be her mailman". old black people slang translation for whites: a warning for when you about to fuck somebody's ass up. like, i'm gonna put you in the ground and you gonna need a groundhog to deliver mail to yo dead ass from here on out.

    you're welcome.

    so the artist is saying, "if you want woman's liberation, I'm going to kill you"? (Metaphorically speaking)?


    yes, but by the end of the song he's changed his tune and accepted his fate as a typical p-whipped man, even going so far as to serve his woman breakfast in bed. complete with eggs made to order.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    ok, whats the line from showxbiz & ag "party groove"?
    "as stretch loosens over to the band" ???
    i cant pretend to get close on that one
    "zulu...gestapo" had me lost for a while

    It's an old Zulu Nation chant, indicating that they were such bad ass motherfuckers, they were as hard as the Gestapo. It's similar to why a lot of old school biker gangs borrowed iconography from Nazis as well - iron crosses for example - even when they were not "Neo-Nazi" in any sense of the term.
  • johmbolayajohmbolaya 4,472 Posts
    ok, whats the line from showxbiz & ag "party groove"?
    "as stretch loosens over to the band" ???
    i cant pretend to get close on that one
    "zulu...gestapo" had me lost for a while

    It's an old Zulu Nation chant, indicating that they were such bad ass motherfuckers, they were as hard as the Gestapo. It's similar to why a lot of old school biker gangs borrowed iconography from Nazis as well - iron crosses for example - even when they were not "Neo-Nazi" in any sense of the term.



    http://www.sendspace.com/file/aebjrt

  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    There's a dancehall cover of it too, where the singer just adlibs some line about stars instead. So I guess it wasn't just me.

    Yeah, I've always got a kick out of hearing Jamaican (and other)
    interpretations of difficult lyrics when covering songs. There are
    a ton of amusing/confusing lines in reggae covers. The one that
    immediately comes to mind is the Chosen Few version of "Tears of
    a Clown" ... when they get to the line where the Miracles said
    "... just like Pagliacci, did, I'm gonna keep my sadness hid"
    instead the singer says "... juts like Pollyanna did ..."
    I always wondered if the Chosen Few were unfamiliar with the
    Leoncavallo opera and said what they thought the line was, or if they
    were more clever than I gave them credit for, and the story of
    Pollyanna was actually comparable to the Pagliacci tale in some way.
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