Back into the swing of things?

I recently received a very cool compliment about my blog and it got me thinking about how rarely I post anything these days (except for book reviews, which I actually do over on Goodreads and then post here).  I was telling my friend Kerri about this. She hadn't been posting much either, and so now, we've vowed to get back to it on a more regular basis.

Kerri posted about the song, "If You Wanna Be Happy," earlier this week and the fun lyrics got me thinking about one of my favorites from Otis Redding: "Tramp."  Carla Thomas is featured on the song.  (When December comes around, someone please remind me to post about two of my favorite Christmas songs from her.)

Here are Otis and Carla with Tramp:




Here are the lyrics:

Tramp!
What you call me?
Tramp! (No you didn’t!)
You don't wear continental clothes, or Stetson hats
Well, I tell you one doggone thing,
It makes me feel good to know one thing, I know, I’m a lover
(Matter of opinion, baby)
That's all right, mama was, papa too
And I'm the only child, lovin' is all I know to do

You know what, Otis?
What?
You're country!
That's all right.
You straight from the Georgia woods
That's good!
You know what, you wear overalls, and big old brogan shoes, and you need a haircut, tramp!
Haircut?! Woman, you foolin', ooh, I'm a lover
Mama was, grandmama, papa too, boogaloo, all that stuff
And I'm the only son-of-a-gun this side of the sun

Tramp! (that’s right, that's what you are)

You know what Otis? I don’t care what you say. You still a tramp!
What?!
That's right, you haven't even got a fat bankroll in your pocket
You probably haven't even got twenty-five cents
I got six Cadillacs, five Lincolns, four Fords
Six Mercuries, three T-Birds, Mustangs, ooh, I'm a lover
(You can’t prove it by me)
My mama was, my papa too
I'm gonna tell you one thing (well, tell me)
I'm the only son-of-a-gun this side of the sun.

You a tramp Otis! (No I'm not.) I don’t care what you say. You still a tramp!
(Don’t call me that)
Lookee here, you ain't got no money
I got everything
You can't buy me all those minks and sables and all that stuff I want
I can buy you minks, rats, frogs, squirrels, rabbits, anything you want, woman!
Look, you can go out in the Georgia woods and catch them, baby
Oh, you goofy, now (no, you're still a tramp) that's all right
Tramp, Otis, you just a tramp! 
that's all right, that's all right
You wear overalls, you need a haircut, baby
Cut off some of that hair off your head
You think you a lover, huh?

I love the horns in this song.  Have I talked about how I'd like to have my own horn section that just follows me around and announces my entrance?  I got this idea after seeing Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings perform. 

I also love how Otis is going to buy her  minks...and rats, frogs, squirrels, rabbits!  I would've loved to have seen them perform this together live.  I haven't found anything like that on YouTube, though.