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The original

From Coney Island’s 2008 Mermaid Parade

Here Come the Girls” was written and produced by Allen Toussaint. The Meters provided the funk.

From New Orleans to the UK to New York…

How often has the arc of popular culture traveled this way?

For example, did you know that the first song John Lennon ever learned to play on the guitar was Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame.”

Here are the CORRECT lyrics to “Here Come the Girls”…

There’s lots of laughably bad transcriptions out there. This may be only place on the Internet you can get them straight.

“Here Come The Girls” Lyrics

Chorus
Here come the Girls! (Girls, Girls, Girls-Girls)
Here come the Girls! (Girls, Girls, Girls-Girls)

Looking so good, its a doggone shame, that they couldn’t all be mine.
Looking so pretty, its a doggone pity - Oh! - you’re looking so fine. (Fine)

Look out brother. Let me get one, a little closer to the one I love.
Anything better than the opposite sex they must have kept it up above.

Chorus
Here come the Girls! (Girls, Girls, Girls-Girls)
Here come the Girls! (Girls, Girls, Girls-Girls)

I can live without coffee, I can live without tea.
And I’m living without the honeybee.
Now the Philly Steak,
I can leave or take,
but the girls are part of me!

And oh water.
I don’t need no lemonade.
But to live without girls,
I can’t live without girls,
It’s like a man with a hole in his head.

Chorus
Here come the Girls!
Here come the Girls!
Here come the Girls! (Girls, Girls, Girls-Girls)
Here come the Girls! (Girls, Girls, Girls-Girls)

Going out of my head, (Hey!)
While the foxes do their thing, (Hoo-hoo-hoo!)
You make me feel so good inside,
I got to jump up and sing! (Aaah!)

Naa, naa, naa, naa!
Naa, naa, naa!
Naa, naa, naa, naa!
Naa-naa-nana-na!
Naa, naa, naa, naa!
Naa, naa-nana, na!
Naa, naa, naa, naa!
Naa-naa-nana-na!

OOOOoooooooOOOHH!
I’m not saying I can live on love alone.
OOOOoooooooOOOHH!
But that’s the only thing that turn me on.
OOOOoooooooOOOHH!
I was born to be free just once!
Freedom of choice,
Ring that bell,
Give all the girls to me!

Chorus
Here come the Girls!
(Girls, Girls, Girls!)
Here come the Girls!
(Girls, Girls, Girls!)
Here come the girls!
(OOOOOOOHHHH! waaaah!)
Here come the girls!
(I don’t need…no lemonade!)
Here come the girls!
(girls!)
Here come the girls!

Here come the girls!

Here come the girls!

(I’m taking about them fine foxes)

Here come the girls!

(Oooh they really turn me on)

Here come the girls

(Repeats until fade)

— All in all, a very apt anthem for the Mermaid Parade

A panel and performance by legendary Creole Wild West Indian tribe.

Enjoy this close up. I happened to be at this event and this short video captures the highlights very well.

It’s a mystery - to the Times-Picayune at least - why police harassment of backstreet culture in New Orleans continues, and who is behind it and why.

First, in every city that I know, the mayor runs the police because it’s the mayor who appoints the police chief. One word from the mayor and the word would trickle down: leave the Indians and second lines alone, or if there is a reason for communicating, do it with the same respect you’d afford people attending the opera or symphony.

Treme seems to be the battleground now. It must have to do with real estate and the desire of the city to “gentrify” north of Rampart. Why they think it’s necessary to kill the culture of the Treme in the process - one of the most culturally significant places in North America (and the world) - is another great American mystery.

Destroy what’s great to replace it with…what exactly?

Click here to read the latest police outrage

On my last night in New Orleans I went to see Indians ‘a comin’

I didn’t post this earlier because I learned later that night after also seeing Papa Mali that my mom had passed away.

Dorothy McCarthy - (October 1, 1923 - May 1, 2008)

Interestingly enough, my mom didn’t like New Orleans I had learned a few months earlier, but then again she never had a chance to really get to know it. She was in and out in just a few days and only saw the business district and just dipped into the Quarter.

The first time I visited New Orleans in 1990, I didn’t think much of it either. Like my mom, I was just there for a few days (I was on my way somewhere else) and had no idea how to get “into” the city.

I think that’s one of the reasons I’m so passionate about sharing New Orleans now. To know New Orleans is to love it and more needs to be done to let people know about the wonders here.

For example, of my four most hard-core jazz fan friends (and two of these guys are as seriously hard-core as any on earth with record collections in the thousands) none of them has ever been to New Orleans! There must be millions of people like this.

Anyway, off to Tipitina’s…

A good article about the challenges facing the Indians

Article

This is the second in a series of “finished” video pieces.

The first was about the birth of a new parade, the St. Claude Easter Parade sponsored by the Goodchildren Carnival Club.

http://foodmusicjustice.com/2008/04/29/easter-parade-new-orleans/

This one features Carol Kolinchak, an attorney who has successfully fought official New Orleans on behalf of Indian tribes and Second Line parades. It was filmed at this year’s Super Sunday.

Enjoy!

A lot of things jumped out at me at the alternative arts show in New Orleans earlier this year, but one thing that really grabbed me was a booth by the Goodchildren Carnival Club.

“We’re starting a new parade (really?) and it’s going to go along St. Claude on Easter (wow!)” The name Goodchildren comes from an old New Orleans street name.

(more…)

Caught this at the Sound Cafe and glad I did.

The video doesn’t begin to do it justice.

(more…)

New Orleans may have more smoking good dancers per capita than any other place in America.

They sure have great bands to dance to. This is the Treme Brass Band at Ray’s Boom Boom Room on Frenchman.

Creole Wild West - the oldest Mardi Gras Indian tribe.

How far back to they go?

Don’t answer so quick.

(more…)

There’s a reason New Orleans has been a continuous source of music and musicians for the rest of the world for well over 100 years.

Here are some clips of children being invited to perform with professionals at the French Quarter Fest.