They call, they call me the fat man
'Cause I weight two hundred pounds
All the girls they love me
'Cause I know my way around

I was standin', I was standin' on the corner
Of Rampart and Canal
I was watchin', watchin'
Watchin' all these creole gals

Wah wah wah, wah wah
Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Wah wah wah

Wah waah wah
Wah wah wah, wah wah wah
Wah wah wah, wah wah wah
Wah wah wah

I'm goin', I'm goin' goin' away
And I'm goin', goin' to stay
'Cause women and a bad life
They're carrying this soul away

Overall Meaning

The Fat Man by Cannonball Adderley is a song that tells a story about a man who is well known and loved by many girls in his area because of his size and his ability to charm the ladies. The man is referred to as "the fat man" because he weighs 200 pounds. The first verse of the song is dedicated to describing the man's size and how he is loved by women.

The second verse of the song talks about how the man was standing on the corner of Rampart and Canal, watching all the Creole girls go by. The verse mentions "wah wah wah" several times, which might be a reference to the sound of a trumpet that often accompanies jazz compositions. The last verse of the song talks about how the man is going away, and how women and a "bad life" are carrying his soul away.

Line by Line Meaning

They call, they call me the fat man
I have earned the nickname 'The Fat Man' by weighing two hundred pounds.

'Cause I weight two hundred pounds
I am quite heavy, my weight is two hundred pounds.

All the girls they love me
I am popular with the ladies, they all seem to love me.

'Cause I know my way around
I am experienced in the ways of love and relationships.

I was standin', I was standin' on the corner
I was standing on the street corner.

Of Rampart and Canal
The street corner where I was standing was at the intersection of Rampart and Canal.

I was watchin', watchin'
I was observing, looking carefully.

Watchin' all these creole gals
I was focused on observing all the beautiful Creole women passing by.

Wah wah wah, wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.

Wah wah waah, wah wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.

Wah wah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.

Wah waah wah
Instrumental break - no lyrics with specific meaning.

I'm goin', I'm goin' goin' away
I am preparing to leave this place and start anew.

And I'm goin', goin' to stay
I am committed to the decision to leave and start over.

'Cause women and a bad life
A life of women and bad decisions is pulling me under.

They're carrying this soul away
My soul is being taken away by this lifestyle of women and bad decisions.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, ANTOINE 'FATS' DOMINO, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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