Among 38 Special's best-known songs are "Caught Up in You" (1982) and "If I'd Been the One" (1983), both of which hit #1 on Billboard magazine's album rock chart, as well as "Second Chance" (1989), a #1 hit on Billboard's adult contemporary chart. According to Songfacts, it was the biggest Adult Contemporary hit of 1989. Other popular singles include "Hold On Loosely" (1981), "Fantasy Girl" (1981), "Back Where You Belong" (1984), and "Somebody Like You" (1986). These and other tracks are often played on classic rock radio stations.
After achieving three platinum albums and one gold album in the 80s, their popularity waned over the 90s-- although their 1997 single "Fade to Blue" hit #37 on the mainstream rock chart. More recently, the group's music came back into prominence after being featured in the 2001 cult classic comedy film 'Super Troopers', with songs such as "Trooper With An Attitude". They continue to tour to audiences in the American south and beyond.
The current lineup is comprised of vocalist Donnie Van Zant, guitarists Don Barnes and Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry Junstrom, keyboardist Bobby Capps, and drummer Gary Moffatt. Recently, both Donnie Van Zant and little brother Johnnie (the current frontman of Lynyrd Skynyrd) have joined forces as Van Zant and have released an album with another in the works.
Rough Housin'
.38 Special Lyrics
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That's all we had to do
I said baby, when you cross that floor
I sense trouble in the room
And we were rough housin'
Seemed the thing to do
We were rough housin'
Fancy free, lookin' hot and lean
Most any man's desire
I said baby, when you looked my way
You know you set my blood on fire
And we were rough housin'
On account of you
We were rough housin'
We were fightin' fools
Satisfaction guaranteed
That's the kind of man I am
I said baby, won't you pardon me
But I hope you'll understand
'Cause we'll be rough housin'
Seemed the thing to do
We'll be rough housin'
Different points of view
Yeah, we'll be rough housin'
On account of you
We'll be rough housin'
We were fightin' fools
Rough housin', rough housin'
We'll be rough housin'
Rough housin', rough housin', rough housin'
We'll be rough housin'
Rough housin', rough housin', rough housin',
We'll be rough housin'
The lyrics of .38 Special's "Rough-Housin'" describe a night of partying and fighting, where the singer and his girlfriend were caught in the middle of a dispute. The song is a tribute to the band's love of southern rock and their penchant for bluesy, riff-driven rock and roll.
At the corner joint, a local bar, the singer sees his girlfriend walk in and senses trouble in the room. Despite this, they start dancing together and enjoying themselves until a brawl breaks out. The lyrics describe the singer's lustful admiration for his girlfriend, which motivated him to fight. In the end, he reassures her that the fight was just a natural part of their wild night of "rough-housin'."
Line by Line Meaning
Gettin' loose at the corner joint
We were relaxing and having a good time at the local hangout
That's all we had to do
We didn't have any other plans or obligations
I said baby, when you cross that floor
I noticed you walking towards me
I sense trouble in the room
I feel like something exciting or dangerous is about to happen
And we were rough housin'
We were engaging in playful physical activity
Seemed the thing to do
It felt like the natural or appropriate course of action
Different points of view
We both had different goals or intentions in the moment
Fancy free, lookin' hot and lean
You were carefree and attractive in appearance
Most any man's desire
You were desirable to most men
I said baby, when you looked my way
I noticed you were glancing in my direction
You know you set my blood on fire
You caused me to feel very excited or aroused
We were fightin' fools
We were acting foolishly by engaging in physical altercations
Satisfaction guaranteed
I am confident that I will be successful or satisfied in this situation
That's the kind of man I am
I am the type of person who is confident and assertive
But I hope you'll understand
I hope that you won't be offended or upset by my actions
Rough housin'
Engaging in playful physical activity
On account of you
Due to your presence or behavior
We were fightin' fools
We were acting foolishly by engaging in physical altercations
We'll be rough housin'
We will continue to engage in playful physical activity
Yeah, we'll be rough housin'
We will definitely engage in playful physical activity
Rough housin', rough housin'
Engaging in playful physical activity repeatedly
We'll be rough housin'
We will continue to engage in playful physical activity
Rough housin', rough housin', rough housin'
Engaging in playful physical activity multiple times
We'll be rough housin'
We will continue to engage in playful physical activity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONALD N. VAN ZANT, LARRY STEELE, RICHARD DONALD BARNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind