Born John Marshall Greer in Hot Springs, Arkansas, United States, he was a friend of Henry Glover from childhood, and both attended college at Alabama A&M together. Glover was playing in Lucky Millinder's band when Bull Moose Jackson left the group in 1948; Glover suggested that Greer be chosen as Jackson's replacement. Greer played with Bob Shad and appeared on Millinder's RCA recordings until 1950, when Millinder signed to King Records. Greer stayed with RCA and played with Wynonie Harris and Jackson among others. He sang lead vocals on his biggest hit, 1952's "Got You On My Mind". In 1954 he switched to Groove Records, but did not make much impact on the American record charts there. In October of that year, he released "We Want To See Santa Do The Mambo", a Christmas hit to this day. In 1955, he finally signed with King, but only recorded for them for about a year. Greer also worked with Hal Singer and Bill Doggett.
By 1957, Greer had developed extended troubles with alcoholism, and he moved back to his home town of Hot Springs, Arkansas, where he died in 1972 at age 48.
Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
Big John Greer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All them cats is drinkin' that wine
Drinking that mess to their delight
When they gets drunk, start singing all night
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Drinking that mess to their delight
When they gets drunk, start fighting all night
Knocking down windows and tearin' out doors
Drinkin' half a gallons and callin' for more
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
Hoy, hoy, hoy
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
Pass that bottle to me
If you wanna get along in New Orleans town
Buy some wine and pass it all around
Age runs up for tonight
All those cats they love sweet wine
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
Hoy, hoy
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
Pass that bottle to me
Drink that slop
That's what I'm talkin' about
Ah, drink it
Sneaky Pete
Now down on Rampart street at Willy's Den
He wasn't selling but a little gin
One cat wanted a bottle of wine
He hit that cat for a dollar and a dime
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
Hoy, hoy
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Wine, wine, wine, or Sherry
Wine, wine, wine, Blackberry
Wine, wine, wine, half an' half
Wine, wine, wine, oh boy
Pass that bottle to me
I've got a nickel, have you got a dime
Let's get together and get a little wine
Some Incomprehensible
And some Incomprehensible
Oh when you're buying sharing, now you're doing things smart
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Pass that bottle to me
The song "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" by Big John Greer describes the drinking culture in New Orleans, particularly the love for sweet wine. The verses talk about how the cats in New Orleans are drinking wine and getting drunk, sometimes leading to fights and destruction. The chorus repeats the phrase "drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine" and encourages listeners to pass the bottle around. The song also mentions different types of wine such as elderberry, sherry, and blackberry.
The song captures the spirit of New Orleans in the 1950s when it was a hot spot for jazz and blues music, and a hub for drinking and partying. The lyrics reflect the carefree and wild lifestyle that people enjoyed in the city. The repetition of phrases and words adds to the catchy and rhythmic nature of the song, making it a popular tune for people to dance and sing along to.
In summary, "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" is a song that celebrates the drinking culture of New Orleans in the 1950s. It talks about the love for sweet wine and the wild parties that take place in the city.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in New Orlean, where everything is fine
In the city of New Orleans, life is good and enjoyable.
All them cats is drinkin' that wine
Many people are drinking wine in a relaxed and carefree manner.
Drinking that mess to their delight
Enjoying the taste of the wine they are drinking.
When they gets drunk, start singing all night
After getting drunk, people start singing throughout the night.
Drinkin' wine spo-dee-o-dee, drinkin' wine, bop ba
Enjoying drinking wine that is spo-dee-o-dee in a happy and joyful manner.
Pass that bottle to me
Please give the bottle of wine to me.
When they gets drunk, start fighting all night
After getting drunk, people start fighting all night.
Knocking down windows and tearin' out doors
Breaking windows and doors in a drunken state.
Drinkin' half a gallons and callin' for more
Drinking half a gallon of wine and asking for more.
Hoy, hoy, hoy
An expression of enthusiasm and excitement.
Wine, wine, wine, Elderberry
Listing different types of wine, including elderberry.
If you wanna get along in New Orleans town
If you want to fit in well in New Orleans,
Buy some wine and pass it all around
buy some wine and share it with others.
Age runs up for tonight
The night is coming to an end.
All those cats they love sweet wine
Many people in New Orleans love sweet wine.
Drink that slop
Drink that wine, even if it's not of the best quality.
That's what I'm talkin' about
That's exactly what I mean.
Ah, drink it
Encouragement to drink the wine.
Sneaky Pete
Reference to a type of wine.
Now down on Rampart street at Willy's Den
Referring to a specific location in New Orleans.
He wasn't selling but a little gin
Willy was only selling a small amount of gin.
One cat wanted a bottle of wine
One person wanted a bottle of wine.
He hit that cat for a dollar and a dime
He charged the person a dollar and a dime for the bottle of wine.
I've got a nickel, have you got a dime
I have a small amount of money, do you have a slightly larger amount?
Let's get together and get a little wine
Let's pool our money and buy some wine together.
Some Incomprehensible
Unclear lyrics.
And some Incomprehensible
Unclear lyrics.
Oh when you're buying sharing, now you're doing things smart
It's smart to buy and share wine with others.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MCGHEE, GRANVILLE, WILLIAMS, J MAYO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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drinkin wine mf