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.
You Played On My Piano
Big John Greer Lyrics
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And now you wanna beat my drum
You played on my piano
And now you wanna beat my drum
You think I'm gonna let you
But baby I ain't so dumb
I let you play my fiddle
If you keep on fiddling with it
Then I'm gonna blow my top
You played on my piano
And now you wanna beat my drum
You think I'm gonna let you
But baby I ain't so dumb
Yes I let you play my trumpet
And then you went too far
And when I wasn't looking
You strummed on my guitar
You played on my piano
And now you wanna beat my drum
You think I'm gonna let you
But baby I ain't so dumb
You like to make some music
Yes that's what I'm thinking of
I hope you're better at music than you are at making love
You played on my piano
And now you wanna beat my drum
You think I'm gonna let you
But baby I ain't so dumb
You squeezed on my accordion
Yes I really made it moan
Don't you think you ought to leave my instruments alone
You played on my piano
And now you wanna beat my drum
You think I'm gonna let you
But baby I ain't so dumb
The lyrics to Big John Greer's "You Played on My Piano" are a playful way to warn someone not to overstep their boundaries. The singer sings about letting the other person "play" with his instruments and make music together, but draws the line when they start taking over and wanting to play the drums. The metaphor of musical instruments represents the relationship between the two individuals, where the singer has already given enough but doesn't want to give up all control.
The first verse sets up the situation- you played on my piano, but now you want to beat my drum. The singer is hesitant to give up this control but doesn't want to come off as uncooperative, so he warns his partner against taking it too far. The second verse shows that the singer is willing to share but becomes frustrated when the other person takes it too far. The repetition of the chorus throughout the song emphasizes the singer's message that he won't let the other person take over completely.
The last verse adds a playful note, suggesting that the other person might be better off focusing on music than on love-making. The metaphorical use of the instruments throughout the song is a clever way to set up the power dynamic between the two individuals, and the singer's playful and assertive tone adds to the song's humorous vibe.
Line by Line Meaning
You played on my piano
You utilized my resources for your benefit
And now you wanna beat my drum
And now you want to do something more impactful, to gain even more from me
You think I'm gonna let you
You underestimate my intelligence and ability to recognize your intentions
But baby I ain't so dumb
But I am not foolish enough to fall for your tricks
I let you play my fiddle
I gave you permission to use my resources
Yes, and I don't want to stop
Yes, I am happy to share but only up to a certain extent
If you keep on fiddling with it
If you continue to overuse or misuse my resources
Then I'm gonna blow my top
Then I will get angry and take action to protect my assets
Yes I let you play my trumpet
Yes, I allowed you to use another one of my resources
And then you went too far
But you crossed the line and took advantage of me
And when I wasn't looking
And when I wasn't paying attention
You strummed on my guitar
You used yet another one of my resources without permission
You like to make some music
You enjoy creating something of value
Yes that's what I'm thinking of
That is something I can appreciate and respect
I hope you're better at music than you are at making love
I hope that you are more skilled in music than you are in manipulating and taking advantage of people
You squeezed on my accordion
You used yet another one of my resources
Yes I really made it moan
Yes, you overused it and caused it to make unpleasant sounds
Don't you think you ought to leave my instruments alone
Don't you think you should stop using my resources without my permission?
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CY COBEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind