Medley met his singing partner Bobby Hatfield while attending California State University, Long Beach. The pair began singing as a duo in 1962. Their first single was "Little Latin Lupe Lu"; their first hit was "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", produced by Phil Spector in 1964. Follow-up hits included "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" and "Unchained Melody".
The duo broke up in 1968, but returned with another hit in 1974, "Rock And Roll Heaven", and they continued to appear together until Hatfield's death in November 2003. The Righteous Brothers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2003 by one of their biggest fans, Billy Joel.
Medley also had a moderately successful solo career. In 1987 his duet with Jennifer Warnes, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", was included on the Dirty Dancing motion picture soundtrack album and the single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also won a 1988 Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Trick Bag
Bill Medley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You told me baby, you were going to the drug store
Well, in my mind, I knew you were lying
The drug store closed at a quarter to nine
I saw you kissing Jimmy across the fence
I heard you telling Jimmy I ain't got no sense
The way you've been acting is such a drag
When I come home, start an argument
Just to keep you from asking where my voodoo went
Peep out the front door, well, I heard the back door slam
I peek out of the window, look at here
Somebody's taking it on the lam
I say I saw you kissing Jimmy across the fence
And I heard you telling Jimmy I ain't got no sense
The way you've been acting is such a drag
You done put me in a trick bag
You put me in a, ooh baby
You put me in a trick bag
We had a fight, then you got mad
Got on the telephone and called your mom and dad
And daddy said, "She's my daughter and I'm her pa"
He said that you ain't nothing but a son-in-law
Well, I say I saw you kissing Jimmy across the fence
I heard you telling Jimmy I ain't got no sense
The way you've been acting is such a drag
You done put me in a trick bag
Put me in a trick bag, a trick bag
You put me in a trick bag, yes, you did
Put me in a trick bag
Saw you walk out the door
Where were you going at 12 in the midnight, baby?
I saw you kissing Jimmy
Oh, across that fence
I heard you tell Jimmy
Oh, Billy ain't got no damn sense
[Incomprehensible]
You walked out the door
Oh, Jimmy, put me in a trick bag
The song Trick Bag by Bill Medley talks about a person who suspects their partner of cheating on them. The lyrics describe the events that the person observed, such as walking out the door late at night to go to the drug store, when it was already closed. The partner is later seen kissing someone else across the fence and telling them that the person singing the song has no sense. The song's narrator is concerned and hurt by the betrayal and feels like they have been put in a trick bag. The chorus repeats the phrase "You put me in a trick bag," which means that the singer feels trapped or deceived by their partner's infidelity.
The second verse talks about how the person singing the song tries to distract their partner from noticing that they are using voodoo. They start an argument to keep them occupied, but when they look out of the window, they see someone leaving from the back door. The chorus repeats, and the song ends with the partners' parents getting involved and defending their daughter. The song is a slow, soulful ballad with a bluesy sound that emphasizes the sadness and frustration of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
12 o'clock at night you walk out the door
You left the house at midnight
You told me baby, you were going to the drug store
You gave the excuse that you were going to the drugstore
Well, in my mind, I knew you were lying
I suspected that you were not telling the truth
The drug store closed at a quarter to nine
The drug store was already closed much earlier
I saw you kissing Jimmy across the fence
I witnessed you kissing Jimmy while you were across the fence
I heard you telling Jimmy I ain't got no sense
I overheard you saying to Jimmy that I was foolish
The way you've been acting is such a drag
Your behavior is ruining our relationship
You done put me in a trick bag
You have placed me in a difficult and unfavorable situation
When I come home, start an argument
I start an argument when I come home
Just to keep you from asking where my voodoo went
I start an argument to prevent you from asking where my things are kept
Peep out the front door, well, I heard the back door slam
I looked through the front door and heard the back door shut
I peek out of the window, look at here
I look through the window
Somebody's taking it on the lam
Someone is attempting to run away or escape
We had a fight, then you got mad
We had a disagreement and you became upset
Got on the telephone and called your mom and dad
You called your parents on the phone
And daddy said, "She's my daughter and I'm her pa"
Your father proclaimed that he is your father and you are his daughter
He said that you ain't nothing but a son-in-law
He stated that I am nothing more than a son-in-law
Put me in a trick bag, a trick bag
You put me in a difficult and unfavorable situation
Saw you walk out the door
I witnessed you leaving
Where were you going at 12 in the midnight, baby?
Where did you go when you left at midnight?
Contributed by Jayce K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.