Randolph was born in Paducah, Kentucky and raised in Cadiz, Kentucky, attending high school in Evansville, Indiana.
At the end of World War II, Boots Randolph played saxophone, trombone and vibraphone in the United States Army Band. After his service in the Army, he played with Dink Welch's Kopy Kats in Decatur, Illinois from 1948-1954. He briefly resided in Louisville, Kentucky before returning to Decatur to start his own group. He left Decatur in 1957.
During his more than forty year career, Randolph performed in hundreds of venues alongside many artists in pop, rock, jazz, and country music. He played on several albums with Elvis Presley and also performed on soundtracks for a number of Presley's motion pictures.
Mr. Randolph recorded for Monument Records in Nashville and played on Roy Orbison's 1963 hit, "Mean Woman Blues." He was also featured on "Little Queenie" by REO Speedwagon, "Java" by Al Hirt, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Jerry Lee Lewis, and "Rockin' 'Round The Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee.
In 1977, Randolph opened a successful club of his own in Nashville's "Printers Alley." He also frequently appeared on the television program "Hee Haw".
On July 3, 2007, Randolph died at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 80 years old.
His final solo studio album "A Whole New Ballgame" was released June 12, 2007.
Spooky
Boots Randolph Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When everything is getting
Kind Of Groovy,
I call You up and ask You
Would You like to go with Me
And see a movie?
First You say no,
You've got some plans for tonight
Love is kind of crazy
With a Spooky Little Girl Like You.
You always keep Me guessing
I never seem to know
Just what You are thinking
And if a Girl looks at You
It's for sure Your little eye
Will be a-winking
I get confused,
Cause I don't know where I stand
And then You smile,
And Hold My Hand
Love is kind of crazy
With a Spooky Little Girl Like You.
Spooky. Spooky.
If You decide some day to stop
This little game that You are a-playing
I'm gonna tell You all that
My Heart's been a-dying to be saying
Just like a Ghost
You've been a-haunting My dreams
So I propose, On halloweeen,
Baby, Love is kind of crazy
With a Spooky Little Girl Like You.
Spooky.
The lyrics of "Spooky" by Boots Randolph is about a narrator who is infatuated with a girl who he describes as "spooky". He invites her out to see a movie, but she initially declines saying she has plans, only to change her mind and go with him in the end. The singer is constantly unsure about the girl's thoughts and intentions, but can't resist her charm. He compares her to a ghost who haunts his dreams, but still proposes to her on Halloween, acknowledging that love with a girl like her is crazy.
The song's lyrics present the idea of the unknown and how it can be exciting and mysterious, but also unnerving and unpredictable. The word "spooky" serves as a metaphor for the girl's elusive personality, making her alluring yet intimidating to the singer. The catchiness of the melody and the repetition of the word "spooky" further reinforce the idea of being caught in a spell that is hard to shake off.
Line by Line Meaning
In the cool of the evening
During a calm and peaceful evening
When everything is getting Kind Of Groovy,
When everything seems to be enjoyable and fun
I call You up and ask You
I pick up the phone and invite you out
Would You like to go with Me And see a movie?
Would you like to accompany me and watch a film?
First You say no,
You initially reject my proposal
You've got some plans for tonight
You have other commitments for the night
And then You stop,
You pause for a moment
And say all right
And eventually agree to come with me
Love is kind of crazy With a Spooky Little Girl Like You.
Being with you feels unusual and unpredictable
You always keep Me guessing
You continuously leave me in doubt
I never seem to know Just what You are thinking
I can never read your mind
And if a Girl looks at You
And if another woman glances at you
It's for sure Your little eye Will be a-winking
You start flirting with them
I get confused,
I feel uncertain
Cause I don't know where I stand
Because I don't know what our relationship is
And then You smile, And Hold My Hand
And then you smile and take my hand
If You decide some day to stop This little game that You are a-playing
If you ever feel like ending this 'game' you're playing
I'm gonna tell You all that My Heart's been a-dying to be saying
I will tell you everything that I have been keeping to myself
Just like a Ghost You've been a-haunting My dreams
You have been appearing in my dreams like a ghost
So I propose, On halloweeen,
So I suggest, on Halloween,
Baby, Love is kind of crazy With a Spooky Little Girl Like You.
My feelings for you are strange, given you are a mysterious and unpredictable woman
Spooky.
Spooky.
Writer(s): Harry Middlebrooks, Mike Shapiro, Buddy Buie, J. Cobb
Contributed by Sarah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.