Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from… Read Full Bio ↴Dave Edmunds (born April 15, 1944) is a singer, guitarist and producer from Cardiff, Wales. Though he was primarily associated with pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the late 70's and early 80's, he was steadfastly devoted to pre-Beatles rock and roll. An infrequent songwriter, Edmunds has largely relied on cover songs or custom-written material to sustain his career.

In the late 1960s he led a blues-rock trio called Love Sculpture, who scored a quasi-novelty hit by reworking Khachaturian's classical piece "Sabre Dance" as a speed-crazed rock number. "Sabre Dance" became a hit after garnering the enthusiastic attention of British DJ John Peel.

After Love Sculpture split, Edmunds had a number one single with "I Hear You Knocking", a Smiley Lewis cover. His only acting role followed, as a band member in the David Essex movie Stardust (1974 movie). After learning the trade of producer, culminating in a couple of singles in the style of Phil Spector, "Baby I Love You" and "Born To Be With You", he became linked with the pub rock movement of the early 1970s, producing Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and also The Flamin' Groovies, using a stripped down, grittier sound.

His own solo LP from that era, Subtle As A Flying Mallet, was similar in style. In 1977, the Brinsley Schwarz connection brought about a collaboration with Nick Lowe under the name Rockpile, with Billy Bremner and Terry Williams. For contractual reasons they could not record as Rockpile until 1980, but contemporary solo LPs (such as Nick Lowe's Labour of Lust and Edmunds' own Repeat When Necessary) were in fact group recordings. Dave Edmunds had more hits during this time, including Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk", Nick Lowe's "I Knew The Bride", Hank DeVito's "Queen of Hearts" ), Graham Parker's "Crawling From The Wreckage", and Melvin Endsley's "Singing The Blues" (originally a hit for Guy Mitchell).

Unexpectedly, after Rockpile relased their first LP under their own name (1980's Seconds Of Pleasure), the band split, generally attributed to tensions between Edmunds and Lowe. Edmunds spent the 1980s collaborating with and producing an assortment of artists, from Paul McCartney to King Kurt, and from The Stray Cats to Status Quo. He recorded the soundtrack for Porky's Revenge, supplying the main theme, "High School Nights", and was the musical director for a television special starring Carl Perkins, with assorted guests including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Rosanne Cash.

On his 1983 and 1984 releases, Information and Riff Raff, Edmunds collaborated on two songs with Jeff Lynne, the lead musician of Electric Light Orchestra. He recorded less frequently after the mid 1980s.

Edmunds now lives in Wales in semi-retirement, touring Scandinavia infrequently, after surviving a quadruple bypass several years ago.

Sweet Little Lisa
Dave Edmunds Lyrics

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Well the work whistle blew about a half past five o'clock.
I saw the red light on the corner, man I never tried to stop.
Got pulled over by a man in blue.
He said "What the hell you tryin'a do?"
I told him 'bout my baby, he let me go, thanks a lot.

Got invited to a party at a high school Hollywood pool.
There were women all around me, man I began to drool.

I weighed the evidence at hand,
I said "Girls you gotta understand,
Since I met my baby I've been livin' by the Golden Rule."

Aw, there ain't nobody gonna make me shout.
Ain't nobody gonna put me out.
Ain't nobody gonna make me do
Like my sweet little Lisa does.
Ain't nobody gonna make me sing.
Make me do the wrong damn thing.
I'm sinking my head in a cold cold stream
Like my sweet little Lisa do.

I was hauling out of Dallas, got pulled over by a debutante.
She was playing with her gearshift, I was being kinda nonchalant.
Said she'd take me up to her room,
Keep me following with the Lorna Doones.
I got a sweet sugar mama gonna give me everything I want.

'Cause ain't nobody gonna make me shout.
Ain't nobody gonna put me out.
Ain't nobody gonna make me do
Like my sweet little Lisa does.
Ain't nobody gonna make me sing.
Make me do the wrong damn thing.

I'm sinking my head in a cold cold stream
Like my sweet little Lisa do.

Overall Meaning

The song "Sweet Little Lisa" by Dave Edmunds is a classic rock and roll anthem that tells the story of a man reveling in his newfound love and the power it brings him. In the first verse, the singer is stopped by a police officer for running a red light but is let off the hook when he tells the officer about his baby. This shows how the singer's baby has given him a newfound sense of responsibility and purpose, as well as a certain level of immunity that comes with having a romantic partner.

In the second verse, the singer attends a party where he is surrounded by women, but he chooses to be faithful to his sweet little Lisa because she has shown him kindness and love. The singer compares his adherence to the Golden Rule to his relationship with Lisa, implying that he treats her how he would like to be treated. This can be seen as a reflection of the rock and roll lifestyle in the 1950s, as many musicians at the time were known for their wild and promiscuous behavior.

The final verse sees the singer being propositioned by a wealthy debutante who wants to take him back to her room. However, the singer is loyal to Lisa and refuses the offer, instead reveling in the power that comes with being in love. The chorus repeats throughout the song and emphasizes the singer's devotion to Lisa, stating that no one can make him shout, put him out or make him do the wrong thing like his sweet little Lisa does.

Overall, "Sweet Little Lisa" is a classic rock and roll song that celebrates the power of love and loyalty. It reflects the rebellious spirit of the 1950s and 60s, a time when rock and roll was still in its infancy and musicians were pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable behavior.

Line by Line Meaning

Well the work whistle blew about a half past five o'clock.
I finished work at 5:30.

I saw the red light on the corner, man I never tried to stop.
I didn't stop at the stop sign because there were no cars coming.

Got pulled over by a man in blue.
A police officer pulled me over.

He said "What the hell you tryin'a do?"
He asked me why I didn't stop at the stop sign.

I told him 'bout my baby, he let me go, thanks a lot.
I explained that I was rushing to see my girlfriend and the police officer let me go without a ticket.

Got invited to a party at a high school Hollywood pool.
I was invited to a party at a Hollywood high school pool.

There were women all around me, man I began to drool.
There were a lot of attractive women at the party and I couldn't help but stare at them.

I weighed the evidence at hand,
I thought about the situation.

I said "Girls you gotta understand,
I tried to explain to the women at the party.

Since I met my baby I've been livin' by the Golden Rule."
I've been faithful to my girlfriend since I met her.

Aw, there ain't nobody gonna make me shout.
No one can make me angry or upset.

Ain't nobody gonna put me out.
No one can make me leave or kick me out.

Ain't nobody gonna make me do
No one can force me to do something.

Like my sweet little Lisa does.
Except for my girlfriend Lisa.

Ain't nobody gonna make me sing.
No one can force me to sing.

Make me do the wrong damn thing.
No one can get me to do something immoral or unethical.

I'm sinking my head in a cold cold stream
I'm trying to clear my head and think.