Cherchez la Femme
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band Lyrics


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Tommy Mottola lives on the road
He lost his lady two months ago
Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't
Oh, wonder
He sleeps in the back
Of his big grey Cadillac, oh my honey
Blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine
Oh, ain't it crazy baby, hey
I guess you could say hey, hey
The man has learned his lesson, oh hey
Now he's alone
He's got no woman and no home
For misery, oh, oh
Cherchez la femme

Miggie, Miggie Bonija's very upset
She's sick and tired of living in debt
Tired of roaches and tired of rats
I know she is, oooh
So her noble man says
"Baby I understand, oh my honey"
Now he's working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars
Oh, ain't crazy baby
Now she complains
That her man is never present, no
She goes next door
I know that she's just playing the whore
Hey for misery my friend, hey
Cherchez la femme

[Instrumental Interlude]

They'll tell you a lie
With a colgate smile, hey baby
Love you one second and hate you the next one
Oh, ain't it crazy, yeah
All I can say, ay, hey
Of one thing I am certain, ooh-hoo, ooh-hoo
They're all the same
All the sluts and the saints
For misery my friend
Cherchez la femme

Hey now, Cherchez la femme
Oh babe, Cherchez la femme
Yeah, Cherchez la femme
Oooh that's amora, Cherchez
Oooh that's amora, Cherchez
Amora amora be mine, be mine
Devine (Oooh that's amora, Cherchez)
Cherchez la femme
(Se si bon, Se si bon, Se si bon)
Cherchez la femme, rumba




(Se si bon, Se si bon, Se si bon)
Cherchez la femme, rumba

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of “Cherchez la Femme” by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band tell the stories of two individuals: Tommy Mottola, a man who lost his lady and now lives on the road, sleeping in the back of his big gray Cadillac and drowning his sorrows in wine and cheap grass, and Miggie Bonija, a woman living in poverty who is frustrated with her situation and seeks an opportunity to better her life. Despite their differences, both individuals are searching for something that will bring them happiness and fulfillment. The chorus, “Cherchez la femme,” translates to “look for the woman” in French, suggesting that perhaps the search for happiness and fulfillment can be found in a romantic connection.


The lyrics touch on universal themes of loss, struggle, and the search for happiness. The use of French in the chorus adds a touch of sophistication and mystery to the song. The instrumentals, which feature a mix of disco, jazz, and Latin rhythms, further enhance the exotic and eclectic feel of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

Tommy Mottola lives on the road
Tommy Mottola travels a lot


He lost his lady two months ago
Tommy Mottola's girlfriend left him two months ago


Maybe he'll find her, maybe he won't
Tommy Mottola is uncertain if he'll ever find his girlfriend


Oh, wonder
This situation is mysterious and surprising


He sleeps in the back
Tommy Mottola sleeps in the rear of his car


Of his big grey Cadillac, oh my honey
Tommy Mottola drives a big grey Cadillac


Blowing his mind on cheap grass and wine
Tommy Mottola is heavily using drugs and alcohol


Oh, ain't it crazy baby, hey
This behavior is irrational and dangerous


I guess you could say hey, hey
It's possible to describe the situation as unexpected


The man has learned his lesson, oh hey
Tommy Mottola has gained some knowledge from his experience


Now he's alone
Tommy Mottola is currently single and without company


He's got no woman and no home
Tommy Mottola is without a girlfriend and home


For misery, oh, oh
This situation is causing Tommy Mottola suffering


Cherchez la femme
It could be related to a woman's influence on Tommy Mottola and his life choices


Miggie, Miggie Bonija's very upset
Miggie Bonija is extremely unhappy


She's sick and tired of living in debt
Miggie Bonija is fed up with her financial situation


Tired of roaches and tired of rats
Miggie Bonija can't stand the insects and rodents around her


I know she is, oooh
This is an empathetic statement empathising with Miggie Bonija's displeasure


So her noble man says
Miggie Bonija's partner sympathizes with her


"Baby I understand, oh my honey"
Miggie Bonija's partner is trying to show her affection and care


Now he's working two jobs at Eighth Avenue bars
Miggie Bonija's partner has taken on two jobs at bars on Eighth Avenue


Oh, ain't crazy baby
This is an unexpected thing for her partner to do


Now she complains
Miggie Bonija now complains


That her man is never present, no
Miggie Bonija's partner is not around very often


She goes next door
Miggie Bonija goes to the neighbour's house


I know that she's just playing the whore
Miggie Bonija's behaviour is promiscuous


Hey for misery my friend, hey
This situation is causing Miggie Bonija despair


Cherchez la femme
It could be attributed to the woman's influence on Miggie Bonija's partner


They'll tell you a lie
People will deceive you


With a colgate smile, hey baby
They will try to look friendly and trustworthy


Love you one second and hate you the next one
People can be very unpredictable when it comes to love and hate


Oh, ain't it crazy, yeah
This behaviour is unexpected and illogical


All I can say, ay, hey
The situation is noteworthy


Of one thing I am certain, ooh-hoo, ooh-hoo
One fact is clear: people are inconsistent


They're all the same
All people are alike in their inconsistency


All the sluts and the saints
This applies to both promiscuous and virtuous individuals


For misery my friend
This knowledge may cause despair


Cherchez la femme
The influence of women on men may be a cause of this inconsistency


Hey now, Cherchez la femme
The concept continues to apply


Oh babe, Cherchez la femme
The importance of looking for women's influence is emphasised


Yeah, Cherchez la femme
The significance of finding the women is reiterated


Oooh that's amora, Cherchez
This is an exclamation about love


Oooh that's amora, Cherchez
This is an exclamation about love


Amora amora be mine, be mine
An expression of the desire to feel loved


Devine (Oooh that's amora, Cherchez)
An expression related to the divine nature of love


Cherchez la femme
The idea about relationships with women comes up again


(Se si bon, Se si bon, Se si bon)
An exclamation of joy


Cherchez la femme, rumba
The idea of finding women applies to the rumba genre of music


(Se si bon, Se si bon, Se si bon)
An exclamation of joy


Cherchez la femme, rumba
The concept still applies to rumba music




Contributed by Reagan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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