Dr. John (born Malcolm John Rebennack on 20 November 1941; died 6 June 2019… Read Full Bio ↴Dr. John (born Malcolm John Rebennack on 20 November 1941; died 6 June 2019) was an American singer, pianist, guitarist, and songwriter whose music combined blues, boogie woogie and rock and roll. The winner of six Grammy awards, Rebennack was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by singer John Legend on Monday, March 14, 2011. He was variously known as Mac Rebennack, Dr. John Creaux, Dr. John, the Night Tripper.

Dr. John began making his own idiosyncratic music in the 1960s. Along with Professor Longhair, Dr. John is heir to the rich New Orleans tradition. He is perhaps best known for "Right Place, Wrong Time", an international hit in 1973, reissued and used on soundtracks many times since.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, his professional musical career began as a session musician in New Orleans in the 1950s. Early on he also played guitar and was often known as Mac Rebennack. He switched to the bass ("the lowest time of my life"), and then the piano after his index finger was nearly shot off protecting his bandmate and longtime friend Ronnie Barron. He gained fame beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with music that combined New Orleans-style rhythm and blues with psychedelic rock and stage shows that bordered on voodoo religious ceremonies, including elaborate costumes and headdress. For a time he was billed as Dr. John, The Night Tripper. The name "Dr. John" came from a legendary Louisiana voodoo practitioner from the start of the 19th century.

Dr. John has also done vocals for Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits' "Luv dat chicken..." jingle, as well as the theme song ("My Opinionation") for the early-1990s television sitcom Blossom. His movie credits include Martin Scorsese's documentary The Last Waltz (in which he joins The Band for a performance of his song "Such a Night") and Blues Brothers 2000 (in which he joins the fictional band The Louisiana Gator Boys to perform the song "New Orleans"). In the 2009 Disney film The Princess and the Frog, Dr. John sings the opening tune, "Down in New Orleans".

In January 2008 Mac Rebennack, Dr. John, was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.

Bald Head
Dr. John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look at that
She ain′t got no hair, baldhead
Oh my, look at that
Show me this girl's hair
Oh, she′s baldhead

Look at that
She ain't got no hair, baldhead

Oh my, look at that
Show me this girl's hair
Oh, she′s baldhead

Now, you noticed little girl
I′m tryin' to explain to y′all about
Supposed to be a good friend of mine's wife
And every day on job she tell me the same ol′ thing
She'd really had a marryin′ on some other night

Good look at that
She ain't got no hair, baldhead
Oh my, look at that
Show me this girl's hair
Oh, she′s baldhead

Now, you know you try to tell me one day
About
And every time they tried to kiss and make a little love
But on around to makin′ it, he knock the wig off

I said, look at that
She ain't got no hair, she baldhead
Oh my, look at that
Show me this girl′s hair
Oh, she baldhead

Hey, look at that
She ain't got no hair, baldhead
Oh my, look at that
Show me that girl′s hair
Oh, she's baldhead

Oh, look at that
She ain′t got no hair, baldhead
Oh my, look at that

Show me this girl's hair
Oh, she baldhead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Dr. John's song "Bald Head" tell the story of a man who is having a conversation with someone about a friend's wife who is bald. He seems to be amused by the fact that she is bald and keeps repeating the phrase "look at that, she ain't got no hair, baldhead". He also tells a story about the friend and his wife trying to make love, but the wig came off which adds to his amusement. The lyrics are simplistic and repetitive which adds to the catchiness of the song.

However, the repetitiveness of the lyrics also brings up some interesting questions about its meaning. The song may be seen as a commentary on society's obsession with physical appearance and the concept of beauty standards. The man in the song seems to be preoccupied with the woman's bald head, and the way the song is structured reinforces that preoccupation. There also seems to be a hint of misogyny in the song, as the woman is objectified and reduced to her physical appearance.

Overall, "Bald Head" is a comical and lighthearted song that is meant to be enjoyed for its catchy tune and playful lyrics. However, digging deeper into the meaning behind the song reveals some interesting insights into societal attitudes towards physical appearance and gender roles during the time period the song was written.

Line by Line Meaning

Look at that
Observing something of interest

She ain′t got no hair, baldhead
The person being observed is bald

Oh my, look at that
Expressing surprise at the observation

Show me this girl's hair
Requesting to see something that isn't there

Oh, she′s baldhead
Confirming that the person is indeed bald

Now, you noticed little girl
Directing the attention towards the listener

I'm tryin' to explain to y'all about
Attempting to convey a situation

Supposed to be a good friend of mine's wife
The person being referred to is supposedly a friend's wife

And every day on job she tell me the same ol' thing
The person being referred to repeats the same story everyday on the job

She'd really had a marryin′ on some other night
The person being referred to got married on a different night

Hey, look at that
Addressing the observation again