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.
Can't Get Enuff
Dr. John Lyrics
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I saw the ocean's daughter
Walking on a wave's chicane
Staring as she called my name
And I can't get it out of my head
No, I can't get it out of my head
Now my old world is gone for dead
Breakdown on the shoreline
Can't move, it's an ebbtide
Morning don't get here tonight
Searching for her silver light
And I can't get it out of my head
No, I can't get it out of my head
Now my old world is gone for dead
'Cause I can't get it out of my head, no, no, no
Day job, in the city
Robin Hood and William tell and Ivanhoe and Lancelot
They don't envy me
Sitting as the sun goes down
In dreams the world keeps spinning round and round
'Cause I can't get it out of my head
No, I can't get it out of my head
Now my old world is gone for dead
'Cause I can't get it out of my head
The song "Can't Get Enuff" by Dr. John is a poetic portrayal of a person's inability to get over a mesmerizing experience that left a profound impact on them. In the opening lines of the song, the singer is addressing an encounter he had with a woman on a wave's chicane, who called out his name. In the subsequent stanza, he finds himself stranded on the shoreline, looking for her "silver light." The singer is trying to come to terms with the experience, but he is constantly haunted by it. The chorus of the song reflects the idea that the experience is stuck in his head and he can't shake it off. The song concludes with the singer reflecting on his mundane city life and missing the dreamy world he once inhabited.
The lyrics of the song are open to interpretation. On the surface, it appears that the singer is reminiscing about a romantic encounter, but the lyrics can be seen as a metaphor for several different things. The "ocean's daughter" could represent freedom, the beach could be a symbol for happiness or joy, and the singer could be anyone trying to hold onto a fleeting moment of happiness before the mundanity of everyday life sets in. The song's melancholic tone and its catchy tune are a reflection of the universal human experience of trying to hold onto something that has slipped out of our grasp.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight, on the water
At midnight, while being near the water body
I saw the ocean's daughter
I saw a woman walking on a wave's chicane, near the ocean
Walking on a wave's chicane
Walking on the serpentine path created on the waves near the shoreline
Staring as she called my name
Looking at me while calling my name
And I can't get it out of my head
Her image is stuck in my mind
No, I can't get it out of my head
I can't stop thinking about her
Now my old world is gone for dead
I am engrossed in her, and everything else seems meaningless
Breakdown on the shoreline
Being stranded on the shore
Can't move, it's an ebbtide
Cannot move due to the tide of water flowing away from the shore
Morning don't get here tonight
The morning seems far away and the night seems endless
Searching for her silver light
Looking for her light, possibly her aura or an indication of her presence
Day job, in the city
Working during the day in the city
Robin Hood and William tell and Ivanhoe and Lancelot
Referring to fictional characters of various stories
They don't envy me
They do not desire to be in my position
Sitting as the sun goes down
Watching the sunset while sitting
In dreams the world keeps spinning round and round
Even in my dreams, I am unable to forget her
'Cause I can't get it out of my head
Because I am unable to forget her image
No, I can't get it out of my head
I cannot stop thinking about her
Now my old world is gone for dead
She has become the center of my world, and everything else seems irrelevant
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jeff Lynne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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