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.
Dear Old Southland
Dr. John Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I long how I long to roam
back to my old Kentucky home.
Dear old Southland for you my heart is yearning
And I long just to see once more
These lyrics from Dr. John/Nicholas Payton's song Dear Old Southland express a deeply nostalgic longing for the American South, and specifically Kentucky. The repetition of "Dear old Southland" emphasizes the singer's intense emotional connection to this region, which is underscored by the use of the word "heart" in the line "For you my heart is yearning." This phrase suggests that the singer's fondness for the South is not just a matter of sentimentality, but rather a deeply felt attachment.
The singer's desire to "roam back to [their] old Kentucky home" suggests that they have left this place behind for some reason, and that they are now keenly aware of what they have lost. This sentiment is later repeated in the line "And I long just to see once more," which emphasizes the singer's desire for familiarity and connection. Taken together, these verses convey a sense of loss and longing, as well as the power of a connection to one's homeland.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear old Southland I hear you calling me.
I feel a strong emotional pull to return to the southern region of the United States.
And I long how I long to roam
I have a deep desire to explore and wander.
back to my old Kentucky home.
I yearn to return to my childhood home in Kentucky.
Dear old Southland for you my heart is yearning
My heart is filled with a strong desire to be back in the southern region of the United States.
And I long just to see once more
I have a strong longing to revisit and see once again the places and people of the South.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STAN GETZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steve
on Holdin' Pattern
Looking for the Lyrics "Holdin' Pattern" by Dr. John.
Perry
on I Been Hoodood (LP Version)
Not The Correct Lyrics Listed