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.
I Don’t Wanna Know
Dr. John Lyrics
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I only want to know about love
I don't want to know about evil
I only want to know about love
Sometime it gets kinda hard to listen
Hard for me to use my eyes
And all around the gold is glistening
And I don't want to know about evil
I only want to know about love
I don't want to know one thing about evil
I only want to know about love
I'm waiting for the plains to tumble
Waiting for the towns to fall
I'm waiting for the cities to crumble
Waiting till I hear the call
It's getting kinda hard to listen
Hard for us to use our eyes
All around the gold is glistening
Making sure it keeps us hypnotized
Yeah, I don't want to know about evil
I only want to know about love
Yeah, I don't want to know one thing about evil
I only want to know about love
And I don't want to know about evil
I only want to know about love
I don't want to know nothing about evil
I only want to know about love
Yeah, I don't want to know about evil
I only want to know about love
I don't want to know one thing about evil
I only want to know about love
The lyrics of "I Don't Wanna Know" by Dr. John are a plea for a world without evil, focusing instead on the power of love. Dr. John, known for his unique blend of voodoo blues and psychedelic rock, sings about the difficulty of staying true to oneself in a world filled with temptation and deception. The singer acknowledges that it is hard to listen, and hard to use one's eyes, in the midst of so much glistening gold that seeks to keep us down to size and hypnotized. Despite this, the singer remains steadfast in their desire to only know about love, waiting for the day when evil will crumble and fall and they will hear the call.
The repetition of the phrase "I don't want to know about evil/I only want to know about love" underscores the singer's single-minded focus on love as the ultimate goal. The contrast between the cities and towns that will crumble and the power of love that will remain unscathed further emphasizes this point. Throughout the song, Dr. John's distinctive gravelly voice and bluesy piano add to the overall vibe of the song, making it a powerful call to action for listeners to stay true to themselves in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to know about evil
I don't want to hear or learn about anything that is harmful, immoral, or unpleasant.
I only want to know about love
I am only interested in learning about something that is kind, compassionate, and caring towards others.
Sometime it gets kinda hard to listen
At times, it becomes difficult for me to be attentive and aware of my surroundings.
Hard for me to use my eyes
It is challenging for me to perceive and understand things visually.
And all around the gold is glistening
However, the world is full of shiny, alluring things that can easily distract and mislead me.
Making sure it keeps me down to size
These things are purposely designed to control and restrain my aspirations and goals, keeping me confined to small metrics of success.
I'm waiting for the plains to tumble
I am waiting for a dramatic change or upheaval in the world around me.
Waiting for the towns to fall
I am anticipating a collapse of society's organization and structure.
I'm waiting for the cities to crumble
I am hoping for a major breakdown in the sprawling cities of our modern world.
Waiting till I hear the call
I am patiently waiting for a particular signal or cue to push me forward towards change.
It's getting kinda hard to listen
Our ability to focus our attention and open our minds to new information is diminishing over time.
Hard for us to use our eyes
We struggle to understand our world through visual stimuli due to the overwhelming distractions and falsities we encounter daily.
Making sure it keeps us hypnotized
Those in power use these distractions and illusions to keep us subservient and under their control.
Yeah, I don't want to know about evil
I remain steadfast in my desire to remain separate from negative and harmful elements of the world.
I don't want to know nothing about evil
I reject learning anything or engaging with anything that is associated with evil or immorality.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN MARTYN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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