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.
My Buddy
Dr. John Lyrics
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Some of it's leaves bring a sigh
There it was written by my buddy
That we must part, you and I
Nights are long since you went away
And I think about you all through the day
My buddy, my buddy
I miss your voice, touch of your hand
I long to know that you understand
My buddy, my buddy
Your buddy misses you
Your buddy misses you
I miss your voice, the touch of your hand
And I long to know that you understand
My buddy, my buddy
Your buddy misses you
My buddy
The lyrics to Dr. John's song "My Buddy" are about the pain of losing a dear friend. The first two lines of the song compare life to a book with some leaves that bring a sigh. This could mean that life has its happy and sad moments, and the sad moments are what brings the sigh. The next line says that the separation of the two friends was written by his buddy, which means that his friend's departure was inevitable and beyond their control.
The next few lines speak about the singer's sadness, which is evident in the fact that nights are long since his buddy went away, and he thinks about him all day long. The following lines highlight how close the friendship was, as the singer refers to his buddy as 'nobody quite so true' and tells him that he misses his voice and touch. The last line is a poignant one because it tells the buddy that he is being missed, which reinforces the idea that the separation was not a voluntary one.
Overall, these lyrics express the pain and sadness of losing someone who was a true friend, with whom the singer shared a deep bond.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is a book that we study
Life is a book of learning experiences we go through
Some of it's leaves bring a sigh
Some chapters of this book can be sad and make us long for the past
There it was written by my buddy
My friend was instrumental in shaping my life
That we must part, you and I
We must each go our separate ways in life
Nights are long since you went away
I feel lonely when I think of the happy times we shared
And I think about you all through the day
I miss my friend a lot and can't help but think of them constantly
My buddy, my buddy
My friend has always meant a lot to me
Nobody quite so true
No one has ever been as sincere and honest with me as they have
I miss your voice, touch of your hand
I long for their physical presence and the sound of their voice
I long to know that you understand
I wish they were here to share and understand my experiences with me
Your buddy misses you
I miss my friend so much
My buddy
My friend who has always been there for me
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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