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.
Wash Mama Wash
Dr. John Lyrics
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I know you're tired
Of taking in clothes
A dollar three-eighty a day
Know your back is hurtin'
And that's for certain
Been bendin' over half of the day.
Scrub 'em in an iron tub.
Long as we keep on singin' this song
I know you won't mind workin'
All night long
I know you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Again you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
'kay now, mama
You gonna never play
For the livin' in '44
Ain't gonna come a rainy day.
Keep on working
Keep those shirts and drawers
A-jerking
As long as we keep on rolling on
You won't mind doing it all night long
You got to rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Hey now, you gotta rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
Scrub, Mama scrub
If you stop playin' them numbers,
I tell you up front
You may be able to save the whole family
At the rate the things you're doin' is goin'
We may all be out on the street come morning)
I tell you, Mama
Your dreams won't help at all
You might lose your mind in alcohol
And that ain't gonna get it a't'all.
Listen at me, Mama
Please hear my song
Long as you keep bustin' suds
I tell you gonna get it on and on
Hey now can you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Hey now won't you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Hey now you got a rub it
And then you dub it down
Can you dig it?
After you rub it a while
You dub it in the tub down there
With that soapy water
All over them dirty clothes.
You're gonna need Tide for the action
You see them come out of the washing machine
The song "Wash Mama Wash" by Dr. John is a bluesy tribute to the tireless work of washerwomen, who were often overlooked and underappreciated in the early 20th century. In the lyrics, the singer addresses a washerwoman, acknowledging the difficulty and physical strain of her work, which involves scrubbing clothes in an iron tub for a meager wage. Despite the hardship, the woman keeps on working, and the singer assures her that as long as they keep singing and playing music, she won't mind doing it all night long. The song ends with a cautionary note about the dangers of gambling and drinking, urging the woman to keep working hard to support her family.
Line by Line Meaning
Wash woman, I know you're tired
Acknowledge that you're exhausted
Of taking in clothes, a dollar three-eighty a day
You work hard for very little pay
Know your back is hurtin', And that's for certain
Your physical labor takes a toll on your body
Been bendin' over half of the day.
You spend hours bending over to wash clothes
You're beatin' clothes on a washtub
You're using a washtub to wash clothes
Scrub 'em in an iron tub.
You're using your strength to clean laundry
Long as we keep on singin' this song, I know you won't mind workin'
The song helps keep your spirits up through the hard work
All night long
You work tirelessly throughout the night
You got to rub-a-dubba-dubba, Mama, bust them suds (Scrub, Mama scrub)
You have to work hard to wash clothes
'kay now, mama, You gonna never play For the livin' in '44 Ain't gonna come a rainy day.
Financial struggles will always be present in life
Keep on working, Keep those shirts and drawers A-jerking
You need to continue washing clothes to make a living
As long as we keep on rolling on, You won't mind doing it all night long
Your hard work continues because it's necessary for survival
If you stop playin' them numbers, I tell you up front You may be able to save the whole family At the rate the things you're doin' is goin'
Gambling won't solve financial problems, it could make things worse
We may all be out on the street come morning)
The situation is dire and could lead to homelessness
I tell you, Mama, Your dreams won't help at all You might lose your mind in alcohol And that ain't gonna get it a't'all.
Escaping through alcohol won't solve problems and could make things worse
Listen at me, Mama, Please hear my song Long as you keep bustin' suds I tell you gonna get it on and on
The song is a reminder to keep working hard to survive
Hey now can you rub-a-dubba-dubba, Mama, bust them suds (Scrub, Mama scrub)
Keep working hard to wash clothes
After you rub it a while, You dub it in the tub down there With that soapy water, All over them dirty clothes.
Detailed instructions on how to wash clothes
You're gonna need Tide for the action You see them come out of the washing machine
Using Tide to wash clothes makes laundry easier to clean
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAC REBENNACK, MALCOLM J. REBENNACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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