Baty was at University of California Berkeley studying mathematics when he formed the band with Rick Estrin (born 1949). The band's music relies chiefy on electric urban blues of the Chicago variety, but mixed in with other compatible styles, including early rock and roll, soul, surf music, swing, jump blues, and western swing. The band issued their debut album, All the Way Crazy, in 1987, including the songs "Poor Tarzan", "Suicide Blues" and "When Girls Do It". The following album Disturbing the Peace (1988), included "That's My Girl", "My Money's Green", "She's Talking" and "Nervous". The records help established them on the blues festival and club circuits, and they began touring the country extensively, playing a number of international venues. They have played at the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1980 and 1982, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the San Diego, California Street Scene and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival plus the Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival in 2002.
Their 1993 album, Night Vision was produced and played on by Joe Louis Walker. It featured "My Next Ex-Wife," a witty blues-rocker that won Estrin a W.C. Handy Award for 'Song of the Year', highlighting his steadily growing reputation for songwriting prowess. Original drummer Dobie Strange left in 1996, after 20 years with the group, and his spot was taken by June Core.
In early 2008, Baty announced he was entering "soft" retirement, no longer tours with the band, except for possible reunion tours/shows in Europe and select North American festivals. Baty performed with JW-Jones at Mont Tremblant Blues Festival, Ottawa Bluesfest, and Piazza Blues in Bellinzona, Switzerland in July 2009. Estrin continued with the band re-billed as Rick Estrin & the Nightcats. Baty was replaced on guitar by Chris 'Kid' Andersen (born 1980), originally from Telemark, Norway. Andersen had played backing Charlie Musselwhite as well as fronting his own band.
Baty's most recent blues recording was as a guest on JW-Jones, Bluelisted (2008), an album which marked the first time in his career that he documented his harmonica playing on a recording, and the first time he and another West Coast blues musician, Junior Watson, had recorded together on the same tracks.
The band dissolved in 2008, with three members going on to form Rick Estrin & the Nightcats.
My Last Meal
Little Charlie & The Nightcats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little Charlie & The Nightcats
Album: Disturbing The Peace
1988 - ALCD4761
Well, I heard the warden said.
I had one more day.
One last meal before they carried me away.
He said if we don't got it.
We'll go out an' get it.
Because you don't have to go.
Til we get back with it.
So I said, 'Hmmm'.
A-bring me two dinosaur eggs over easy.
Fried in the butter an' not too greasy.
Muskees and bean, black-eyed peas.
An' a little small dish of buttered bee-balm beans
I want-a zebra tooth, a tiger steak
An whole hippopotamus, well baked.
Now go, get my dinner, go.
Get my dinner.
You ain't got it, go out an get it.
'Cause I ain't goin', til ya get back with it.
Now bring me a cup of crocodile tears.
Purple watermellon an some alligator ears.
An bring me two cross-eyed cat fish.
An some wavy gravy in a left-hand dish.
Now go, get my dinner, go.
Get my dinner.
You ain't got it, go out an get it.
'Cause I ain't goin', til ya get back with it.
(Instrumental & guitar solo)
Now bring me a order of rattlesnake hips.
The split of his tongue bring me both of his lips.
Now ya have my order so serve my dish.
With a female banana I just can't resist.
Now go, get my dinner, go.
Get my dinner.
You ain't got it, go out an get it.
'Cause I ain't goin', til ya get back with it.
Go on, get it now.
Don't worry about me, cause I ain't goin' nowhere.
FADES-
Hey! Don't forget the hot sauce!
The song "My Last Meal" by Little Charlie & The Nightcats is a humorous take on the concept of having your last meal before being executed. The lyrics consist of the singer giving a long list of outrageous and seemingly impossible food requests to the warden in the hopes that they won't be able to fulfill the order and therefore delay their impending execution. The singer's requests range from two dinosaur eggs over easy to a whole hippopotamus well-baked to rattlesnake hips and both of its lips. The song ends on a comedic note as the singer reminds the warden not to forget the hot sauce.
Overall, the song's theme could be interpreted as a commentary on the absurdity of the death penalty and the sometimes arbitrary nature of last meal requests. Rather than being a solemn occasion, the singer approaches their final meal as a chance to push the boundaries and make one last stand against their executioners.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I heard the warden said.
The singer heard the warden saying.
I had one more day.
The singer expected to die in a day and has one more day left.
One last meal before they carried me away.
The singer has one last meal before being carried away to death.
He said if we don't got it.
The warden said that if they don't have the requested food,
We'll go out an' get it.
They will go and get it anyway.
Because you don't have to go.
The singer doesn't have to go until they get the food.
Til we get back with it.
The singer waits till the food arrives.
So I said, 'Hmmm'.
The artist agrees to the procedure.
A-bring me two dinosaur eggs over easy.
The artist wants two dinosaur eggs prepared in an easy way.
Fried in the butter an' not too greasy.
The eggs should be fried with butter but not very greasy.
Muskees and bean, black-eyed peas.
The singer craves for a dish of muskees and beans and black-eyed peas.
An' a little small dish of buttered bee-balm beans
The artist wants a small dish of buttered bee-balm beans.
I want-a zebra tooth, a tiger steak
The singer desires to eat zebra tooth and tiger steak.
An whole Hippopotamus, well baked.
The singer wants to eat the whole Hippopotamus, baked properly.
Now go, get my dinner, go.
The singer urges the warden to go and get the food.
Get my dinner.
The artist emphasizes that they need the dinner now.
You ain't got it, go out an get it.
If they do not have the requested dinner, they should go out and get it.
'Cause I ain't goin', til ya get back with it.
The singer won't leave until they get the food.
Now bring me a cup of crocodile tears.
The singer wants to drink crocodile tears in a cup.
Purple watermellon an some alligator ears.
The artist wants to eat purple watermelon and alligator ears along with it.
An bring me two cross-eyed cat fish.
The artist also wants two cross-eyed catfish.
An some wavy gravy in a left-hand dish.
The artist desires wavy gravy in the left-hand dish.
(Instrumental & guitar solo)
There is an instrumental and guitar solo.
Now bring me a order of rattlesnake hips.
The artist requested an order of rattlesnake hips.
The split of his tongue bring me both of his lips.
The singer wants both lips of rattlesnake with its tongue split.
Now ya have my order so serve my dish.
The singer asks to serve the dish since they have placed the order.
With a female banana I just can't resist.
The singer includes a female banana they desire, which they cannot resist.
Go on, get it now.
The warden is urged to act fast and get the food now.
Don't worry about me, cause I ain't goin' nowhere.
The artist assures that they are not going anywhere and to get the requested meal.
Hey! Don't forget the hot sauce!
The singers add a request for hot sauce for their meal.
Contributed by Penelope J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.