Lowell George met Bill Payne when George was a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. Payne had auditioned for the Mothers, but had not joined. They formed Little Feat along with former Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada and drummer Richie Hayward from George's previous band, the Factory. The name of the band came from a comment made by Mothers' drummer Jimmy Carl Black about Lowell's "little feet." The spelling of "feat" was an homage to The Beatles.
Their first two albums received nearly universal critical acclaim, and "Willin'" became a standard, subsequently popularized by its inclusion on Linda Ronstadt's album Heart Like a Wheel.
While touring in support of his solo album in June 1979, at the age of 34, George collapsed in his hotel room in Arlington, Virginia. The surviving members finished and released the Little Feat album "Down on the Farm" before disbanding.
The surviving former members of Little Feat reformed in 1987 when Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton, Kenny Gradney, Richie Hayward and Bill Payne added songwriter/vocalist Craig Fuller, formerly from the band Pure Prairie League (who also provided some rhythm guitar), and Fred Tackett on guitar, mandolin and trumpet.
With a seemingly constant tour schedule, Little Feat is easily one of the hardest-working and enduring bands in the industry today. With a history that spans more than 30 years, Little Feat is regarded by many rock music critics as a "band's band", and as one of the greatest rock bands in American rock music history. Best known for their combination of California rock and Dixie-inflected funk-boogie, they craftily blend folk, blues, rockabilly, country and jazz to create a unique style all their own, garnering a faithful grass-roots following. Simply put, Little Feat's sound transcends traditional music boundaries and they offer fans an unforgettable live performance.
Richie Hayward became the second founding member of the band to die, passing from pneumonia and other complications of lung disease on August 18, 2010.
Dixie Chicken
Little Feat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the Commodore Hotel
And underneath a street lamp, I met a Southern belle
Well, she took me to the river, where she cast her spell
And in that southern moonlight, she sang a song so well
If you'll be my Dixie chicken, I'll be your Tenessee lamb
And we can walk together down in Dixieland
Well, we made all the hot spots, my money flowed like wine
Then that low down southern whiskey began to fog my mind
And I don't remember church bells or the money I put down
On the white picket fence and boardwalk of the house at the edge of town
Oh, but boy, do I remember the strain of her refrain
The nights we spent together, and the way she called my name
If you'll be my Dixie chicken, I'll be your Tenessee lamb
And we can walk together down in Dixieland
Down in Dixieland
Well, it's been a year since she ran away
Yes, that guitar player sure could play
She always liked to sing along, she's always handy with a song
Then one night in the lobby, yeah, of the Commodore Hotel
I chanced to meet a bartender who said he knew her well
And as he handed me a drink, he began to hum a song
And all the boys there, at the bar, began to sing along
If you'll be my Dixie chicken, I'll be your Tenessee lamb
And we can walk together down in Dixieland
Down in Dixieland
In "Dixie Chicken" by Little Feat, the singer tells the story of meeting a Southern belle who casts a spell on him with her beautiful singing. He refers to the bright lights of Memphis and the Commodore Hotel, where he meets the woman under a street lamp. She takes him to the river and sings to him in the southern moonlight, enchanting him with her voice. He offers to be her Tennessee lamb if she'll be his Dixie chicken and they walk together in Dixieland.
As the story continues, the singer and the Southern belle go to the hot spots, where he spends money on southern whiskey that begins to fog his mind. He doesn't remember much about the money he spent, but he remembers her singing and the way she called his name. A year goes by, and the Southern belle ran away, but the singer meets a bartender at the Commodore Hotel who hums her song while everyone at the bar sings along.
The song captures a playful and whimsical feel with its twangy sound and lyrics full of southern charm. It paints a nostalgic picture of a simpler time when the singer fell in love with the sound of a Dixie chicken's voice. The song has become a fan favorite and a staple of southern rock.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen the bright lights of Memphis
I have traveled to the city of Memphis and witnessed its grandeur
And the Commodore Hotel
One of the places I visited while in Memphis was the Commodore Hotel
And underneath a street lamp, I met a Southern belle
While walking one night, I met a lovely and charming woman under a street lamp who was from the southern United States
Well, she took me to the river, where she cast her spell
She brought me to the river and captivated me with her charm and personality
And in that southern moonlight, she sang a song so well
Under the moonlight in the South, she sang a song beautifully and memorably
If you'll be my Dixie chicken, I'll be your Tenessee lamb
If you become my partner, I will be yours and we will support and protect each other
And we can walk together down in Dixieland
We can explore the southern region of Dixieland together
Well, we made all the hot spots, my money flowed like wine
We went to all the popular locations and I spent a lot of money without a care in the world
Then that low down southern whiskey began to fog my mind
After drinking too much southern whiskey, I started to feel disoriented and confused
And I don't remember church bells or the money I put down
I cannot recall the sound of church bells or how much money I spent
On the white picket fence and boardwalk of the house at the edge of town
In a residential area on the outskirts of town, I don't recall the details of the house and its surroundings
Oh, but boy, do I remember the strain of her refrain
However, I still vividly remember the melody and lyrics of her voice
The nights we spent together, and the way she called my name
I recall the many nights we spent together, and the way she repeated my name with affection
Well, it's been a year since she ran away
It has been one year since she left me
Yes, that guitar player sure could play
I remember that the guitar player was incredibly skilled
She always liked to sing along, she's always handy with a song
She enjoyed singing along and was skilled in singing herself
Then one night in the lobby, yeah, of the Commodore Hotel
One evening, I was in the lobby of the Commodore Hotel
I chanced to meet a bartender who said he knew her well
By chance, I met a bartender who claimed to know the woman who left me
And as he handed me a drink, he began to hum a song
As he gave me a drink, he started to hum a tune
And all the boys there, at the bar, began to sing along
Other patrons at the bar also joined in singing the song
If you'll be my Dixie chicken, I'll be your Tenessee lamb
As the lyrics of the song go, if you become my partner, I will be your constant companion and protector
And we can walk together down in Dixieland
Together, we can explore the southern region of Dixieland
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Kibbee Martin, Lowell George
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on Representing the Mambo
Heard this song right before I had to go on a buiness trip to Rio. The progression of the song up the mountainside to the dangerous favelas above the city to the isolated hidden samba clubs make this song a trip you can truly take in your mind to that place.