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.
Down The Road
Little Feat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you still can't move your feat
And it's cold in the morning
So I turn away at the heat
You say faster so I speed up
But still I'm much too slow
I feel your innuendo
You got all the answers, least they say you do
You say "hey it ain't time to go"
That ain't what I've been told
Guess I better meet you down the road
Down the road
You know sometimes I want to steal away and stare
Until my face it touch the ground
My dinner in Chicago, oh my breakfast down the line
If you don't hear from me girl, I hope you're feelin' fine
'Cause I've been doin' time, hope you're feelin' fine
Call me up, catch a plane
But don't think of taking another game
'Cause my regular lady she gets my pocket change
Do you want my every thought
Well come over here and try to get me off
Won't you please me
Shake your dignity
Put a little on me
On me, on me, on me
The opening lines of Little Feat's song "Down the Road" describe a failing relationship, where one person's efforts to please the other are consistently falling short. The singer has given their partner "high steppin' slippers" as a gift, likely a metaphor for going above and beyond in their efforts to make the relationship work. But despite these efforts, the partner "still can't move [their] feet," indicating they are unwilling to fully engage in the relationship.
The second verse reveals some of the underlying tension in the relationship. The singer feels pressure to keep up with their partner's speed and desires, but still can't seem to meet their expectations. The line "I feel your innuendo" suggests they may be picking up on some underlying messages or subtext from their partner. However, when the singer tries to take control and "strut [their] stuff," the partner shuts them down with an admonishment that "it ain't time to go."
The chorus speaks to the singer's frustration and sense of powerlessness in the relationship. They have heard conflicting advice and don't know who to trust, but feel they need to keep trying to make things work. The final lines, "guess I better meet you down the road," suggest a sense of resignation and acceptance that the relationship may not be salvageable in the present moment, but perhaps there is hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
I gave you high steppin' slippers
I offered you the best of what I had
But you still can't move your feat
But you still can't progress
And it's cold in the morning
And it's uncomfortable in the morning
So I turn away at the heat
So I try to avoid confrontation
You say faster so I speed up
You ask for more, so I try harder
But still I'm much too slow
But my progress is still not enough
I feel your innuendo
I sense your hidden meanings and implications
You got all the answers, least they say you do
You seem to have all the answers, or so they say
But when I start to strut my stuff
But when I try to show off my skills
You say "hey it ain't time to go"
You tell me that it's not the right time
That ain't what I've been told
That's not what I've heard
Guess I better meet you down the road
I guess I'll have to meet you later in the future
You know sometimes I want to steal away and stare
Sometimes I just want to escape and be alone
Until my face it touch the ground
Until I feel grounded and centered
My dinner in Chicago, oh my breakfast down the line
I have meals in different places, at different times
If you don't hear from me girl, I hope you're feelin' fine
If you don't hear from me, I hope you're doing well
'Cause I've been doin' time, hope you're feelin' fine
Because I've been struggling, I hope you're doing well
Call me up, catch a plane
If you need me, call me and I'll come
But don't think of taking another game
But don't try to play me or use me
'Cause my regular lady she gets my pocket change
Because my usual partner gets my money
Do you want my every thought
Do you want to know everything on my mind
Well come over here and try to get me off
Then come over and try to distract me from my thoughts
Won't you please me
Can't you make me happy
Shake your dignity
Let go of your pride and dance with me
Put a little on me
Put a little of yourself into the dance with me
On me, on me, on me
Together, let's enjoy the moment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: 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.