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.
Sailin' Shoes
Little Feat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Does a dance so rhythmically
She's cryin', and a singin' and having a time
and gee that cocaine tree look fine
You've got to put on your sailin' shoes
Put on your sailing shoes
Everyone will start to cheer
Jedidiah, he's got a dime
Says he catch a more fish, every time
Well I've got a line, and you've got a pole
And I'll meet you at the fishin' hole
You've got to put on your sailin' shoes
Put on your sailing shoes
Everyone will start to cheer
When you put on your sailin' shoes
Doctor, doctor, I feel so bad
This is the worst day, I ever had
Have you this misery a very long time?
Well if you if, I'll lay it on the line
You've got to put on your sailin' shoes
Put on your sailing shoes
Everyone will start to cheer
When you put on your sailin' shoes
The opening verse of "Sailin' Shoes" features a lady in a turban with a cocaine tree who is dancing and singing rhythmically. The cocaine tree she's with appears to be something she takes a liking to, and the singer is impressed by it. The chorus tells the listener to put on their "sailin' shoes," and when they do, everybody will start cheering. This seems to represent a sort of emotional and physical journey that the listener must take, represented by "sailin'."
The second verse is all about fishing. Jedidiah has a dime and claims to catch more fish than anyone else. The singer has a line to fish with, and his friend has a pole, so they will meet up and go fishing together. The final verse features a doctor and a patient. The patient feels really bad and says it's the worst day he's ever had. The doctor asks the patient if he's been feeling this way for a long time. The song ends with the chorus once again, encouraging the listener to put on their "sailin' shoes."
Overall, the song seems to be about the journey of life, the ups and downs of emotion and experience. While there's no clear narrative, each verse creates a separate vignette featuring an eclectic cast of characters. The chorus serves as a sort of rallying cry, encouraging the listener to keep moving and find their way.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady in a turban, cocaine tree
A woman wearing a turban is dancing near a tree that produces cocaine
Does a dance so rhythmically
She is dancing with precise rhythm
She's cryin', and a singin' and having a time
She is expressing her emotions by singing and dancing
And gee that cocaine tree look fine
The tree producing cocaine looks good to her eye
You've got to put on your sailin' shoes
In order to succeed, you need to be prepared
Put on your sailing shoes
Get ready to take action
Everyone will start to cheer
Others will support and encourage you
When you put on your sailin' shoes
When you take the necessary steps to achieve your goals
Jedidiah, he's got a dime
A man named Jedidiah has some money
Says he catch a more fish, every time
He claims he is able to catch more fish than others
Well I've got a line, and you've got a pole
We have different approaches to fishing
And I'll meet you at the fishin' hole
Let's meet and compete in fishing
Doctor, doctor, I feel so bad
A person is feeling unwell
This is the worst day, I ever had
Things are not going well for the person
Have you this misery a very long time?
The doctor is asking if they have been feeling this way for a while
Well if you if, I'll lay it on the line
If that's the case, the doctor will tell them the truth
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LOWELL GEORGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealForrestGeorge
Thanks for the upload.
@roycraggs3822
Sailin' Shoes was the LP that introduced me to at to Little Feat, at the tender age of 14 or 15, so it will always be my fave.
It reminds me of happy, relatively care-free times.
The more I listen to Richie Hayward's drumming, the more I appreciate what a fine percussionist he was. Sadly I only got to see the band live a few days after Richie's passing, so that was a bitter sweet experience. Thanks for the music of our lives guys.
@jackmalvern2394
I've seen them many times With and without Lowell. I saw Lowell's solo show. Not many can say that sadly. I've been to Jamaica. My all time favorite band. I'd say they should be in the R&R Hall of Fame but I doubt it will happen.
@JordanFrancois178
Beautiful Song.... Love It....Thanks....Bye Bye JeanFrancois
@brucemacmillan9581
Wow! Thanks for all the extras. Demo outtakes are always interesting to listen to. You can compare the original with the finished version. Plus, the early live stuff is quite good too.
@PrimitiveInTheExtreme
Great album, great band 🤘🐌🤘
@undercarver8777
I almost just punched my roommate when she asked for the 15th time is that country? Cause she knows I don’t care for country. Little Feat can do country or any damn thing they want. They got it all!
These fellas practically kept me alive in the teenage nervous breakdown years and after.
I love them so much. They got my head straight yesterday and again they will today. Feel normal when they’re on.
Thanks for posting.
@peanuts4132
If this is country, I'm a lobster
@act.13.41
Listening, one could easily think this was from Georgia or Mississippi, but no one would guess California. Nobody sounded like Little Feat. Truly a sound and style all their own.
@markbirchette8740
I saw Little Feat at their 50th anniversary concert at Red Butte Garden, Utah Wednesday June 5th 2019 It was great!