Mustang Sally
Mack Rice Lyrics
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I thank you better slow your Mustang down.
Mustang Sally, my baby,
Thank you better slow your Mustang down.
You been a runnin' all over the town now, baby
I'll home my have to put your big feet on the ground.
All you wanna do is a ride around, baby yes (ride Sally ride)
All you wanna do is a ride around, baby yes (ride Sally ride)
All you wanna do is a ride around, baby yes (ride Sally ride)
One of these early mornings
You gonna be wipin' your weepin' eyes.
Honey .... (?)
I bought you a brand new Mustang
I nineteen sixty-five.
Count with summer that signifyin' ja,
Don't wanna let me ride.
Mustang Sally, now baby,
Thank you better slow that Mustang down.
You just keep on a runnin' around,
Oh, my have to put your flat feet on the ground.
All you wanna do is a ride around, baby just (ride Sally ride)
All you wanna do is a ride around, Sally (ride Sally ride)...
The lyrics to Mack Rice’s song ‘Mustang Sally’ speak to the singer’s frustration with his lover, who he refers to as ‘Mustang Sally’. Sally is driving her Mustang around town and avoiding him. The singer is warning Sally to slow down and think about her actions before she loses him. He seems to suggest that Sally is behaving recklessly and immaturely, and that she needs to take responsibility for her actions. He also implies that Sally’s love for him is not as strong as his for her, and that she may come to regret her actions someday.
The repetition of the phrase ‘ride Sally ride’ throughout the song seems to emphasize Sally’s need for adventure and freedom. The singer appears to suggest that Sally is more interested in having fun and living in the moment than she is interested in building a stable and healthy relationship with him. Despite his frustrations with Sally, however, he still loves her and is willing to forgive her if she can change her ways.
Overall, the lyrics to ‘Mustang Sally’ are a cautionary tale about the dangers of recklessness and the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions. It also speaks to the complexities of romantic relationships and the difficulty of balancing freedom with commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
Mustang Sally,
The singer is addressing a person called 'Mustang Sally'.
I thank you better slow your Mustang down.
The singer is requesting Mustang Sally to slow down her car.
Mustang Sally, my baby,
The singer is using a term of endearment to refer to Mustang Sally.
Thank you better slow your Mustang down.
The artist repeats the request for Mustang Sally to slow down her car.
You been a runnin' all over the town now, baby
The artist accuses Mustang Sally of driving recklessly all around town.
I'll home my have to put your big feet on the ground.
The singer threatens to take action to stop Mustang Sally from driving recklessly.
All you wanna do is a ride around, baby yes (ride Sally ride)
The singer accuses Mustang Sally of only wanting to go for a ride in her car.
One of these early mornings
The artist suggests that something will happen in the near future.
You gonna be wipin' your weepin' eyes.
The artist predicts that Mustang Sally will be crying.
Honey .... (?).
The line is incomplete and it is unclear what the artist means to convey.
I bought you a brand new Mustang
The singer mentions that they bought Mustang Sally a new car.
I nineteen sixty-five.
The artist specifies the year the new car was bought.
Count with summer that signifyin' ja,
The line is unclear and its meaning is subject to interpretation.
Don't wanna let me ride.
The singer accuses Mustang Sally of not letting them ride in the new car.
Mustang Sally, now baby,
The singer addresses Mustang Sally again using a term of endearment.
Thank you better slow that Mustang down.
The artist repeats the request for Mustang Sally to slow down her car.
You just keep on a runnin' around,
The artist is frustrated that Mustang Sally is still driving recklessly.
Oh, my have to put your flat feet on the ground.
The singer repeats the threat to take action to stop Mustang Sally from driving recklessly.
All you wanna do is a ride around, baby just (ride Sally ride)
The singer repeats the accusation that Mustang Sally only wants to go for a ride in her car.
All you wanna do is a ride around, Sally (ride Sally ride)...
The artist addresses Mustang Sally again and repeats the accusation that she only wants to ride around in her car.
Contributed by Caroline R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Claude Perreault
Whenever I want to learn a new song I always try to find the original version and as many alternate versions as possible. Then I can get the true essence and hear different arrangements. What a great song!
Scottish Medic
Exactly. I've been doing that for years. Plus, it almost always turns into awesome history lessons.
Bikers On Call
I usually go with the most popular, but in this
case I found Wilson Pickets to be the smoooooothest
arrangement of the 'three' though everyone covers
this song, the 3 I considered; Rice, Picket, and Guy,
Picket won out, such a nice treatment.
Ellel Bee
How great to hear the original! Wilson Pickett might have supercharged his version, along with his backing band, but it's these good bones they had to work with. Thank you for posting this!
soulpower11
This song has been covered so often. Hopefully, Sir Mack had a comfortable living from the residuals.
John Thompson
He did, actually
andersport
This is the first time I heard this version...I guess like Hank Ballard (The Twist) he was bit ahead of his time! However when Wilson Pickett took it to the top of the charts, and then the Young Rascals did it, he counted his royalties and residuals.
Dragan Leles
Rice was visiting singer Della Reese, who was considering buying a new Lincoln Continental for her drummer and band leader Calvin Shields for his birthday. Rice and other band members were teasing Shields about the pending gift, and Shields replied that he did not want a Lincoln; he wanted a Ford Mustang. Rice had never heard of the Mustang, which had just come out, but he teased Shields about wanting a smaller car. He decided there might be a song in the situation, changing it to be about a woman who doesn't want to do anything but ride around in her new car. Rice called the early version "Mustang Mama", but changed the title after Aretha Franklin suggested "Mustang Sally" because he used the name Sally in the chorus.
David Everett
Great information! Thank you.
U name it
Thank you for this :)