Shout Bamalama
Otis Redding & The Pinetoppers Lyrics


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Shout bamalama

He's down in Alabama
Shoutin' bamalama
Way down in Louisiana
Well, well, well
Nobody's gonna set him down
Lord have mercy on my soul
How many chickens have I stole
One last night and the night before
I'm going back and tryin' to get ten, eleven more
Startin' to get 'em and I

I love a chicken, baby
Shoutin' bamalama
Well, well, well
Nobody's gonna set him down

Nine feet, ten feet we're goin' for the build
Nine feet left on a ten feet of hill
Ten feet turn around a nine feet fence
His teeth fell out, but his tongue stayed in
It's gettin' said so

He got the chicken, baby
Shoutin' bamalama
Well, well, well
Nobody's gonna set him down

Leo demarket rode a line one day
Bad little fella comin' down the way
We were talkin' 'bout the family, its a cryin' shame
He tell ya, mother is workin' on the chain gang
She busts his britches now
She's good at workin' hard

Shoutin' bamalama
Well, well, well
Nobody's gonna set him down

The preacher and the deacon were prayin' one day
Along come a bear comin' down that way
The preacher told the deacon to say a prayer
He said, Lord, a prayer won't kill this bear
I gotta make it, baby
Shout bamalama
I gotta run for it




Well, well, well
Nobody's gonna set him down

Overall Meaning

Otis Redding's "Shout Bamalama" is a song that starts off with the artist telling us that there is a man down in Alabama shouting bamalama. The song then takes on an amusing and nonsensical tone as the lyrics describe the antics of the man and his love for chickens. He has already stolen some chickens, and he is planning to steal more. He is so enamored with chickens that he shouts "I love a chicken baby", and this is the refrain that keeps repeating throughout the song.


The lyrics then go on to describe a man named Leo Demarket, who is "bad" and comes "down the way". Otis Redding sings about how Leo talks about his family and how his mother is "workin' on the chain gang". The song takes an unexpected turn as it describes the preacher and the deacon praying when they come upon a bear, and the deacon is asked to say a prayer. However, the preacher is not impressed with the deacon's prayer, and he decides to run away from the bear. The song ends with the chorus repeating.


Overall, the lyrics are fun and lighthearted, showcasing the individualistic spirit of the South. It captures the humor and joy of the people living in these areas.


Line by Line Meaning

Shout bamalama
He's shouting a nonsense phrase.


He's down in Alabama
He's currently located in the state of Alabama.


Way down in Louisiana
He's also been to Louisiana, which is farther south than Alabama.


Nobody's gonna set him down
No one will be able to make him stop doing what he's doing.


Lord have mercy on my soul
He's asking for divine mercy for his soul.


How many chickens have I stole
He's reflecting on how many chickens he's stolen.


One last night and the night before
He's stolen at least one chicken in the past two nights.


I'm going back and tryin' to get ten, eleven more
He plans to steal several more chickens.


Startin' to get 'em and I
He's currently in the process of stealing chickens.


I love a chicken, baby
He enjoys stealing chickens.


Nine feet, ten feet we're goin' for the build
He's building something that requires nine to ten feet of materials.


Nine feet left on a ten feet of hill
He has one foot of material left to transport up a hill that's ten feet tall.


Ten feet turn around a nine feet fence
He's building something that needs to turn around a nine-foot fence and requires ten feet of material.


His teeth fell out, but his tongue stayed in
Someone he knows lost their teeth, but they're still able to speak.


It's gettin' said so
The idea is being expressed or communicated clearly.


He got the chicken, baby
He successfully stole a chicken.


Leo demarket rode a line one day
A man named Leo Demarket once rode a train or some other mode of transportation.


Bad little fella comin' down the way
A troublesome person was traveling along the same path as Leo.


We were talkin' 'bout the family, its a cryin' shame
While they were traveling, they discussed a family that is in a sad state.


He tell ya, mother is workin' on the chain gang
The troublesome person mentioned that someone's mother is imprisoned and working on a chain gang.


She busts his britches now
That mother is now punishing her son.


She's good at workin' hard
The mother is a diligent worker.


The preacher and the deacon were prayin' one day
Two religious leaders were engaging in prayer together.


Along come a bear comin' down that way
A bear appeared and started approaching them.


The preacher told the deacon to say a prayer
One of the religious leaders asked the other to lead them in prayer.


He said, Lord, a prayer won't kill this bear
The other leader wasn't convinced that prayer would solve their problem with the bear.


I gotta make it, baby
He needs to escape the bear.


I gotta run for it
His plan is to run away from the bear.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: OTIS REDDING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@TheWorfster

This is one of hottest track ever laid to wax!!!!! This is scaldin' hot. My Uncles used to talk about dancin' at juke joints and this was a killer track to them and now it is to me as well. Haven't heard this tune about 30 years. "I gotta make it baby!!!!" Worf

@MrBoneppo

Otis Redding!!! One of the Rock Gods!!!!

@pigmeatmartin9418

Absolutely the greatest song about stealin' chickens ever recorded! I first heard as a small child, about 1963 and thought it was the greatest thing I ever heard. Hell, I still do! James Brown thought he was the hottest thing to come out of Georgia, but he wasn't fit to wash Otis' drawers.

@byronstevens1035

One of the hits from back in the day.

@hightider87

I love this song! Thanks for posting.

@theCrazyDirector246

(y) The great Otis Redding..... for ever in our hearts!

@blackred0486

Great song! First heard the cover by the Detroit Cobras but the original is great.

@cookmoore3736

Seger might have copied Otis' style too? :)

@hollies65

The best version!

@TheGrandmasterMan

DAMN! certainly is!

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