Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined local band Automatic Dlamini as a vocalist, guitarist and saxophonist. The band's frontman, John Parish, became her long-term collaborator. In 1991, she formed an eponymous trio called PJ Harvey and subsequently began her career as PJ Harvey. The trio released two studio albums called Dry (1992) and Rid of Me (1993) before disbanding, after which Harvey continued as a solo artist. Since 1995, she has released a further nine studio albums with collaborations from various musicians including Parish, former bandmate Rob Ellis, Mick Harvey and Eric Drew Feldman, and has also worked extensively with record producer Flood.
Among the accolades Harvey has received are both the 2001 and 2011 Mercury Prize for Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000) and Let England Shake (2011), respectively, making her the only artist to have been awarded the prize twice. She has also garnered eight Brit Award nominations, seven Grammy Award nominations and two further Mercury Prize nominations. Rolling Stone awarded her three accolades: 1992's Best New Artist and Best Singer Songwriter, and 1995's Artist of the Year. Rolling Stone also listed Rid of Me, To Bring You My Love and Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea on its list of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2011, she was awarded for Outstanding Contribution To Music at the NME Awards. In the 2013 Birthday Honours, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to music.
Wang Dang Doodle
PJ Harvey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell razor totin' Jim
Tell butcher knife toting Nanny
Tell fast talking Fanny
We're gonna pitch a ball
Down to the union hall
We're gonna romp and trump till midnight
We're gonna fuss and fight till daylight
Tell cooda-crawling Ray
To tell abyssinia Ned
To tell old pistol Pete
To tell everybody he meets
Tonight we need no rest
We're gonna really throw a mess
We're gonna knock down all the windows
We're gonna kick down all the doors
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
Tell fats and washbone Sam
Everybody gonna jam
Tell shaking boxcar Joe
We got sawdust on the floor
Now tell Peggy and Colin Die
We're gonna have a heck of a time
Now when the fish scent fill the air
There'll be snuff juice everywhere
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
All night long
The lyrics to PJ Harvey’s Wang Dang Doodle are straight to the point: they are about sex. The song is a celebration of sexual freedom, and the lyrics suggest getting together at the Union Hall to party and have unbridled and wild sex all night long. The lyrics are not vulgar or explicit, but they are unambiguous in their meaning. The song is about a community of people, coming together to celebrate their sexuality, and it’s about having no shame or inhibitions, and just enjoying the pleasures of the flesh.
The song references a group of people, telling them to spread the word about the upcoming Wang Dang Doodle party. The lyrics mention names like “automatic Slim,” “razor totin’ Jim,” and “butcher knife toting Nanny” among others. These names could be referring to specific people or characters from African American folklore. Throughout the song, there is a sense of camaraderie, as if everyone is excited to come together and celebrate, which gives the song a feeling of community.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a wild, energetic and passionate night of dancing, drinking, and sexual activity. It is a celebration of sexual liberation and the breaking of taboos. It is a song that speaks to the human need for connection, intimacy and pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell automatic Slim
Let Automatic Slim know
Tell razor totin' Jim
Inform Jim, who carries a razor, about our plan
Tell butcher knife toting Nanny
Let Nanny, who carries a butcher knife, know
Tell fast talking Fanny
Tell Fanny, who talks really fast, about our intentions
We're gonna pitch a ball
We are going to have some fun
Down to the union hall
We are going to the union hall
We're gonna romp and trump till midnight
We will dance and party until midnight
We're gonna fuss and fight till daylight
We will argue and fight until the sun comes up
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long
We are going to have a good time all night long
Tell cooda-crawling Ray
Let Ray, who crawls on his stomach, know
To tell abyssinia Ned
Ask Ned from Abyssinia to come
To tell old pistol Pete
Ask Pistol Pete to join us
To tell everybody he meets
Spread the word to everyone
Tonight we need no rest
We don't need sleep tonight
We're gonna really throw a mess
Things are going to get wild
We're gonna knock down all the windows
We will break all the windows
We're gonna kick down all the doors
We will kick down all the doors
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long
We are going to have a good time all night long
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
Tell fats and washbone Sam
Let Fats and Sam, who plays washboard, know
Everybody gonna jam
Everyone is going to play music together
Tell shaking boxcar Joe
Inform Joe, who shakes boxcars, about our plans
We got sawdust on the floor
We have put sawdust on the floor to dance on
Now tell Peggy and Colin Die
Let Peggy and Colin know
We're gonna have a heck of a time
We are going to have a great time
Now when the fish scent fill the air
When the smell of fish drifts in
There'll be snuff juice everywhere
People will be spitting tobacco juice everywhere
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long
We are going to have a good time all night long
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
All night long
For the entire night
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WILLIE DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind