See Louie Louie
Louie Louie
Richard Berry Lyrics
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Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Fine little girl she waits for me
Me catch the ship for cross the sea
Me sail the ship all alone
Me never think me make it home
Louie, Louie, oh, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Three nights and days me sail the sea
Me think of girl constantly
On the ship I dream she there
I smell the rose in her hair
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
Me see Jamaica moon above
It won't be long, me see my love
Me take her in my arms and then
I tell her I never leave again
Louie, Louie, oh, me gotta go
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
I say, me gotta go
I say, me gotta go
The lyrics of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie" are about a man who is leaving his lover behind to cross the sea. He sings about a "fine little girl" who waits for him while he sails alone, thinking of her constantly. In his dreams, he smells the rose in her hair imagining her next to him on the ship. The man reminisces about the three nights and days he sailed across the sea. The song ends with him arriving in Jamaica where he sees the moon above and anticipates reuniting with his love. He promises to never leave again and playfully repeats "me gotta go" as he sings.
The song's simple lyrics and catchy melody made it an instant hit back in 1955. However, the line "Me see Jamaica moon above" is often misheard as "Me see a woman, oh yeah", which caused widespread controversy about its allegedly lewd lyrics. This led to the FBI investigating the song for two years, but ultimately concluding that it was unintelligible and not worthy of further investigation.
Line by Line Meaning
Louie, Louie, oh, oh, me gotta go
The singer is announcing that he has to leave urgently, calling out to someone named Louie.
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
The singer repeats the same message, adding a note of determination to his voice.
Fine little girl she waits for me
The singer has a special someone waiting for him at his destination, whom he admires greatly.
Me catch the ship for cross the sea
The artist is conveying his plan to depart on a ship to reach his destination.
Me sail the ship all alone
The artist will be making the journey without anyone else accompanying him.
Me never think me make it home
The singer expresses some doubt about whether he'll be able to return home safely.
Three nights and days me sail the sea
The singer is indicating the amount of time he expects to be at sea during his journey.
Me think of girl constantly
The artist's thoughts are consumed by the girl he is hoping to see when he arrives.
On the ship I dream she there
The artist is feeling hopeful that he'll be reunited with his love, and is even having dreams about it.
I smell the rose in her hair
The artist is recalling the fragrance of the girl's hair, which indicates how close he feels to her.
Me see Jamaica moon above
The singer has arrived at Jamaica and notes the beautiful moon in the sky above.
It won't be long, me see my love
The artist is confident that he will soon be reunited with his love.
Me take her in my arms and then
The singer envisions the moment when he will embrace his girlfriend.
I tell her I never leave again
The singer is so happy to be back with his love that he vows to never leave her for so long again.
Louie, Louie, oh, me gotta go
The singer repeats his earlier message, trying to convey his urgency.
Louie, Louie, me gotta go
The artist concludes the song with the same message, emphasizing his urgency.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind