The band started as an acoustic blues trio in the mid 1960s with singer and guitarist J. Geils (born February 20, 1946; died April 10, 2017), bassist Danny Klein (Dr. Funk) and harpist Richard Salwitz (stage name Magic Dick). The band formed under the name Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels while Geils was attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute for a couple of semesters. In 1967 the band switched focus, starting to play electric guitar and bass and recruiting drummer Stephen Jo Bladd and fast-talking ex-disc jockey singer Peter Wolf, born Peter Blankenfeld, both from Boston. The following year Seth Justman joined as an organist, and the group signed to Atlantic Records in 1970.
The J. Geils Band first received FM radio airplay with the live single "First I Look at the Purse", then had several hit singles in the 1970s, the most successful of which was "Must Of Got Lost" (1974). Later in the 1970s, the band signed with EMI America Records.
The band had good success covering soul singles. Besides the well-known aforementioned "First I Look at the Purse" from The Contours, they covered the more obscure "I Do" from The Marvelows and "Ain't Nothing But a House Party" from The Showstoppers.
The group's commercial fortunes improved in the early 1980s, first with the humorous "Love Stinks", then with their great success with the Freeze Frame album which included "Centerfold" (#1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100) and then the title cut (#4). Wolf left the group in 1983 for a solo career not long after, over disagreements about whether to continue to take the band in more of a popular direction, or continue with the purist tradition.
The band went on to record one more album of new material, You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd, after Wolf left. He was not replaced, and Seth Justman took over most of the vocal duties. The album produced only one single - "Concealed Weapons", a song about breasts - and was not a success. The band toured in support of the album, but never again recorded anything new. The group then disbanded in 1985 after contributing the title song to the 1985 horror film Fright Night.
The group was not reunited with Wolf until 1999, and subsequently broke up again when ticket sales proved extremely disappointing. Wolf continues to tour with his own backup band, and the rest of the Geils band makes occasional appearances. Since the semi-retirement of the band, Geils has been restoring sports cars in Massachusetts.
On 22 May 2006, the six original members had a surprise reunion, the first time they had all played together in over 20 years, at bassist Danny Klein's 60th birthday party at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston.
Since 2009 they are reunited once more.
The band disbanded in 2017 after the death of bandleader J. Geils.
Peanut Butter
The J. Geils Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
7 days of the week 7 different chevys
Black SS wit tha top blown off
Fuckin' with them boys get ya top blown off
Got an old white chevy peanut butter top same
Color
24 inches off the ground like jeezy
Got that thang on me so you better take it easy
Catch me in tha hood knockin pictures off tha wall
sittin sideways like that nigga Paul Wall
Got a 4-54 and its all chromed out
Just bought a platinum grill like the one up in my
Mouth
Niggas down south all we do is ride heavy
Coulda had a bentley but I rather ride chevys
Pistol in my lap give a fuck bout tha law
Hoes see me comin and they all gon ball
Got 10 bad bitches and they all gon call
Got 5 screens and they all gon fall
Old school new school we done had em all
My niggas ridin chevys so we all gon ball
x2
monkey see monkey do
So evrybody got a chevy
350 wit tha flow match now that bitch runs heavy
Keep it clean plus ride good wen I'm rollin through
Tha hood
I get down in it that bitch sounds good
And for you niggas who snitches shit you can't be
Trusted
Might as well call me lee dungarees I can't be
Busted
But I'm Cadillac Don nigga a real fuckin hustler
Ridin through tha south spreadin this game like
Mustard
I'm a cadlliac rider true enough but I ball in a
Chevy
When I strut my stuff makin money can't get enough
Haters get mad they fuss and cuss
Check my rep I drop tha top
Lean out tha chevy let the .45 pop
Cut it to tha metal can't wait for cops
16 switches watch yo ass gone drop
We hittin tha curb 3wheelin motion
Seein double drinkin on tha potion
I'm a movin' I'm hustlin flowin
Gettin paid stackin token
For this boy y'all niggas ain't ready
Gimme tha crown I deserve tha credit
Or catch me fuckin yo bitch in a chevy
Inside butter outside grape jelly
x2
x2 (monkey see monkey do so everybody got a chevy)
(so everybody got a chevy) x4
The J. Geils Band's song Peanut Butter is about car culture, specifically the love for Chevrolet vehicles. The lyrics express the importance of having a Chevy, with mentions of owning multiple different models in various colors. The use of peanut butter and jelly is a clever way of representing the Chevy's exterior and interior. The song talks about the pride of owning a Chevy, with lines such as "my niggas ridin' Chevys so we all gon' ball." The lyrics express how the Chevy culture brings people together, and it's a way of life - "monkey see monkey do, so everybody got a Chevy."
The song also references the dangers of the environment, where one can get their "top blown off" messing with the wrong people. The lyrics "pistol in my lap give a fuck bout tha law" highlight the harsh realities of the environment where the song is set. The song expresses the love for the Chevy, and how it can make one feel invincible. While this song can be seen as just a fun car song, it is also a reflection of a specific culture that exists in certain environments.
Line by Line Meaning
Inside peanut butter outside jelly
The car's interior is brown like peanut butter, while the exterior is purple like grape jelly.
7 days of the week 7 different chevys
I have a different Chevy for every day of the week.
Black SS wit tha top blown off
My black Chevy SS has the top removed.
Fuckin' with them boys get ya top blown off
If you mess with me, you'll end up with your own car's roof blown off.
Got an old white chevy peanut butter top same Color
I have an old white Chevy with a top that's the same color as peanut butter.
Flows out tha back wood steering wheel to match my leather
The exhaust flows out the back of my car, and my wooden steering wheel matches my leather seats.
24 inches off the ground like jeezy
My car's wheels are 24 inches off the ground, just like Jeezy's.
Got that thang on me so you better take it easy
I'm carrying a gun, so you should be careful not to make me angry.
Catch me in tha hood knockin pictures off tha wall
You might see me in the neighborhood playing my music so loud, it knocks pictures off people's walls.
sittin sideways like that nigga Paul Wall
I'm driving with my car tilted to the side, just like Paul Wall.
Got a 4-54 and its all chromed out
I have a 454 engine in my car, and it's all chromed out.
Just bought a platinum grill like the one up in my Mouth
I just bought a silver grill for my teeth, just like the one in my mouth.
Niggas down south all we do is ride heavy
In the south, we love to ride in our cars.
Coulda had a bentley but I rather ride chevys
I could have owned a Bentley, but I prefer my Chevy.
Pistol in my lap give a fuck bout tha law
I have a gun in my lap, and I don't care about the law.
Hoes see me comin and they all gon ball
Women love to see me coming, and they all get excited.
Got 10 bad bitches and they all gon call
I have ten attractive women who are all trying to get in touch with me.
Got 5 screens and they all gon fall
I have five video screens in my car, and they all fall down when I drive too fast or hit bumps.
Old school new school we done had em all
I've owned both old and new Chevy models.
My niggas ridin chevys so we all gon ball
All of my friends and I love to ride in our Chevys and have a good time.
monkey see monkey do
People imitate what they see others doing, like buying Chevys.
So everybody got a chevy
Everyone seems to own a Chevy car.
350 wit tha flow match now that bitch runs heavy
My Chevy has a 350 engine that is in sync with the car's exhaust system, making it run heavily and smoothly.
Keep it clean plus ride good wen I'm rollin through Tha hood
I like to keep my car clean, and it runs smoothly when I am driving through the neighborhood.
I get down in it that bitch sounds good
I like to get into my car and turn up the volume on the stereo because it sounds fantastic.
And for you niggas who snitches shit you can't be Trusted
I don't trust anyone who snitches on others for doing things they shouldn't be doing.
Might as well call me lee dungarees I can't be Busted
I am good at avoiding being caught and arrested for any wrongdoing.
But I'm Cadillac Don nigga a real fuckin hustler
I'm known as Cadillac Don, and I'm an expert hustle who knows how to make money.
Ridin through tha south spreadin this game like Mustard
As I ride through the south, I teach others how to make money like me.
I'm a cadlliac rider true enough but I ball in a Chevy
Although I typically ride in a Cadillac, I still love to have fun in my Chevy.
When I strut my stuff makin money can't get enough
When I'm showing off my success and making money, I can never get enough of it.
Haters get mad they fuss and cuss
When people hate on me, they get upset and start to curse and argue with me.
Check my rep I drop tha top
People can look at and admire my reputation and success by seeing me driving in a convertible car with the top down.
Lean out tha chevy let the .45 pop
I like to lean out of my car and shoot my gun.
Cut it to tha metal can't wait for cops
I drive really fast and can't wait to escape from the police.
16 switches watch yo ass gone drop
My car has sixteen switches to control different features, and if someone isn't paying attention, they might accidentally break something.
We hittin tha curb 3wheelin motion
My friends and I like to drive on only three wheels, hitting curbs for fun.
Seein double drinkin on tha potion
I'm drinking a potion that makes me see double, and I'm also having fun with my friends.
I'm a movin' I'm hustlin flowin
I'm constantly moving and working hard to earn money and achieve success.
Gettin paid stackin token
I'm getting paid a lot of money and saving it up for future use.
For this boy y'all niggas ain't ready
Other people aren't prepared or capable of keeping up with me and my lifestyle.
Gimme tha crown I deserve tha credit
I deserve recognition and praise for my hard work and success.
Or catch me fuckin yo bitch in a chevy
If you can't find me, it's probably because I'm having sex with your girlfriend in my Chevy.
Inside butter outside grape jelly
My car's interior is yellow like butter, while the exterior is purple like grape jelly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Michael Louis Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Mark Ramos Nishita, Adam Nathaniel Yauch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richardtaylor8595
I love this ,I request it every weekend on 98.5 and they never play it. I want to start my own radio station so I can play what people realy want to hear.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@lant7123
Uncle took me to them in concert when I was like 5. Was my fav song they performed. Also learned how to shoot the bird that night. Ah good family times.
@michaelshrodek1386
I remember when this song came out. It wasn't on any of their albums.
@The_Cobalt_Lair
That song Peanutbutter is on the J Geil’s Anthology album. I have it right here.
@martinmcfadden8542
I got to see this live when I was in high school. I just realized that it's the Hully Gully.
@jonyab5319
MutherFuck...who remembers this one? Made me laugh.
That is Geils. Laugh, cry, party...Thanks J. RIP bro.