Louie Louie
Toots feat. The Maytals Lyrics
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Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
A fine girl, who waited for me.
I catch a ship across the sea.
I sailed the ship all alone.
I wondered when Im gonna make it home.
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Three nights and days I sailed the sea.
I think of the girl constantly.
On the ship, I dream she there.
I smell the rose thats in her hair.
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
I see jamaican moon above.
See the girl Im thinking of.
I take her in my arms and then
Say Ill never leave again.
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
Oh, I gotta go now.
Uh-huh I gotta go.
The lyrics to Toots & The Maytals' "Louie Louie" song convey the story of a sailor who has been away from a woman he loves and now must leave her again to return to sea. The repeating refrain of "Louie Louie, oh baby, I gotta go" emphasizes the urgency of his departure. The sailor longs for the woman he left behind, dreaming of her on the ship and smelling the roses that she wore in her hair. He knows he must return to the sea and leave her behind again, but he promises to never leave her again when he does eventually return.
The songwriter, Richard Berry, originally wrote the song in 1955, and it was inspired by a Jamaican sailor who had to leave his girlfriend behind to sail across the Caribbean. The song became an immediate hit in Jamaica, where it was embraced as a dancehall favorite. It later became a popular song in the United States, estimated to have been covered by over 1,000 different artists.
Interestingly, the song's lyrics are often misinterpreted due to the indecipherable nature of the lines sung during the chorus, spawning rumors that the lyrics may contain vulgar language. Despite various investigations by the FBI and other authorities, however, the true lyrics remain unknown to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Louie louie, oh baby, I gotta go.
The singer needs to leave.
Yi-yi-yi-yi-yi
A fine girl, who waited for me.
The singer left behind a girl who waited for him.
I catch a ship across the sea.
The singer caught a ship to travel across the sea.
I sailed the ship all alone.
The singer sailed the ship solo.
I wondered when Im gonna make it home.
The singer wondered when they will make it back home.
Three nights and days I sailed the sea.
The singer spent three nights and days sailing the sea.
I think of the girl constantly.
The singer thinks of the girl constantly.
On the ship, I dream she there.
The singer dreams of the girl being on the same ship.
I smell the rose thats in her hair.
The singer remembers the scent of the rose in her hair.
I see jamaican moon above.
The singer sees the moon over Jamaica.
See the girl Im thinking of.
The singer sees the girl he's been thinking of.
I take her in my arms and then
The singer takes the girl in his arms.
Say Ill never leave again.
The singer promises to never leave her again.
Oh, I gotta go now.
The singer must leave now.
Uh-huh I gotta go.
The singer affirms that he needs to leave.
Writer(s): RICHARD BERRY
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.