Born as Wilson Turbinton, Willie Tee secured his place as a New Orleans music legend by arranging, co-writing and leading the band on the Wild Magnolias' self-titled 1974 debut album. The popularity of that landmark recording, and the subsequent "They Call Us Wild" introduced the Mardi Gras Indians' street-beat funk to the world.
Wilson Turbinton and his older brother, modern jazz saxophonist, Earl Turbinton, grew up in the Calliope public housing complex alongside the Neville brothers. His earliest influences ranged from the singular rhythm and blues of Professor Longhair to the bebop jazz of John Coltrane.
He made his first recordings for the local AFO Records in 1962 while still a teenager. Three years later, he cut "Teasin' You", a soulful, mid-tempo composition for Atlantic Records. His "Walking Up a One-Way Street" and "Thank You John" were also popular hits.
In the late 1960s, Willie Tee & the Souls performed everywhere from the Apollo Theater in Harlem to the Ivanhoe on Bourbon Street. After hearing the band at the Ivanhoe in 1968, jazz musician Cannonball Adderley encouraged Tee to record an instrumental album. The album was never released, but the master tapes were recently rediscovered in the vaults of Capitol Records. Tee's pop was called expressive, his funk ferocious and his jazz "like mirrors in a prism" by longtime producer Leo Sacks, who called Willie Tee "a monster on the B-3 organ" in a Times-Picayune article.[citation needed]
Tee's early recordings, many of which were reissued by New York's Tuff City Records, found fresh life as source material for rappers. Houston's Geto Boys sampled "Smoke My Peace Pipe", a song Tee had written for the Wild Magnolias. Sean Combs borrowed riffs and grooves from the Gaturs' "Concentrate" for the 1997 album No Way Out. Alex Chilton also recorded a version of Thank You John in the 1980s, and Russell Minus completed a suite of elegies in 1996 based on the legendary yet notoriously underappreciated status which marked Willie Tee's long career.
More recently, New Orleans rapper Lil' Wayne sampled "Moment of Truth", a song from Turbinton's 1976 album, Anticipation for "Tha Mobb", the opening track on Lil' Wayne's multimillion-selling Tha Carter II.
Willie Tee remained active in his career as a producer, songwriter, performer and session musician. His collaborations with his brother Earl included 1988's Brothers for Life. He contributed to Dr. John's 2004 album, N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or D'Udda, and appeared briefly in the Oscar-winning Jamie Foxx film about Ray Charles, Ray.
In October 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Turbinton accepted a job as a visiting lecturer in the music department at Princeton University and spent the next four months working with music students there. In January 2006, he returned to Louisiana and settled in Baton Rouge.
In April 2007, The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame honored Willie Tee for his contributions to Louisiana music by inducting him into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
Willie Tee died on September 11, 2007, aged 63, four weeks after being diagnosed with colon cancer. His brother, Earl Turbinton, had died the previous month.
Thank You John
Willie Tee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come in baby
Who did you fool tonight?
Was it my friend John?
He thinks you're outasite.
I know that you've been ballin'
You're as high as you can be
But I knew, baby, you'd come home to Willie Tee
What did he say when you told him you were goin' home?
I know he wanted to handle you
I could tell by the bruises on your arm
I told him once he was a shuck time stud
If he tries this again
He's gotta shed some blood
It's gonna be all right
Now I don't blame you baby
For tryin' to swell his head
Cause after all baby
He's givin' us his bread
Now it's all right for you to go out all night long
But when he spreads that bread
Be sure he spreads it right
I wanna thank you John
For being a good time come
You done proved yourself to me
You're as jive as you can be
Now it's all right to keep her out all night
But when she leaves you alone
Send your paycheck home
It's gonna be all right
Oh thank you John
You been a boss time come
You ain't nothin' but a jive
Shuck time monkey town stud
It's gonna be all right
You lollypop, you sucker John
The song "Thank You John" by Willie Tee is a song about the singer's relationship with a woman who has been spending time with his friend John. The song starts off with the singer questioning the woman on who she has been with tonight and wondering if it was John. He then tells her that he already knows that she has been drinking and having a good time, but that he always knew she would come back to him, despite her flirtatious behavior.
The song then takes a darker turn when the singer asks the woman about the bruises on her arm, indicating that John had hurt her in some way. He tells her that if John ever tries to hurt her again, he will have to shed some blood. The singer then goes on to thank John sarcastically for being a "good time come" and for giving them his money. He tells John that it's okay for the woman to go out all night long, but if she ever leaves him alone, he must send his paycheck home.
The lyrics of the song are a commentary on the power dynamics of relationships and the idea that money can often be a driving factor. The woman in the song is portrayed as using John for his money and attention, while the singer sees himself as the more stable and reliable option. However, the threat of violence towards John and the dismissive language used towards him highlights the toxic masculinity present in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Thank you John Willie Tee
Willie Tee is thanking John for something, likely related to the events described in the rest of the song.
Come in baby
Willie Tee is inviting someone, likely the subject of the song, inside to talk.
Who did you fool tonight?
Willie Tee is asking the subject of the song who they tricked or deceived earlier in the night.
Was it my friend John?
Willie Tee is speculating that the person the subject fooled was his friend, John.
He thinks you're outasite.
John has a high opinion of the subject of the song and thinks they are great.
I know that you've been ballin'
Willie Tee knows that the subject of the song has been out having a wild time.
You're as high as you can be
The subject of the song is extremely intoxicated or otherwise under the influence of something.
But I knew, baby, you'd come home to Willie Tee
Despite the subject's wild night, Willie Tee knew that they would eventually come back to him.
She was just teasin' you
Willie Tee is telling John that the subject of the song was just joking or messing around with him earlier.
What did he say when you told him you were goin' home?
Willie Tee is asking the subject what John's response was when they said they were leaving to go home.
I know he wanted to handle you
Willie Tee believes that John wanted to confront or get physical with the subject of the song.
I could tell by the bruises on your arm
Willie Tee noticed that the subject of the song had bruises on their arm, likely from an altercation with John.
I told him once he was a shuck time stud
Willie Tee previously called John out for being someone who acts tough or cool, but is really just putting on a show.
If he tries this again
Willie Tee is warning John that if he tries to confront the subject of the song again, there will be consequences.
He's gotta shed some blood
Willie Tee is suggesting that if John continues to be aggressive, he will get hurt or injured in a physical fight.
It's gonna be all right
Willie Tee believes that everything will be okay and that the situation will resolve itself.
Now I don't blame you baby
Willie Tee is telling the subject of the song that he doesn't hold them responsible for their actions.
For tryin' to swell his head
The subject of the song was likely trying to boost John's ego or make him feel good about himself.
Cause after all baby
Despite what happened earlier, Willie Tee believes that the subject of the song still cares about John.
He's givin' us his bread
John is financially supporting Willie Tee and the subject of the song
Now it's all right for you to go out all night long
Willie Tee is giving the subject of the song permission to stay out late and have a good time.
But when he spreads that bread
When John gives them money, Willie Tee wants the subject of the song to make sure that he does so fairly and evenly.
Be sure he spreads it right
Willie Tee is instructing the subject of the song to ensure that John distributes his money fairly and without any favoritism.
I wanna thank you John
Willie Tee is again thanking John for something, likely the money he has been giving them.
For being a good time come
Willie Tee is appreciative of John for being a fun and enjoyable person to be around.
You done proved yourself to me
John has demonstrated his worth or usefulness to Willie Tee in some way.
You're as jive as you can be
John is acting in a phony or insincere way.
Now it's all right to keep her out all night
Willie Tee is repeating his previous statement that the subject of the song can stay out late.
But when she leaves you alone
If John is left alone by the subject of the song, Willie Tee wants him to act responsibly and avoid negative behavior.
Send your paycheck home
Willie Tee wants John to send his money home, likely to help support Willie Tee and the subject of the song.
It's gonna be all right
Willie Tee believes that despite the ups and downs of their relationship, everything will ultimately work out in the end.
Oh thank you John
Willie Tee is thanking John once again.
You been a boss time come
John has been a fun and enjoyable person to be around.
You ain't nothin' but a jive
Willie Tee is accusing John of being phony or insincere.
Shuck time monkey town stud
Willie Tee is using derogatory language to insult John and mock his tough-guy persona.
It's gonna be all right
Once again, Willie Tee is reassuring the listener that everything will work out in the end, despite any drama or conflict that might occur.
You lollypop, you sucker John
Willie Tee is further insulting John, likely in response to his behavior towards the subject of the song.
Writer(s): Wilson Turbinton Copyright: Turbinton Music
Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.