Take a Whiff on Me
Woody Guthrie Lyrics
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Everybody take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
I got a woman 6ft4 sleepin in the kitchen with her feet in the door
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Sure maid, fishin in the creek, ain't caught a man since a way last week
Take a whiff, take a whiff, take a whiff on me
Everybody take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Wanna get a woman let me tell you a word, grease your hair down slick n smart
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
I'm walkin' down the road with my hat in my hand lookin' for a woman who wants to meet a man,
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Take a whiff, take a whiff, take a whiff on me
Everybody take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Walkin down the road and the road's mighty muddy, sliipin n sliding n I can't stay steady
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
I know my woman ain't treatin me right she don't get home till the day gets light,
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Take a whiff, take a whiff, take a whiff on me
Everybody take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Meet a lot of woman rambling around but the Boston women are the best I've found
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Singing songs all night long, sing to my woman from midnight on,
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Take a whiff, take a whiff, take a whiff on me
Everybody take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
The lyrics to Woody Guthrie's song "Take a Whiff On Me" are framed by the repeated refrain "Take a whiff on me," which is sung by the singer to everyone listening. The song's verses are a mix of boasts about the singer's prowess with women and commentary on the difficult circumstances of his life. The first verse introduces a woman who is six feet four inches tall and sleeps in the kitchen with her feet in the door. The second verse mentions a "sure maid" who is fishing in a creek but hasn't caught a man in a while. In each of these verses, the refrain "hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me" is repeated after each line.
In the third verse, the singer tries to offer advice to others who want to find a woman, imploring them to "grease your hair down slick and smart." But the song quickly returns to more bitter reflections on the singer's own life, with the fourth verse describing his difficulty walking down a muddy road. The fifth verse is perhaps the most poignant, with the singer admitting that his woman is not treating him right and doesn't come home until morning light. Finally, the last verse offers some hope and praise for the women of Boston, with the singer promising to sing to his woman all night long, despite the earlier lines suggesting that his singing voice might not be his best asset.
Overall, "Take a Whiff On Me" offers a mix of braggadocio and vulnerability, showcasing Guthrie's skill at blending humor and pathos in his songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a whiff, take a whiff, take a whiff on me
Come smell me, everyone take a sniff
Everybody take a whiff on me
Everyone come smell me
Hey, hey, baby take a whiff on me
Hey, come smell me, baby
I got a woman 6ft4 sleepin in the kitchen with her feet in the door
My tall woman is sleeping, blocking the kitchen with her feet
Sure maid, fishin in the creek, ain't caught a man since a way last week
The maid is fishing in the creek but hasn't caught a man in a while
Wanna get a woman let me tell you a word, grease your hair down slick n smart
To get a woman, slick your hair down nicely
I'm walkin' down the road with my hat in my hand lookin' for a woman who wants to meet a man
I'm walking down the road looking for a woman who wants to meet a man
Walkin down the road and the road's mighty muddy, sliipin n sliding n I can't stay steady
Walking on a muddy road, slipping and sliding and can't stay balanced
I know my woman ain't treatin me right she don't get home till the day gets light
My woman isn't treating me well, she comes home very late
Meet a lot of woman rambling around but the Boston women are the best I've found
I meet a lot of women while wandering around, but I find that the Boston women are the best
Singing songs all night long, sing to my woman from midnight on
Singing songs to my woman throughout the night, from midnight on
Contributed by Liliana P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Bjarni Jonsson
Absolute classic
F Valdimarsson
listening to this in Iceland in 2018. Took a whiff, I liked it.
John Mackinnon
😅
George Tennessee Wiseman
Wonderful Woody!
John Jurkewicz
I love listening to Great songs like is and I love it
tonos diffuse
those were good days,, Â must have been cheap to give everybody a bump
saltyninja
Anybody know the proper chords for this version? I've found it online as GCD7 and that sounds good but this is something else. Thanks!
Aelius Hadrianus
The chords are F# B C#... That's all! :)
Flora Bunda
Lots of different lyrics in Woody's version. Think I'm going to have to listen slow and type them because I haven't found these particular ones on line, so far.
Stanley Lubarski
If I was a rich man, and I had an onion of that expensive powder, I'd say the same!
"Everybody take a whiff on me!"