Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

I am so excited to do this song for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a great hard rock song, second my story behind it is really great. I’ll start with the story.

Juke Box

My story about Pizza Inn last week reminded me of this song, and the following tidbit. Pizza Inn had two music sources, by super hi-fi Denon boom box above  the pizza making station (endless hours of Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits, and an assortment of mix tapes – TDK chrome tape anyone? One time the whole staff recreated the Doobie Brother “By the hand, pretty mama” refrain at the end of Blackwater...customer’s loved us) and the dining room juke box that we cranked when we cleaned the store after hours. The juke box company gave us a stack of pink fingernail polish covered quarters that we could use as song freebies. During a lull in the night we could drop some pink quarters to liven up the joint. Eric Price and I (he, the assistant manager and the district manager’s son, me, the wily and mostly incompetent night manager) both 19 years old mind you (side note: I should point that Eric was an awesome assistant manager...he was really doing the manager’s job...when we HAD a manager...we went through an odd assortment until uber-manager Duane Lefler was hired. The rest of the staff were all Juniors and Seniors from my high school. In hindsight, we were pretty responsible kids. More stories in future blogs...)…anyway, Eric and I figured out how to break into the juke box and replace the 45’s with our own stash. There were some great replacements. The best was putting Led Zepplin’s Black Dog in the Barry Manilow “Mandy” slot. Every time one of our middle-aged customers would punch D-6 mid pizza buffet, instead of getting the expected lulling piano intro of Mandy, the restaurant would be blasted with “Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove!”. The whole pizza line would burst into laughing applause much to the wonder of the thick crust stuffing patrons (Pizza Inn really does have the best pizza, by the way!). Ms. Blueberry, the only adult waitress, would just roll her eyes. So here’s to you Eric, Danny, Tony, Ronnboy, Sluggo & Nick (RIP), Johnny, Kathy,and all the rest ..., stand up and take your bow! Click HERE.

   

Go write a song that a pizza crew would stand up and applaud to.

[Last minute insert: I found a picture of me in my Pizza Inn uniform! Click HERE! Also here’s a pic of Fluffy, my car, mentioned in the last Pizza Inn post. Click HERE.]

~Shane

PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)

- - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - -

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

(verse)
Hey, hey, mama said the way you move, gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove

A-ha child, way you shake that thing, gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting

Hey, hey, baby when you walk that way, watch your heartache drip, can’t keep away

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

I gotta roll, can’t stand still, got a flaming heart, can’t get my fill

Eyes that shine, burning red, dreams of you all through my head

Ah, ah...

(bridge)

Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby

Darling give it to me now

Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby

Move the way you’re doing now

(verse)

Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out what people mean by down and out

Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she gon’ be a star

I don’t know, but I’ve been told a big-legged woman ain’t go no soul

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

All I ask for, all I pray, steady rolling woman gonna come my way

Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah, ah...

-        - - - - - - - - - -