Louie, Louie

Lyrics: Richard Berry
Music: Richard Berry

Played a few times by the Grateful Dead in the 1980s with Brent Mydland on lead vocals.

The Grateful Dead had played it much earlier in jams with members of the Jefferson Airplane, and started to play it in a concertn on 7 June 1970. But the attempt broke down quickly with Bob Weir saying "Hey man, none of us knows that song." [thanks to Brian Schnapp for pointing this out]

These are the lyrics as Brent sang them:

A fine little girl she waits for me
Me sail a ship across the sea
Me sailed that ship all alone
Me never think, never think I'll make it home

Chorus
Louie, Louie, oh baby, we gotta go
Louie, Louie, oh baby, said we gotta go

All alone I sailed the sea
Me think of girl constantly
On that ship I dream she there
I smell the rose, smell the rose in her hair

[chorus]

Me see Jamaica moon above
It won't be long me see my love
Me hold her in my arms again
I tell her, tell her I'll never leave her here

[chorus]

The lyrics Brent sang differed a little from the original. The main differences were:

First verse
Me catch a ship across the sea

Second verse
Three nights and days I sailed the sea

Third verse
Me take her in my arms again

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography