Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee

Subject: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd verse
From: Gary T
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 06:22 PM

I have a recording of Stick McGhee doing "Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee," but I'll be danged if I can make out the third line of the third verse. I found a pretty good rendition of the lyrics on one site, but even they weren't sure they had it right. I feel sure they got it wrong. Here's the verse as they have it:

If you wanna get along, in New Orleans town
Buy some wine and pass it all around
Age runs up for tonight (?)
All those cats they love sweet wine

I hear is a pretty clear "long A" sound on the first word, though I doubt the word is "age." The last three syllables sound like "forty-nine" or "for denyin'," which makes sense in rhyming with "wine" in the fourth line. But the line as a whole eludes me. Anyone know what it is, or have some ideas?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd verse
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 01:29 PM

I always thought it was "Agent runs up until forty nine". But then that doesn't seem to make much sense, either!

Great track, though...

I heard somewhere that Spo-dee-odee was a polite replacement for motherf*****.

LFF

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd verse
From: Dani
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 02:28 PM

The only version I found that was close to complete, was the one you've got with the "Ag". I'll keep looking!

On the recent Sun Records tribute album, Kid Rock (!) and the Howlin' Diablos do a rockin' version of this: they got the flavor just right. The album has some real gems on it, especially if you are, like me, a huge fan of those Sun artists of yore.

Re: the chorus, this is from a review of a ChooChoo Charlie CD, "This song was a big hit for Sticks McGhee (brother of Brownee McGhee) in the late 1940's, helping to define the Atlantic Records R&B sound. Sticks had learned the song as a barracks ditty during his stint in the army, but it contained an unacceptable lyric line that had to be replaced before it could be recorded, and so the phrase "spo-dee-o-dee" was devised."

Dani

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd verse
From: Gary T
Date: 29 Apr 02 - 11:10 PM

Thanks for the responses, LFF & Dani. I can't help but believe there's a sensible lyric in that line--I'll probably slap my head and say "of course" once I see it.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd vers
From: Rolfyboy6
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 12:32 AM

Vintage up to 'fortynine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd verse
From: Gary T
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 01:17 AM

Rolfyboy6, that may have cracked it!

It sounds to me like "Age runs up forty-nine." Likely they're saying "Age runs up to forty-nine," and the word "to" is somewhat muffled.

The song was a chart hit in 1949, so the statement would be that the vintage, or age, of the wine is up to that year. Makes sense to me.

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Drinkin' Wine Spo-dee-o-dee: 3rd verse
From: Dani
Date: 30 Apr 02 - 09:30 AM

Not having heard Stick McGhee sing it, I say go for it. That sounds right! I plan to order the Sun CD, and will let you know what Kid Rock sings.

Dani