Band Banned From Performing 'Louie Louie'

AP ^

[metalmanx2j]

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. - A pop culture controversy that has simmered for decades came to a head when a middle school marching band was told not to perform "Louie Louie."

Benton Harbor Superintendent Paula Dawning cited the song's allegedly raunchy lyrics in ordering the McCord Middle School band not to perform it in Saturday's Grand Floral Parade, held as part of the Blossomtime Festival.

In a letter sent home with McCord students, Dawning said "Louie Louie" was not appropriate for Benton Harbor students to play while representing the district — even though the marching band wasn't going to sing it.

Band members and parents complained to the Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting that it was too late to learn another song, The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph reported.

"It's very stressful for us to try to come up with new songs for the band," eighth-grader Laurice Martin told the board. "We're trying to learn the songs from last year, but some of us weren't in the band last year."

Dawning said that if a majority of parents supports their children playing the song, she will reconsider her decision.

"It was not that I knew at the beginning and said nothing," Dawning said. "I normally count on the staff to make reliable decisions. I found out because a parent called, concerned about the song being played."

"Louie Louie," written by Richard Berry in 1956, is one of the most recorded songs in history. The best-known, most notorious version was a hit in 1963 for the Kingsmen; the FBI spent two years investigating the lyrics before declaring they not only were not obscene but also were "unintelligible at any speed."

[Armando Guerra]

LOL! Those are the lyrics I remember.

[fatnotlazy]

The best-known, most notorious version was a hit in 1963 for the Kingsmen; the FBI spent two years investigating the lyrics before declaring they not only were not obscene but also were "unintelligible at any speed."

***

Taxpayer dollars were spent for the FBI to investigate the lyrics to the song? Geez...they could have saved the money...any one of us could have told them it was unintelligible. LOL

[Always Right]

I am banned from singing any song in my house.

[JZelle]

Why do these stories always have that line in them? ONE idiot parent has a problem with someone else doing something so EVERYONE must conform to their wishes.

If said parent has such a problem with the lyrics to a song that will not be sung...let them keep their child home that day. Sheesh


Yes, but let one or several of those parents complain about a sex-ed class and watch what the school does then.

[SF Republican]

I remember on KLIF in Dallas one Saturday this DJ locked himself in the studio and played the song and only that song all day long, this was back in the early 70s.

[beaver fever]

Sounds like those lyrics are Cree or Huron.

Cool.

Now I know why Louie Louie was so popular with the native kids at school.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

He got detention for insubordination.

Abso-freakin-lutely amazing.

[RoseofTexas]

Must be a slow day for the APresstitutes!!

[GovernmentShrinker]

the FBI spent two years investigating the lyrics before declaring they not only were not obscene but also were "unintelligible at any speed."

A fine use of taxpayer dollars.

[NTegraT]

"The main reason why the lines for toilets are so long at halftime."

Unh hunh, unh hunh, I like it. The cutting out of the half-time performances on TV broadcasts is one reason I quit watching football.

[RoseofTexas]

Man, those were the days...LSD trips galore!!...sarcasm... ;o]

[spectre]

LOL! I thought I was the only one who knew the real words. Good job.

sw

[Digger]

Louie, Louie
The Kingsmen
Music & Lyrics : Richard Berry
Notes : Performed by "Chuck Berry" (1955).
There are more than 1000 interpretations
(one by Hell's Angels and another with dogs barking)

CHORUS:

Louie Louie, oh no
Me gotta go
Aye-yi-yi-yi, I said
Louie Louie, oh baby
Me gotta go

Fine little girl waits for me
Catch a ship across the sea
Sail that ship about, all alone
Never know if I make it home

CHORUS

Three nights and days I sail the sea
Think of girl, constantly
On that ship, I dream she's there
I smell the rose in her hair.

CHORUS

Okay, let's give it to 'em, right now!

GUITAR SOLO

See Jamaica, the moon above
It won't be long, me see me love
Take her in my arms again
Tell her I'll never leave again

CHORUS

Let's take it on outa here now
Let's go!!

[GovernmentShrinker]

My fragmented recollection of the famous Kingsmen version bears no resemblance to those lyrics beyond the words "Louie, Louie". The famous version contained a refrain "Louie, Louie, Lou-EYE" followed by a line that rhymed with EYE (maybe a different line each time), and also contained something like "makes no difference if it's black or white".

[SwinneySwitch]

Oh Bebay!

[GovernmentShrinker]

Or maybe the famous one I recall wasn't the Kingsmen version, but I don't think I've ever heard any other version.

[Flyer]

I'm trying real hard to figure out why I deserved this ping.

[Chris_Shugart]

Ah yes, the "Louie Louie" secret dirty lyrics. One of the great urban myths of all time. 

Hey, you can look it up: 
Louie Louie: The History And Mythology Of The World's Most Famous Rock 'n' Roll Song...

Or check this out for more info than you could possibly need or want to know about the song:
The Louie Louie Report

[American Quilter]

My boyfriend at the time then proposed banning the driver's ED car, a Ford Escort, because it would promote prostitution. He got detention for insubordination.

LOL!

[thackney]

'cause I thought the lyrics were funny and thought you would too...