Me and "Louie, Louie"

Well, I suppose everyone's got their own story about how they came to love the rock classic "Louie, Louie" and this one's mine. So sit right back and read along as I read to you in your mind.

This is another one of those "When I Was Six Years Old and My Brother Brought Home an Album" story, except this time it's an 8-track tape and not an LP. Anyway, back in 1978 Animal House was a big smash hit at the movies and my older brother had procured the soundtrack to said feature on aforementioned 8-track tape. This was another one of those listening experiences that made me love rock and roll real early on.

I really liked listening to Sam Cooke's "Twistin' the Night Away" on there. But after a fashion, I began to take notice of "Louie, Louie" as performed by John Belushi. Now, since this was the 8-track version, the track listing didn't follow the LP's. On record, "Louie, Louie" came as track two after the "Faber College Theme," but on tape "Twistin' the Night Away" came second, and "Louie, Louie" was later on into the mix.

Anyway, I had no prior knowledge of the awesomeness of the history of "Louie, Louie" nor do I remember hearing The Kingsmen's definitive version of the song prior. A version that caused the FBI to open a case on the group and tune because so many outraged parents were apparently convinced that Jack Ely's garbled lead vocals were obscene. Fuckin' A, that's super awesome right there, and that happened all back in the '60s, mind you. That's rock and roll, right there.

But I digress. The point is, when I heard Belushi's version, I thought he was signing dirty lyrics, even though he wasn't. For your entertainment, here's what I thought John was singing:

I find a girl, she went for me
He get the shit across the sea
I said "Shit." all alone
I never think I'd make it home

Tasty, huh? But wait! I then thought Belushi was singing:

Three nights and days I sailed the sea
Me think of girl come to me
And on the shit I dream she there
I smelled the roses in her hair

Yeaaahhhh. And remember I was six years old, gang. And that's my "Louie, Louie" origin tale. Let's now dig that John Belushi version. May you hear it the way I originally did way back when.