Story Behind The Song

Another lyric written by the song. When Steve improvised it, the words played out in Powers's head. Words and music joined at the "hip."

Song Description

The kid waits at the window 'til she (he) sees the old man come round the corner and drag up the street, home from the stockyards, too beat to smile. But he settles down with a beer to reminisce on the good times when he was a sideman in a juice joint on the other side of Chicago.

Lyrics

NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN TOWN
[SIDEMAN'S HEAVEN]

MUSIC: STEVE LEWIS
WORDS: POWERS MCELHONE (FOR MALE OR FEMALE SINGER)

[rubato]

WHEN I WAS JUST LITTLE BOY [GIRL]
AND MAMA, SHE WAS IN HEAVEN,
SOME DAYS MY DADDY'd COME ON HOME
AT SIX OR MAYBE SEVEN; THEN HE'D TELL ME, SONNY [BABY] DADDY'S KINDA BLUE

KINDA LONESOME, KINDA FEELIN' OUTA TUNE

SO I'D BRING HIM A BEER...AND I'D HAND HIM THE PHONE AND SOON ENOUGH I'D HEAR HIM ON THE TELEPHONE, SAYIN'....WHOA....

NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN TOWN, WHY DON'TCHA COME ON DOWN
WE OUGHTA GET TOGETHER JUST TO KICK SOME TUNES AROUND...AND GET A LITTLE MELLOW, MAYBE DRINK A LITTLE WINE.....[bend]
....AND YOU CAN DO YOUR THING, AND I CAN DO MINE

NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN TOWN, JUST CALL ME ON THE PHONE
WE'LL SEE IF SONNY ROLLINS WANTS BLOW THAT SAXOPHONE
I REALLY DIG HIS ATTITUDE, AND DON'T HE PLAY SO FINE
I LOVE TO HEAR SONNY SWING...AND ITS ABOUT TIME....[bend]

....WE GOT TOGETHER...AND WE GET A LITTLE HIGH AND THE MUSIC STARTS TO FLY RIGHT UP TO HEAVEN; AND OUTA NOWHERE COMES BILLY COBHAM ON HIS DRUMS AND IT'S HEAVEN; RICHIE DAVIS OWNS THE PLACE WHEN HE'S WALKIN' WITH HIS BASS RIGHT INTO HEAVEN:

A SIDEMAN'S HEAVEN

NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN TOWN, NOW DON'TCHA COME ALONE
YOU BRING J.J. JOHNSON WITH HIS HONEY-DIPPED TROMBONE;
HE'LL WRAP THAT HORN AROUND A NOTE WHILE BILLY'S KEEPIN' TIME....[bend]
....DONT HE JUST MAKE IT SING, DON'T THEY JUST MAKE IT SHINE...

AD LIB [SCAT]

....DONT THEY JUST MAKE IT SING, DON'T THEY JUST MAKE IT SHINE...[bend]

....LET'S GET TOGETHER, AND WE GET A LITTLE HIGH AND THE MUSIC STARTS TO FLY RIGHT UP TO HEAVEN;AND OUTA NOWHERE COMES BILLY COBHAM ON HIS DRUMS AND IT'S HEAVEN;

RICHIE DAVIS OWNS THE PLACE WHEN HE'S WALKIN' WITH HIS BASS
RIGHT INTO HEAVEN:
A SIDEMAN'S HEAVEN

NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN TOWN, YOU GOTTA COME ON DOWN
YOU KNOW WE'LL HAVE SOME GOOD TIMES, WE CAN LAY SOME RHYTHM DOWN, AND GET A LITTLE MELLOW, MAYBE DRINK A LITTLE WINE....[bend] ....AND YOU CAN DO YOUR THING, AND I CAN DO MINE,
BABY, BABY DO YOUR THING, AND LEMME DO MINE,
...I WANT TO HEAR YOU PLAY THAT THING,
WE'RE GONNA JAM, WE'RE GONNA SWING...ALL NIGHT....

NEXT. TIME. YOU'RE. IN. TOWN.

Copyright 1998-2012 McElhone & Lewis