Women Do Funny Things To Me

The Larry Randal Kingston song ‘Women Do Funny Things To Me’ was ranked #25 of the Best Country Singles of 1965 and it reached #9 on Billboard Country chart for Del Reeves.  This is a humorous song that is about a worldly man, a guy who traveled to Egypt to ride a camel, encountered a bull in Spain, climbed Mount Everest and even went over Niagara Falls in a barrel, but he is still learning about women.  He appears to be very manly, as he enjoys hunting, he feels at home in the Okefenokee swamp wading past gators, walking across the Yukon and he even volunteered to go to the moon.  The funny thing is that he becomes a quivering mess when he is around women and he is afraid of marriage.  I guess that every man can still learn a thing or two about women.

Country singer/songwriter Franklin Delano Reeves moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 60’s, signed up with United Artists Records, and scored his first hit song with ‘Be Quiet Mind’ in 1961.  Reeves and his wife formed a professional songwriting duo; they penned songs for such established country singers as Carl Smith, Sheb Wooley, Rose Maddox, and Roy Drusky.  In 1965 Del had his biggest and most beloved smash success with the delightful trucker’s country tune ‘Girl on the Billboard’, which soared all the way to #1 on the country radio charts and sold a million copies.  The follow-up song ‘The Belles of Southern Bell’ was a Top 5 country radio hit.  Reeves’ other hit songs include ‘Women Do Funny Things to Me’, ‘A Dime At a Time’, ‘Looking At the World Through a Windshield’, and his signature number ‘Good Time Charlie’s’, ‘Be Glad’, and ‘The Philadelphia Fillies’.

Larry Randal Kingston was one of the top country songwriters in Nashville from 1965 until the 80’s.  Among his best-known songs are ‘Pittsburgh Stealers’ by the Kendalls, ‘Thank God and Greyhound’ by Roy Clark, ‘It’s Not Over (If I’m Not Over You)’ by Reba McEntire, ‘Biloxi’ by Kenny Price and ‘Lovin’ Machine’ by Johnny Paycheck.  Kinston also had cuts by Porter Wagoner, George Jones, Vern Gosdin, Don Williams, Mark Chesnutt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ringo Starr and others.

Doo do do do doo a doo do do do doo

On a bareback camel I rode across Egypt
Without water in the blistered sun
And in Spain I stood calmly without even a cape
And for the bull he was too tired to run
Bound and tied a gagged and sailed in a barrel I went over Niagara oh yes
But baby last night when you said you loved me I turned into a quivering mess

Cause women do funny things to me women do funny things to me
I’m usually perfectly calm and collective and curious as I can be
But ruby lips swingin’ hips bitter minds tender sighs
Pretty curls and flirty girls I see they do funny things to me

Without a guide or a gun I went a huntin’
Killed a tiger with my two bare hands
Without a rope and barefooted I climbed Mount Everest
And didn’t even get a blister on my hand
Through the Okefenokee I waded pass the gators
And the snakes and skeeters and flies
But baby last night when we started kissin’
I said Lord I can’t stand it I’m gonna die

Cause women do funny things to me

Without a dog or a sled I walked across the Yukon
It was spring but it was forty below
And when they began to plan for the moon
Guess who volunteered to go
Yes I’m always ready to show my courage and my extreme bravery
But baby last night when you talked marriage you scared the living outta me

Oh women do funny things to me
Funny things to me doo do do do doo funny things to me

Written for Paula’s Thursday Inspiration 84 where this week’s theme is learn from the 1996 release of the Alanis Morissette song ‘You Learn’.