My School Gal Baby

Johnny Burnette and his brother Dorsey were American singers and songwriters of rockabilly and pop music and in 1958 they wanted to meet teen idol Ricky Nelson so the bought “A Map to the Stars”, which showed the location of his home.  The Burnette brothers sat on Nelson’s home steps and waited to get a meeting with him when they met Rick’s brother, David.  David decided the Burnettes were the real thing, so they all waited for Rick to come home.  Their persistence paid off and their work impressed Nelson who recorded ‘Waitin’ in School’ as a single, the B side to ‘Stood Up’ which peaked at #18 in the U.S Billboard Hot 100.

The Yardbirds picked up on the fuzztone effect from the Burnette brothers and used it in the song ‘The Train Kept a-Rollin’’, that Tiny Bradshaw wrote.  Johnny Burnette tackled this song, upping the energy, and featuring lead guitarist Paul Burlison playing what some historians consider to be the first feedback/distortion guitar sound.  This would become the blueprint for every subsequent version.  Johnny Burnette drowned in a tragic boating accident in California on August 14, 1964.  Dorsey Burnette died of a massive heart attack in 1979.

Waitin’ in School
I been a-waitin’ in school all day long
A-waitin’ on the bell to ring so I can go home
Throw my books on the table, pick up the telephone
“Hello, baby, let’s get somethin’ goin’”
Headin’ down to the drugstore to get a soda pop
Throw a nickel in the jukebox, then we start to rock
My school gal baby, gonna tell ya some news
You sure look good in them baby-doll shoes
Well, it’s a-one, two, a-pull off my shoes
Three, four, get out on the floor
Five, six, come get your kicks
Down on the corner of Lincoln and a-forty-six
Yeah!

[instrumental break]

I’ve been a-waitin’ in school all day long
A-waitin’ on the bell to ring so I could go home
Throw my books on the table, pick up the telephone
“Hello, baby, let’s get somethin’ goin’”
Headin’ down to the drugstore to get a soda pop
Throw a nickel in the jukebox, then we start to rock
My school gal baby, gonna tell ya some news
You sure look good in them baby-doll shoes
Well, it’s a-one, two, a-pull off my shoes
Three, four, get out on the floor
Five, six, come get your kicks
Down on the corner of Lincoln and a-forty-six
Yeah!
Well, let’s go now!!
Well, it’s a-one, two, a-pull off my shoes
Three, four, get out on the floor
Five, six, come get your kicks
Down on the corner of Lincoln and a-forty-six
You gotta move, start rockin’ baby
A rockin’, rockin’ baby
Gonna rock all night, rock all night
Just wait ‘n’ see
Yeah!!

Written for Paula’s Thursday Inspiration 85 where this week’s theme is school from the 1973 release of the Steely Dan song ‘My Old School’.