DBT Track Of The Week #27-"Guitar Man Upstairs"

[4sooner]

Think I'm gonna call the po--leece"
As soon as you hear that line jump from the speakers you know you're in for 3 minutes and 15 seconds of pure rock & roll bliss.
I think this is a perfect rock song. Straight forward, fast, loud, plenty of attitude. I won't reprint the lyrics for two reasons. One, most everyone reading this are probably well aquainted with them.
Two, if not just listen to the song once and the story is laid right out for you. Lyrically i'd say this is Cooley's easiest song to follow. This story is has some of alot of us in it.
In verse 1, I think the subject is saying he know damn well what's goin on up there because he was up there in a previous life.
The second verse brings, I think, a key line in the song-for him anyway.
I've seen good times come and go
and I've seen bad times drag on.
When I was 16 I had a little trouble with the law.
Not just a line in verse 3, but autobiographical.

Then the story of digging out of those problems, having a nice home etc. only to come home and find the local guitar picker doin the nasty with his wife. This leads him to ask himself the question we all ask ourselves,"is all this work worth it?". He spends all his time working his ass off so he & his family can have their own home only to have it all blow up in his face.
Now he just comes home & drinks, bringing us back to verse 1.
A brilliant rock & roll song, and in my top 5 DBT tunes.
There ya go, have at it.

[Tequila Cowboy]

It is Cooley's most direct story song to be sure. Love the song.

[Zip City]

It is Cooley's most direct story song to be sure. Love the song.

one of many, many Cooley songs where he takes Patterson's idea and turns it on its head

[Clams]

Great choice. I've got a friend named Mills who was in a fight when we were in our early 20's. Someone took a bat to the back of his head and to this day he still has a little spot where his hair ain't grown back yet. Love this song.

[lajakesdad]

A great rocker with classic lyrics

He said boy come here, I said boy yourself, I ain't done nothin wrong.

[beantownbubba]

Maybe it's just a rip roarin' rock n roll barnburner, but Cooley always manages a little something extra. The verse where the narrator talks about what he's seen happen to his town is most definitely not what a character like that is "expected" to say about race relations and about white folks (not black) moving in and ruining the neighborhood. You always get more than your money's worth w/ this band and these songwriters.

[Lester on the Make]

I've always been intrigued by the race of the narrator. I sense that he is African American, primarily due to the verse about the policeman telling him "boy, come here," and his response, "boy yourself...." and then getting beaten. Not that is really matters I guess, I just think the perspective changes a bit (especially the line about white trash). The song comes from a real life experience of Cooley's (I believe he was the guitar man upstairs); does anyone know whether the guy is white or black?

[Smitty]

I always took it as a black guy too. (Not that it matters)

In verse 1, I think the subject is saying he know damn well what's goin on up there because he was up there in a previous life.

I never took it like that, I took it he said it like that becuz of his disdain for slick-talkin guitar pickers

[GuitarManUpstairs]

Since this is of my namesake I am required to comment....I actually chose my name on here just b/c I was always gett'in in trouble for being too loud as a kid...luckily my parents never called the po-leese...anyway...

I just think its awesome how Cooley wrote the story from his adversary's point of view and made up a great story to come up with some explanation as to why the guy only called the police when he played guitar (however quietly) and seemed to let it go when all the other noisy shit was go'in down.

I think mostly the old guy was bitter about grow'in old and not having really anything much to show for it. He's probably angry at the entire world, himself, and especially them young, dope smok'in, shine shoot'in, guitar pick'in motherfucker's enjoy'in life upstairs.

"Since we're on theat bitter old man thing...I can't wait to be one myself...but since i ain't there yet I still hate their guts." (MC)

I guess the feeling is mutual.

[Zip City]

I always assumed it was an old white guy

[Rocky]

I always thought the guy downstairs was an old white guy but it doesn't add or distract from the story either way.

[RevMatt]

The man could be either race. I think back in the forties and fifties the cops in Birmingham called everyone "Boy" with the exception of women and the chief of police. I like to think he is a black man. I have this dream of Charlie Pride having a huge hit covering that song, but he would probably change the words because I can't picture Charlie Pride calling anybody "White Trash."