dbt tracks - week 78 - Wife Beater

[Clams]

This one popped up on a couple of set lists over the weekend, so we might as well go with it. The first song on the first DBT record, and probably the only song ever recorded that refers to someone as a "potato eater."


You met him at the dance hall
You only saw his charms
You said he really swept you off your feet
Then one night he's drinking
and jealousy enraged
He knocked out two of your front teeth

so you came over to hide out at my place
I guess I should have killed him there and then
but you begged me not to
now you say he's changed
and you're gonna go back to him

Don't give me that bull about how it's for the children
A man like that could never be a dad
What happens when he kills you?
What will they do then?
Sometimes you ought to ask yourself that

Don't go back to him he's a wife beater
You'd be better off with this potato eater
You say he's changed, don't be a fool
A man like that's no good for you
A man like that's no good for you

[Clams]

btw - I would estimate that we've got somewhere around 60 or 70 trucker songs left, and there isn't much of a waiting list, so as always please let me know if anyone wants to write on of these threads.

[Sub]

Sign me up Clams, I enjoy writing these threads and the song of the week is much easier then aotw.

Wife Beater is a pretty good song but ill admit I rarely put it on. Sometimes it gets stuck in my head randomly.

[sactochris]

I think I would like to hear this one live the most out of all the songs I'm still chasing after having seen the band 15 times.

[BigTom]

According to oneofthesedays.org Wife Beater has only been played live six times. I was lucky enough to catch it in Baltimore in 2008. Here's the video I shot of it. Sorry that it's so shakey, I was using a small camera and was several rows back.

[The Avon Lady]

Getting to hear it in Macon this weekend was a real treat!!

[RevMatt]

I wonder why they decided to bring it out now. I don't think it was mentioned in any of the recent threads on here. Maybe Patterson put on Gangstabilly and decided the song was a good one and worthy to be revisited.

What I like about the song is that it goes where few country songs go. In country music infidelity is okay but domestic violence is rarely broached.

[TDB]

One of my favorites for sure! I've seen it twice (Music Farm / Peir 6 2008) and would LOVE to hear it in Philly!

[rawkshow]

I wonder why they decided to bring it out now. I don't think it was mentioned in any of the recent threads on here. Maybe Patterson put on Gangstabilly and decided the song was a good one and worthy to be revisited.

What I like about the song is that it goes where few country songs go. In country music infidelity is okay but domestic violence is rarely broached.

in winston, patterson said that a friend of his (becky?) had requested it...

[Rocky]

Well thank you Becky!

I had no idea they had played this song less than 10 times live. How cool is it it's made it's way back to the setlist?

Oh and one more thing.

Potato eater!!!!!!!

[mwh]

The conclusion you can make from this song is that men that eat potatos don't beat their wives. (For the record, I love potatos)

[TDB]

For a rarity, it has come up unusually often this week in rotation. Let's hope it makes the Philly set!

[njMark]

I love potatos, uh oh dan quayle moment, anyway I think if i raised a hand to my wife she would snap my neck