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Cussin’, Cryin’ and Carryin’ On

This is the title track from another LP they released in 1969. I love this album, and it was hard to choose which song to write about first. “Cussin’, Cryin’ and Carryin’ On” is a knockout song title, so it won.

Ike has a nice, laid-back guitar part and the Kings of Rhythm rock along with some cool percussion (cowbell!) and horns. Ike also wrote the lyrics, and “Cussin’, Cryin’ and Carryin’ On” is a simple, well-done ditty about a woman who’s been wronged. Tina sounds ticked off and I like her throaty singing on this one:

My daddy told me a long time ago / Never take candy from a stranger-er-er / I shoulda thought about that when I met you / I shoulda run away from the danger-er / But like a CHILD / I BELIEVED what you said / I let your LIES run DREAMS through my head / I let you have what you WANTED / And now you’re go-o-one / And you left me cussin’ and a cryin’ and a carryin’ on / ‘Bout the way you HURT me / And my BAD mistakes / Well I guess I hafta keep on carryin’ on til they carry me on when I’m dead from heartaches.

Whoa, Tina, take it easy! It’s a bit over the top to picture yourself being carried out dead from all this mess! This is getting almost as morbid as “Unlucky Creature” on Come Together.

But she’s not a lost cause on this track. True to pop song convention, she manages to turn the tables at the end:

MARK MY WORD / You gonna PAY the price / You gonna meet somebody some day somewhere that’s gonna make YOU think twice / You gonna MEET YOURSELF SOMEBODY that’s gonna turn you o-o-on / She’ll leave you cussin’ and cryin’ and a carryin’ on!

That’s better.

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