Bass: Eb G Bb C Eb Eb G Bb Bb C Eb C Bb..
kinda swung 16ths at 103 bpm. Eb eBb eG eb g Bb c.etc major pentatonic/mixo.
Like a dull knife, just ain’t cutting · Just talking loud, then saying nothing · Just saying nothing 3×
You can’t tell me how to run my life down. You can’t tell me how keep my business sound
You can’t tell me how what I’m doing wrong — when you keep jiving and singing that same old funny song
You can’t tell me which way to go — ’cause three times seven, huh, and then some more
You can’t tell me, hey
You're like a dull knife — just ain't cutting — you're just talking loud / and saying nothing —
just saying nothing, what? — just saying nothing
Don't tell me how to do my thing when you can't can't can't do your own
Don’t tell me how to be a boy when, when you know I'm grown
Can't use me like a woman when she throws away her dress, ha, uh!
And you can't tell me, hey, haha / how to use my mess
Chorus: (repeat; small word changes in some takes — Jack, “then” vs “and”, etc.)
Shape up your bag, don't worry 'bout mine · My thing together and I'm doing fine ·
Good luck to you, Mister Loud and Wrong, Then keep on singing that same old funny song 4× · Just keep on… 4× (last: “funny, OW”)
Bridge: I got to, I want to / I musta, I got to — Ashes to ashes, dust to dust / I musta, I keep on — I feel it in my feet — I say I will — The point is too dark to fill / You say I can't — You're phony 2× — I said you're phony 3× — OH!
(Verse 1 repeat. same gist as opening verse — drop if you’ve already sung it once)
Chorus
(Verse 3 long outro / vamp)
Shape up your bag… (as above) · Good luck… Mister Loud and Wrong (sometimes “over there”)
Just keep on singing 2× · (Keep on singing) multi× — that same old funny song / that same old funny song 3×
(Keep on singing) vamp many× (taper as feel)
Studio / Bobby
Bobby / groove is great — let the tape roll — something funny here — keep the tape running — stop quick, rap a little, then keep going — wait, stop fellas
Break. Keep on singing (Keep on singing) 9× — HEY! — Good God, call it, ha (recording ends)
(Verse 2 variant / ad-libs — Jimmy, you’re phony, grown, mess)
You can't tell me what I'm doing wrong when you, Jimmy 3×, can't do your own / can't tell me how to feel, boy / what, when… when you know I'm grown / You can't tell me how to run my mess / You can't tell me 2× (stutter) / Just can't use me like a woman throws away her dress, ha / You can't tell me how to run my mess, ha
( Verse 3 shapes / stutter intro)
Shape 7× — hard for me to say sometimes, in my thing here / Shape up your bag… (as before) · Good luck to you, Mister Loud and Wrong 2×
Interlude:
Where is he at? — (There he is / right over there) call & response · Sho'nuff — marching? (Marching) / Talkin' that thang — talkin' black and livin' funny / …negro he can — how he jivin' / March on… get a gig, jive / Don't be jivin' nobody — if they don't mean it, don't be in it · Get out of it — tellin' me what to do / I do my own thing — don't need your help / don't need your thang
If you're gonna get down and be a man and help the people — we're together (Right on) — Tellin' me how to do my thing and you ain't doin' nothin'
Name of the game is unity — get together — if you're black or white, it's right 2× — neither white or black, it's a fact — You got to be a man — get a gig, get off that thang — do something — show everybody you're trying 3× (right on variants)
Tellin' me where is he at — Good luck to you, Mister Loud and Wrong
Where is he at? / Is he over there? (callback) — You know he's been over there (talkin' loud) and saying nothing