Mama Told Me Not to Come
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"Mama Told Me Not to Come" was a 1970 song by acclaimed songwriter Randy Newman. It was released on his album 12 Songs.
[edit] Music and lyrics
Newman's own version of his song is characterized by a slow tempo and has a hint of funk influence. Newman says that it is a lighthearted reflection on the Los Angeles music scene in the late 1960s. He recounts a wild party, and uses the lyrics to convey a sense of excitement and confusion.
The song is loaded with the black humor, sarcasm, and double entendre that made Newman famous. Among other topics, he makes thinly veiled references to drugs, alcohol, and sex. The title itself can be seen as both his mother's admonishment for attending a wild party as well as a potentially vulgar statement.
[edit] Notable covers
Since its release, several cover versions have been made, the most famous being a longer, more funk inspired version released by Three Dog Night on It Ain't Easy (titled "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"), also in 1970. This version has the distinction of being the first number-one song on the American Top 40 countdown show with longtime host Casey Kasem.
Since then, artists as diverse as Tom Jones, Wilson Pickett, Lou Rawls, The Wolfgang Press and Stereophonics have produced versions of the song.
[edit] Chart performance
Though Newman's own version failed to crack the charts, Three Dog Night's version made it to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1970. Tom Jones and the Stereophonics' version reached number four on the UK Singles Chart in 2000.
| Preceded by: "The Love You Save" by The Jackson 5 | Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Three Dog Night version) July 11 1970 | Succeeded by: "(They Long to Be) Close to You" by Carpenters |
