Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

Lyrics: Sonny Boy Williamson
Music: Sonny Boy Williamson

Sung by Pigpen in the early days of the Grateful Dead, and much later revived occasionally by Bob Weir. Pigpen's rap after the third verses varied from performance to performance. This is the (extended) version on the first Grateful Dead album.

Good morning little schoolgirl, can I come home with you
Tell your moma and your papa, I'm a little schoolboy too
Come on now pretty baby, I just can't help myself
You're so young and pretty, I don't need nobody else
Good morning little schoolgirl, can I come home with you
Don't you hear me crying

I'm gonna leave you baby about the break of day
On account of the way you treat me, I got to stay away
Come on now pretty baby, I told you to come on home (note 1)
You know I love you baby, I gotta get you all alone
Good morning little schoolgirl, can I come home with you
Can't you hear me crying

I'm gonna buy me an airplane, fly all over your town
Tell everybody baby, Lord know you're fine (note 2)
Come on now pretty baby, I just can't help myself
You're so young and pretty, I don't need nobody else
Good morning little schoolgirl, can I come home with you
Can't you hear me crying

Good morning little schoolgirl, can I come home with you
Good morning little schoolgirl, can I come home with you
Tell your moma and your papa, I'm a schoolboy too
I'm a schoolboy too
Hey, I'm a schoolboy too
I want to be your chauffeur
I want to ride your little machine (note 3)
I want to be your chauffeur
I want to ride with your little machine
I want to put a tiger, baby
I want to put a tiger, baby
I want to put a tiger, baby
Hey in your sweet little tank
Hey baby now, yes I do
Huh, oh yes I do now
Hey, I gotta
Hey, I gotta come on home with you
Tell your mother
Baby, tell your papa
Tell your mom and your papa
Hey, I'm a schoolboy too
Hey, hey, I'm a schoolboy too
Huh, huh, I'm a schoolboy too
Huh, I wanna take your company
Hey, I wanna be your company
Notes
(1) in some versions, Pigpen sang "... rider why don't why you just ride on home" rather than "... I told you to come on home"
(2) in some versions, Pigpen sang "Tell everybody baby, what you done put me down" and in the next line, "I know I need you darling, I just can't help myself"
(3) in later versions, Pigpen sang "I want to get behind your driving wheel" instead of "... ride your little machine"

In the rap on 2 February 1968, Pigpen sang some lines he later lifted into his Lovelight rap. (Thank to Ihor Slabiky for the transcription)
Can ah come home witchu?
Good mornin', little schoolgirl
Can ah come home witchu?
All ya got to do, baby
Tell your mother, and papa too
Ah'm a schoolboy, dahlin'
Ah don't mean no harm to you
No ah don't
No ah don't
Hey, no ah, uh, ah, uh

Ah been knowin' you, baby
For quite a long time
Don't make no
D'iffrence, darlin'
Ah cain't always find(?)
You got them box-back
Nitties, darlin'
Great big ol' noble thighs
And I know that 'cha
That 'cha work undercover with a boar hog's eye
 Yes, you do
Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
      1966 Historic Dead
     studio 1967 Grateful Dead (first album)
     24 Feb 1968 Dick's Picks Vol 22
     24 Aug 1968 Two from The Vault
     11 Feb 1969 Fillmore East 2-11-69
     27 Feb 1969 Fillmore West 1969 -The Complete Recordings
     28 Feb 1969 Fillmore West 1969 -The Complete Recordings
     17 Apr 1969 Download Series Vol 12
      8 Nov 1969 Dick's Picks Vol 16

Recordings from dead.net Tapers Section

"The Dead" Concert Recordings

Ratdog Live CD Series

Phil Lesh and Friends Digital Download Series
 
Other Related Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     1992 Live At Sweetwater: Vol 2 Hot Tuna (with Bob Weir as guest) (note 4)
Notes
(4) also on the Hit Tuna DVD "Acoustic Blues: Live At Sweetwater"


Roots
The Sonny Boy Williamson version, recorded in 1937, is lyrically rather different to what Pigpen sang, except for the first verse:
Hello little little schoolgirl
Good morning little schoolgirl
Can I go home with you
Can I go home with you
Now you can tell your mother and your father
That Sonny Boy's a little schoolboy too

I woke up this morning
I woke up this morning
And I could make no time
Lord I couldn't make no time
Why I didn't have no blues mama
But I was all messed up inside

Now you be my baby
Come on and be my baby
I'll buy you a diamond ring
I'll buy you a diamond ring
While if you don't be my little woman
I won't buy you a doggone thing

I'm gonna buy me an airplane
I'm gonna buy me an airplane
I'm gonna fly all over this land
I'm gonna fly all over this land
If I don't find the woman that I'm loving
Then I ain't gonna let my airplane down

I don't know [how long]
I don't know [how long]
Baby what in this world
Baby what in this world are you doing
Well I don't wnat to never hurt your feelings
Or even get a [?]
Some have suggested that Pigpen was influenced by a version by Andrew "Smokey" Hogg in 1950, under the title "Little School Girl." That's possible, though the extracts from that recording that I've heard sound much closer to Sonny Boy Williamson's version than to Pigpen's. Another possibility is that Pigpen learnt it from a Muddy Waters' version.

The Yardbirds recorded a rather different version in the 1960s (subsequently re-released on various Eric Clapton compilations). This was originally credited to "H G Demarais" - but I suspect that was an invented name. Later re-issues credit the song to Sonny Boy Williamson, and I've not found any other references to Demarais.


Futher Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com

 

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