MUSC-21600: The Art of Rock Music Prof. Freeze

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (1969) Sly & the Family Stone

LISTEN FOR • Built on repeating, slap-pop bass riff • Complex layering of rhythms • Bass/drum/guitar groove • Percussive vocalizations • Proto-funk guitar colors

CREATION Songwriters Sylvester Stewart (=Sly Stone) Label Epic 10555 Musicians Sly Stone (guitar, vocals), Rose Stone (vocals), Freddie Stone (guitar, vocals), and Larry Graham (bass, vocals), Greg Errico (drums), Jerry Martini (tenor saxophone), Cynthia Robinson (trumpet) Producer Sylvester Stewart Recording 1969; stereo Charts Pop 1, R&B 1

MUSIC Genre Funk Form Simple verse-chorus Key E major Meter 4/4

MUSC-21600 Listening Guide Freeze “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (Sly & the Family Stone, 1969)

LISTENING GUIDE Time Form Lyric Cue Listen For 0:00 Intro (8) • Groove established first with slap-pop bass riff, clipped guitar (in left channel), and high-hat only. 0:09 • Drums and horns enter in bar 5, as does wah-wah guitar in right channel. The combination of clipped and wah-wah guitar sounds is an early example of a combination typical in funk music. 0:15 • Notice the percussive vocalizations in the right channel, and the complex rhythmic layering of all the parts. 0:18 Verse 1 (16) “Lookin’ at the devil” • Unison vocals, music continues as in introduction. 0:54 Chorus (8) “Thank you” • Harmony added to vocal part. 1:12 Interlude (4) • Bass drops out and leaves guitar and drums only. 1:21 Verse 2 (16) “Stiff all in the collar” • As before, but with horns fading in and out to create a train-whistle effect. 1:57 Chorus (8) “Thank you” • As before, with horn line added. 2:15 Interlude (4) • As before. 2:24 Verse 3 (16) “Dance to the music” • As in verse 2, with slightly busier accompaniment filling in the spaces between vocal phrases. 3:01 Chorus (8) “Thank you” • As before, with horns. 3:19 Contrasting verse (8) “Flamin’ eyes” • A new verse is presented over the same music. • The treble tone of the vocals adds timbral contrast. 3:37 Chorus (8) “Thank you” • As before, with horns. 3:55 Chorus (8) “Thank you” • As before, with horns. 4:13 Chorus (8) “Thank you” • As before and fade-out.

2 MUSC-21600 Listening Guide Freeze “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” (Sly & the Family Stone, 1969)

LYRICS Lookin’ at the devil Sing a simple song Grinnin’ at his gun Mama’s so happy Fingers start shakin’ Mama start to cry I begin to run Papa still singin’ Bullets start chasin’ You can make it if you try I begin to stop We begin to wrestle I want to thank you falettinme I was on the top Be mice elf agin (Different strokes for different folks, yeah) I want to thank you falettinme Thank you falettinme Be mice elf agin Be mice elf agin Thank you falettinme Be mice elf agin Flamin’ eyes of people fear Burnin’ into you Stiff all in the collar Many men are missin’ much Fluffy in the face Hatin’ what they do Chit chat chatter tryin’ Youth and truth are makin’ love Stuffy in the place Dig it for a starter, now Thank you for the party Dyin’ young is hard to take But I could never stay Sellin’ out is harder Many thangs is on my mind Words in the way Thank you falettinme Be mice elf agin I want to thank you falettinme I want to thank you falettinme Be mice elf agin Be mice elf agin Thank you falettinme Thank you falettinme Be mice elf agin Be mice elf agin Thank you falettinme Dance to the music Be mice elf agin All nite long I want to thank you falettinme Everyday people Be mice elf agin

SOURCES • Katherine Charlton, Rock Music Styles: A History, 6th ed. (New York: McGraw Hill, 2011), 250. • John Covach and Andrew Flory, What’s That Sound, 4th ed. (New York: W. W. Norton, 2015), 337. • Roberta Freund Schwartz, Course Notes for MUSC-309 at the University of Kansas.

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