Odessa

Lyrics: Bob Weir, Gerrit Graham and Russ Ellis
Music: Bob Weir/Ratdog

One of the new Ratdog songs, introduced in 1999, and now released on CD.

Well I got a woman, Odessa is her name
She got big brown eyes, big head on a solid frame
Yes and she got a mouth put a junkyard dog to shame

If the river flood, woman say I brung the rain
If the quake shake, who's gonna take the blame?
The way Odessa do me, I got to move and change my name (note 1)

Chorus 1
Singing, ease up Odessa, ease up and take it slow
Ease up Odessa, woman turn your lamp down low
Ease up off me woman, lighten up and let it go

Been firing off her mouth since way before she learned to crawl
Can't tell Odessa nothing, she already knows it all
Don't venture no opinions, sure don't wanna start no brawl

Yes, Odessa know it all, she knows it all better than me
Don't need to make no baby, already got a family
Talkin' me and Odessa and her big old mouth make three

[chorus 1]

I bring home the bacon, she says she want steak
Give her cherry pie, she says she want cake
Give her a diamond ring, she says it's a fake
Give her all I got, but she won't give me a break

Chorus 2
Ease up Odessa, ease up and draw a breath
Ease up Odessa, woman just give it a rest
Ease up off me woman, gonna yell us both to death (note 2)

I bring home the bacon, she says she want steak
Give her cherry pie, she says she want cake
Give her a diamond ring, she says it's a fake
Give her all I got, but she won't give me a break

[chorus 2]

Ease up off me woman

So I give her the world, she wouldn't take it on a bet
Yelling since I met her, and woman ain't done yelling yet
Odessa won't you tell me, why the hell you so upset

Got a big legged woman, Odessa is her name
She got big brown eyes, big head on a solid frame
Yes and she got a mouth, put a junkyard dog to shame

[chorus 1]
Ease up off me woman, lighten up and let it go
Ease up off me woman, lighten up and let it go
Ease up off me woman, lighten up and let it go
Notes
(1) an earlier version of this line was "The way the woman treats me, talk about a sorry shame"
(2) an earlier version I had was "'Cause I don't want to go to jail"

Bob Weir Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     Sep 2000 Evening Moods Ratdog
     2001? KBCO Studio C Volume 12  Ratdog


Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography

 


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