One Way Out

Lyrics: James, Sehorn, Williamson
Music: James, Sehorn, Williamson

Discussed by the Dead during a soundcheck on 26 March 1995, but never performed. The conversation comes during a rehearsal of "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl"

Phil: sounded like the instrumental was - the four chords in the instrumental was [?]
Bob: not supposed to be. If it was, we'll have to work that one out
Vince?: four chords goes actualy only six beats
Jerry: could be that one too: [sings] "There's a man down there, could be your man, I don't know"

Band rehearses "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl"

Jerry: I don't remember any of the verses to that
Phil: "There's a man down there"?
Jerry: yeah, I don't remember any of the verses
Phil: I don't either [inaudible]
Jerry: yeah. One of those tunes with a long metre, with weird bars inserted
Phil: Yeah if we could string them together right in that same groove, that would be pretty strange. Goes home with the schoolgirl, discovers "He's got a man down there"
The song they are referring to is the one originally recorded by Elmore James and then by Sonny Boy Williamson. The Allman Brothers played this song, and on "Allman Brothers At Filmore East" introduce it as "an old Elmore James song." But their version is in fact closer to Sonny Boy Williamson's:
Ain't but one way out baby, Lord I just can't go out the door
Ain't but one way out baby, Lord I just can't go out the door
Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know

Lord you got me trapped woman, up on the second floor
If I get by this time I won't be trapped no more
So raise our window baby, I can ease out soft and slow
And lord, your neighbors, no they won't be
Talking that stuff that they don't know

Lord, I'm foolish to be here in the first place
I know some man gonna walk in and take my place
Ain't no way in the world, I'm going out that front door
Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know
Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know
Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know
The original Elmore James version is a bit different:
Raise your window baby, I ain't going out that door
I said raise your window baby, I ain't going out that door
There's a man downstairs, he may be your husband, I don't know

I said raise your window baby, let me ease on round the floor
Raise your window baby, let me ease on real slow
Your neighbours can't stop talking, a lot of junk that they don't know

Ain't but one way out, I ain't going out the door
Ain't but one way out, baby, I ain't going out that door
I wan't you to raise your window baby, let me ease out real slow

I said raise, I said raise it
I said raise, I said raise it
If I get away this time, I won't be caught back here no more
Robert Hunter sang a version with the Dinosaurs in the 1980s:
Raise your window, ain't going out that door
Raise your window, ain't going out that door
There's a man out there, he might be your man, I don't know

There's but the one way out, and I ain't going out that door
There's but the one way out, and I ain't going out that door
If I get out alive, you know I ain't coming back no more

Well if you raise the window, I could ease out nice and slow
Well if you raise the window, I could ease out nice and slow
Your neighbours can't stop talking, a lot of things that they don't know

There's but the one way out, and I ain't going out that door
There's but the one way out, and I ain't going out that door
If I get out alive, you know I ain't coming back no more

Raise the window, I ain't going out that door
Raise the window, I ain't going out that door
If I get out alive, you know I ain't coming back no more

There's but the one way out, and I ain't going out that door
There's but the one way out, and I ain't going out that door
If I get out alive, you know I ain't coming back no more
More recently (November 2020) Grahame Lesh sang it at Terrapin Crossroads at a concert dubbed "Phil's Choice Phriday", with Phil himself on bass.

Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     1972 Eat A Peach Allman Brothers Band


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

 


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