“Louie Louie,” the 1963 classic song, was investigated by the FBI for two years. They were trying to determine whether it had obscene language.
The Smithsonian said the agency looked into the 1963 Richard Berry-written song after worker at Sarasota Junior High School in Florida wrote to them about the lyrics of the song. The most popular form of the song was sung by The Kingsmen.
“Who do you turn to when your teen age daughter buys and bring home pornographic or obscene materials being sold along with objects directed and aimed at the teenage market in every City, Village and Record shop in this Nation?” the school worker questions in the letter, according to the Smithsonian.
The letter added: “The lyrics are so filthy that I can-not enclose them in this letter ... when they start sneaking in this material in the guise of the latest teen age rock & roll hit record these morons have gone too far.”
The report went on to say that FBI agents played the “Louie Louie” record at different speeds to find out if there were hidden obscenities.
But the FBI concluded that “the lyrics of the song on this record was not definitely determined by this Laboratory examination, it was not possible to determine whether this recording is obscene.”
“Louie Louie” is likely the most covered song in rock ‘n’ roll history, with more than 1,500 versions of the song recorded.
Here are the lyrics to the song:
Louie, Louie,
me gotta go.
Louie, Louie,
me gotta go.
A fine little girl, she wait for me;
me catch a ship across the sea.
I sailed the ship all alone;
I never think I’ll make it home
Three nights and days we sailed the sea;
me think of girl constantly.
On the ship, I dream she there;
I smell the rose, in her hair.
Me see Jamaica moon above;
It won’t be long me see me love.
Me take her in my arms and then
I tell her I never leave again.
Friends Read Free