You Left the Water Running, by Dan Penn

You left the water running, when you left me behind.
You left all the water running,
running from these eyes of mine

You turned out the light of love You left with another guy
You turned off all your love for me But you forgot to turn off the cryin'

You'll regret, baby, you'll be upset, now, when you *get* your water bill to pay
emphasis on *get* and *bill*. to pay ~. love it.


Cody B - mog.com: You Left The Water Running
The Muscle Shoals songwriter Dan Penn has been involved with some of the greatest moments in R&B, Country, and Pop: At The Dark End Of The Street, Cry Like A Baby, I'm Your Puppet, and Do Right Woman, Do Right Man are just a sampling of the incredible songs he has written. Normaly he worked with Spooner Oldham, but on You Left The Water Running, Fame Studio Owner Rick Hall and the mysterious Oscar Franck are given writing credit. I don't know for sure, but this sounds like some nefarious record biz stuff. Either way, it is a simple, but killer Southern Soul tune.
I've got 3 versions for ya' First up is Reggae legend Ken Boothe with his version from the excellent Safe Travel Comp. on Pressure Sounds. In comments please find the Otis Redding version and the songwriter's Dan Penn's own take on the song from this "comeback" 1999 Live Album: Moments From This Theater
Tags: Sunday Cover, Southern Soul, Otis Redding, Dan Penn
13 comments:
-I'm feelin' all of the vers', sick post Cody. -Cody, dig all three versions especially the Ken Boothe version, in which his singing is much less mannered and more straightforward than much of his later stuff. Here's a fourth take, not necessarily better than the others, but different and interesting. No doubt you've got it already, but.... also Dan Penn, right? with who? -I didn't have that one,Ivy.Dug it,though. @Bartleby, It was kinda cool that folks backed both Otis and Ken. I really love that Penn/Oldham record though.

my new favorite song. been liking it for a while. listening to the three versions on this blog post, the deal is sealed. favorite. anything better? ok tvz. this is up there, though, with townes van zandt.
the Ken Boothe reggae version is fine. I like Otis Redding, as always. But Dan Penn singing his own song, from the live album with Spooner Oldham, is my favorite. ~ get that album ~ maybe also this one, w album versions:

az- Do Right Man -by Dan Penn
The Man Who Penned The Words In Soul, December 28, 2001 By J. Kerr (Waukegan, IL United States)
This brings together legendary soul songwriter Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham together with American Studio session musicians. They go over tunes recorded by everyone from Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, James Carr and others. This cat was twisting the dials for the Boxtops (Chilton got his soulful growl from Penn I'm convinced) playing backup or having written the tune for about every major Southern soul jam from the 60s.
Penn and Oldham are more important than Lennon and McCartney in my opinion.
Plus, every car in album cover pictures on Penn's solo albums are ones he has bought and restored. A renaissance man.



915 Screw Click - Otis Reding - You Left The Water Running
Otis Redding Chopped n Screwed by the 915 Screw Click - Screw Oldies Vol. 2 - at www.illineat.com