Baby's into running' around
Hanging with the crowd
Putting your business in the street talking out loud
Saying you bought her this and that
And how much you done spent
I swear she must believe its all heaven sent
Hey boy, you better bring the chick around
To the sad, sad truth, the dirty lowdown

Who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
Taught her how to talk like that
Who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
Gave her that big idea

Nothing you can't handle, nothing you ain't got
Put the money on the table and drive it off the lot
Turn on that ole love light and turn a maybe to a yes
Same old schoolboy game got you into this mess
Hey son, better get on back to town
Face the sad old truth, the dirty lowdown

Who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
Put those ideas in your head
Who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who

Come on back down earth, son
Dig the low, low, low, low lowdown

You ain't got to be so bad got to be so cold
This dog eat dog existence sure is getting old
Got to have a Jones for this Jones for that
This running with the Joneses boy
Just ain't where it's at
You gonna come back around
To the sad, sad truth, the dirty lowdown

Who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
Got you thinking like that boy
Who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who

I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
Say who, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
Ooh look out for that lowdown
That dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty lowdown
Who I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who, oh, oh
Got you thinking like that



Lyrics submitted by BluesRaven

Track duration: 05:16


Lowdown song meanings
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6 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:Here is my take and hopefully makes sense.
    Lowdown meaning by all, point taken. Next listen to Bozz's succeeding songs after Lowdown. such as "Love Look What You've Done To Me", "This Heart Mine". hey seem to be sequel of Lowdown of the character's in the lyrics. Lyrics of most of his songs send strong message and possibly could have happen to anyone. Remember, before songs were made, there were poems and stories made. " Listen, Understand then Love Music and Life" T
    Flag listengoodon September 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Hard to believe that he and Steve Miller not only went to high school together but
    actually played music together back in the '60's...
    I wonder,I wonder,I wonder...
    Flag Thia007on December 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The "lowdown" is the practice of currying favor by spending money on someone. Boz's character has a girl whom he has bought things for in order to get sex (the old schoolboy game) and the (sad truth behind the gifts). She, however, is running around telling people what's going on, and it's embarassing to him that she is exposing his mode of operation. "who gave her the big idea" that she should go around and tell everyone his business.

    Boz tells the guy "there's nothing you can't handle, nothing you ain't got" so as to encourage him not to play this game but just to "turn on the love light" so that her "maybe" will turn into a "yes." But since he's been playing this "schoolboy game" he's in a "mess."

    He tells the man further that "he doesn;t have to be so bad, or so cold"; that he could just use an approach that isn't a dirty secret. Boz wonders, "who taught him how to think like that" and he tells everyone "watch out for that dirty lowdown."
    Flag palominpon April 25, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This CD is my car and I play it over and over, ad infinitum. Boz Scaggs' songs never get old. I love them all.

    I think this song is about a man who is in some type of shady racket. He bought gifts for his girlfriend; and instead of keeping it on the "Lowdown," she's telling everyone she knows that her boyfriend "bought her this and that." The girl's continuous talking may put the boyfriend in jeopardy. If word got back to the unscrupulous people he works with/for, they could kill him.

    She thinks this guy is the answer to a prayer "...she must believe it's all heaven sent." His friend wonders how this girl knew to talk about the man's business, "Putting your business in the street" implying that he had been lying to her about how he came by his ill-gotten gains. The man's friend tells him to make his girlfriend stop talking: "Better bring the chick around" and give her "the sad, sad truth, the dirty lowdown." He's saying to tell the girl the truth: the money for the gifts was not made honestly.

    It seems like these two men go way back. One seems to be older, calling him "son" and referring to the apparent charm this guy has that can make a girl change her mind: "Turn on that ole love light and turn a maybe to a yes. Same old schoolboy game got you into this mess."

    He is advising this younger man to live a better, more decent life. "Come on back down to earth, son." He doesn't need Everything that Everyone else has: "...Jones for this Jones for that..." He wonders who is responsible for the way this young man is living his life. "Who got you thinking like that boy." Living life in the fast lane is going to take its toll. The dirty lowdown is just truth, plain and simple.
    Flag Haygurlon August 26, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I can't believe there aren't more comments on this song. Is it really that forgotten?

    I couldn't pinpoint one thing and say that's what it's "about," but it's sort of based on the pun that "lowdown" can mean both an unsavory person and the real scoop. For me though, I just I like the urban imagery and Scaggs's cool, suave delivery.
    Flag law4on February 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Such a cool song
    Flag OscarIsaiahon January 12, 2008   Link

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