Saturday night I was downtown
Working for the FBI
Sitting in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles piling high
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who are doing wrong
Just about to call up the DA man
When I heard this woman singing a song
A pair of s made me open my eyes
My temperature started to rise
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
With just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
I saw her heading to the table
Well a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said I hope that you're able, boy
Well I'm telling you she knows where it's at
Well then suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run
Jumping under doors and tables
Well I heard somebody shooting a gun
Well the DA was pumping my left hand
And she was holding my right
Well I told her, "Don't get scared
'Cause you're gonna be spared"
Well I'm gonna be forgiven
If I want to spend my living
With a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5-9 beautiful tall
With just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
Had it all, had it all, had it all...



Lyrics submitted by zulunet

Track duration: 03:18

"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" as written by Alan Clarke, Roger Frederick Cook, Roger John Reginald Greenaway

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:Hey BogFrog....no place in this song does it even allude to this woman having blonde hair...
    Flag 2whitti4uon January 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Besides CCR, there are echoes of Johnny Rivers and Duane Eddy in this song. One of the greatest opening riffs in rock and roll.
    Flag JimmyJazz68on October 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:Just a good old fashion misogynistic rock n roll song....
    Flag caucasianon March 03, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I love this song, I heard it on the Lovely Bones and I tracked it down. It's freaking awesome!
    Flag Salmonnerdzon January 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Isn't it "Well, I gotta be forgiving if I wanna spend my living . . ."?
    Flag ajolly2on December 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I am curious as to whether this actually happened, or if it's just a fictitious story he made up for the sake of singing it. Was he previously a member of the FBI that was involved in that kind of thing?
    Flag Greenporton July 23, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:PS: The one thing I've always wondered about the lyrics is, who is Charlie that says to him "I hope that you're able, boy"?
    Flag law4on March 15, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I like most of the Hollies' songs, but this one is the top! It's so totally different from their other stuff, if I didn't know it was the same band playing I would never have guessed it.
    I think the smeary sound and blurred lyrics contribute to the mysterious, noir-ish feel. I always thought it was kind of funny, though, that a bunch of English guys would know what a DA is, as they don't have District Attorneys in the UK...I guess American culture is more pervasive than I realized.
    Flag law4on March 14, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:payphone at a speakeasy? they knew he had "james bond disease", so they sent in an under-undercover agent, who (ironically) just happened to be thinking about something other than "45s" that night.
    Flag ~1lb. of Obscure~on June 23, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Presumably he notices her starting her song as he's standing by the payphone, makes the call, and walks back to the table to meet her.
    Flag Letmeinon May 19, 2007   Link

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