Released: March 23, 1970
Songwriter: Leon Russell
Producer: Leon Russell Denny Cordell
[Verse 1]
Woah, Junior and the drummer are fighting
About a woman in the neighborhood
Oh, the drummer never hit a bad lick in his life
And Junior never hit any good
Yeah, the colonel said that women are for loving, not fighting
But that didn't clear the air
'Cause Junior's still living in the blackboard jungle
With his Elvis Presley hair
[Chorus]
Yeah, the drummer's got the drum, the colonel's got the gun
And Junior's only got a knife, he'd better run
It's a shootout on the plantation, it's so hard to understand
Why do some people have to hurt somebody?
The firewater's not the villain
Yeah, the last one to kiss is the first to shoot
And stabbing your friends is such a drag to boot
It's a shootout on the plantation
Oh, heaven help Mister Swan, yeah
[Verse 2]
And the cold steel blade is shining
Enough to cause your blood to freeze
But the drummer is drumming a Rolling Stones' number
On Junior's head and on his knees
Oh, Oklahoma's lonesome cowboys
Are turned on in Tinsel Town
I knew there'd be some cameras rolling
If Andy was standing around
[Chorus]
Yeah, the drummer's got the drum, the colonel's got the gun
And Junior's only got a knife, he'd better run
It's a shootout on the plantation, it's so hard to understand
Why do some people have to hurt somebody?
The firewater's not the villain
Yeah, the last one to kiss is the first to shoot
And stabbing your friends is such a drag to boot
It's a shootout on the plantation
Oh, heaven help Mister Swan, help me
[Chorus]
Yeah now, the drummer's got the drum, the colonel's got the gun
And Junior's only got a knife, he'd better run
It's a shootout on the plantation, it's so hard to understand
Why do some people have to hurt somebody?
The firewater's not the villain
Yeah, the last one to kiss is the first to shoot
And stabbing your friends is such a drag to boot
It's a shootout on the plantation
Oh, heaven help Mister Swan, yeah
[Outro]
Won't somebody help me
You gotta help me, help me, help me
Help me, help me, help me, help me, help me
Whoa won't you help me, help me
Whoo why don't you help me?
Why don't you tell me about it?
Why don't you scream and shout it?
Whoa won't you help me, help me?
Mmm help me help me
Won't heaven help mister?
Won't you kiss your sister?
Whoa, won't you heaven help mister?
Woah, Junior and the drummer are fighting
About a woman in the neighborhood
Oh, the drummer never hit a bad lick in his life
And Junior never hit any good
Yeah, the colonel said that women are for loving, not fighting
But that didn't clear the air
'Cause Junior's still living in the blackboard jungle
With his Elvis Presley hair
[Chorus]
Yeah, the drummer's got the drum, the colonel's got the gun
And Junior's only got a knife, he'd better run
It's a shootout on the plantation, it's so hard to understand
Why do some people have to hurt somebody?
The firewater's not the villain
Yeah, the last one to kiss is the first to shoot
And stabbing your friends is such a drag to boot
It's a shootout on the plantation
Oh, heaven help Mister Swan, yeah
[Verse 2]
And the cold steel blade is shining
Enough to cause your blood to freeze
But the drummer is drumming a Rolling Stones' number
On Junior's head and on his knees
Oh, Oklahoma's lonesome cowboys
Are turned on in Tinsel Town
I knew there'd be some cameras rolling
If Andy was standing around
[Chorus]
Yeah, the drummer's got the drum, the colonel's got the gun
And Junior's only got a knife, he'd better run
It's a shootout on the plantation, it's so hard to understand
Why do some people have to hurt somebody?
The firewater's not the villain
Yeah, the last one to kiss is the first to shoot
And stabbing your friends is such a drag to boot
It's a shootout on the plantation
Oh, heaven help Mister Swan, help me
[Chorus]
Yeah now, the drummer's got the drum, the colonel's got the gun
And Junior's only got a knife, he'd better run
It's a shootout on the plantation, it's so hard to understand
Why do some people have to hurt somebody?
The firewater's not the villain
Yeah, the last one to kiss is the first to shoot
And stabbing your friends is such a drag to boot
It's a shootout on the plantation
Oh, heaven help Mister Swan, yeah
[Outro]
Won't somebody help me
You gotta help me, help me, help me
Help me, help me, help me, help me, help me
Whoa won't you help me, help me
Whoo why don't you help me?
Why don't you tell me about it?
Why don't you scream and shout it?
Whoa won't you help me, help me?
Mmm help me help me
Won't heaven help mister?
Won't you kiss your sister?
Whoa, won't you heaven help mister?
- Leon Russell (1970)
- Retrospective (1997)
- New York State of Mind
- It’s a Hard Rain Gonna Fall
- Roll Away the Stone
- Hurtsome Body
- Dixie Lullaby
- It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
- Masters of War (Old Masters)
- Masters of War
- She Belongs to Me
- Shootout on the Plantation
- Love Minus Zero/No Limit
- It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
- Beware of Darkness
- I’ve Just Seen a Face
- Prince of Peace
- The Ballad of Hollis Brown
- Wild Horses