Song: Seven Day Fool Artist: Jully Black (Originally published Mar.15, 2012)
Etta James passed away recently, which brought a lot of attention to her music, of course, as it has for Whitney Houston and as it does for every other artist who passes away. Etta was probably best known for the song “At Last”, which I don’t just like, I love.
What I didn’t know was that she was also the first to release today’s ILikeSongs pick, “Seven Day Fool”, in 1961. It was written by Billy Davis, and is essentially from a female perspective, proclaiming her love in the form of everything she does for him because she loves him. Now that might have a bit of a sexist lean, but I think the way it’s sung both by Etta James and Jully Black, a Canadian artist, gives it a no-nonsense and still passionate, declarative feel. In other words, these ladies are committed to their men, but they ain’t no pushovers!
It’s a real belter, especially when she hollers “And I’ll be!” The 2007 version that Jully Black recorded pays homage in every way to the original, both in her delivery of it, and in the instrumentation and production. That’s what I love about it. In fact, when I first heard it (remember, I didn’t know there was an Etta James version), I thought it was a contemporary song made to “sound” like the 60’s. That has been happening a lot lately…my Christmas blog entry “Everything Old is New Again” refers to this phenomenon in the way new artists have been writing and recording in old, but updated styles. I love it!
This is a classic form of songwriting, using the days of the week as a reference to the idea that every day the singer is slaving away for the one she loves:
And on a Monday,
I’m gonna love ya
And on a Tuesday,
I’m gonna hug ya
And on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday,
Gonna love ya
I work for you baby, work my hand to the bone
Care for you, baby, when you get home
Do for you, baby, for the love that I seek
Slave for you, baby, every day of the week
(And on a Monday)
Scrub your dirty floor
(On a Tuesday)
I do a whole lot more
(On a Wednesday)
I wash your dirty clothes
To have a little lovin’ ‘fore the weekend goes
CHORUS:
And I’ll be, your seven-day fool
And I’ll be, your seven-day fool
And I’ll be, your seven-day fool
Only because I really love you
(And on a Thursday) I’ll treat you oh so kind
(And on a Friday) I’ll take you out to dine
(And on a Saturday) I’ll work double time
If you’ll only say you’re be mine
(repeat CHORUS)
(On a Monday) ya I’m gonna love ya
(Tuesday) oh I’m gonna hug ya
(Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday)
Yeah give me all of that love
(And on a Monday) I scrub your dirty floor
(On a Tuesday) I do a whole lot more
(On a Wednesday) I wash your dirty clothes
To have a little lovin’ ‘fore the weekend goes
(repeat CHORUS)
I really love you
I really love you
I’m just a seven day fool
I really love you
Oh on a Monday, I’m gonna love ya
And on a Tuesday I’m gonna hug ya
On a (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) gonna love ya
A seven day fool
Not only that, but it’s a mover…you can’t stop bopping to it! Have a listen to it in the video below. Definitely a contemporary remake of an old classic that I Like :-).
~ IJ