Saturday Night Classics: Long Cool Woman by the Hollies

This is a song that never gets old for me. Although I don’t believe I have ever seen Melissa Praemonitus wearing a black dress, I think of her whenever I hear this song, as she’s about the longest, coolest woman I know.

There are a few lines in this song that I never have been able to decipher, so I looked up the lyrics. I’ll share them in case any of you have also wondered what that third line is. Or the fifth line, or whatever.

Lyrics:

Saturday night I was downtown
Working for the FBI
Sittin' 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 sing a song

A pair of 45'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

[Instrumental Interlude]

I saw her heading to the table
Like a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said I hope that you're able boy
'Cause I'm telling you she knows where it's at

Then suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run
A-jumping out of doors and tables
When I heard somebody shootin' a gun

Well the DA was pumping my left hand
And a-she was a-holding my right
Well I told her don't get scared
'Cause you're gonna be spared
I've gotta be forgivin' if I wanna spend my living
With a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5'9 beautiful tall
Yeah, with just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all

Had it all

Had it all