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Steve Forbert — Goin' Down to Laurel
Album: Alive On Arrival
Avg rating:
6.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 523









Released: 1978
Length: 4:52
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Well everybody here
Seems to like to laugh
Look at Johnny jivin' across the floor
He can play the fool and make a few mistakes
But all the same he'll never be a bore

I'm glad to be so young
Talkin' with my tongue
Glad to be so careless in my way
Glad to take a chance and play against the odds
Glad to be so crazy in my day

Well I'm goin' down to Laurel
It's a dirty stinkin' town yeah
But me I know exactly what I'm going to find
Little girl I'm goin' to see
She is a fool for lovin' me
But she's in love and love's a funny state of mind

Well what was that you said when you had a tear
Rolling down your cheek the other night
I couldn't catch it all there's something going wrong
I hope you got it straightened out alright

Everything's so loud and everything's so fast
I hear your brother married once again
Yeah, best of luck and all and try to have some fun
They tell me this great life can always end

Well I'm goin' down to Laurel
It's a dirty stinkin' town yeah
But me I know exactly what I'm going to find
Little girl I'm goin' to see
She is a fool for lovin' me
But she's in love and love's a funny state of mind

Yea, yes it is

I'm smilin' from a car;
I'm goin' for a drive
Feel the whistle blowin' breeze gone flying by
Mirrors on the moon
Echoing the sun
See just a touch of madness in my eye

Please don't mention rain;
Please don't talk of trains
Please don't mention buildings burning down
Everybody here seems to like to laugh
Either step in time or just don't hang around

Well… I'm goin' down to Laurel
It's a dirty stinkin' town yeah
But me I know exactly what I'm going to find
Little girl I'm goin' to see
She is a fool for lovin' me
But she's in love and love's a funny state of mind
Oh, tell me what I’m sayin’ now
She's in love and love's a funny state of mind

Yeah...
Comments (16)add comment
Every time I hear Steve Forbert I wonder why he was never more of a commercial sucess. 
That cover picture is so cute! 

In the late 90s I had the opportunity to see a much older-looking Steve play a promo show for the local college radio station. There were maybe 12 people in the audience. At the end of the show there was supposed to be a raffle where Steve would give away a guitar to the lucky winner.  We were all thrilled and delighted when the winner turned out to be an 8-year- old kid. 

Hopefully he grew up to put out a soulful singer-songwriter album with a cute picture of himself on the cover.
 firefly6 wrote:

Takes me back to '78, Forbert would be played on WNEW-FM by Pete Fornitale, Dennis Elsas, Vin Scelsa...



Loved Scelsa's show...Never knew what to expect from him...Even the occasional
book review...
Allison Steele (The Nightbird) was another favorite at WNEW...Her late night
show seemed patterned on Jean Shepherd...with music...;-)

Tony in NJ
W.A.S.T.E.

steve has been a companion for years, each of his songs is a gem of tenderness and sympathy. When I'm depressed, I listen to Steve, his freshness makes me happy.

Fun(YMMV) bit o' trivia: he played Cyndi Lauper's boyfriend (the guy with the flowers) in the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video.
 firefly6 wrote:

Takes me back to '78, Forbert would be played on WNEW-FM by Pete Fornitale, Dennis Elsas, Vin Scelsa...

You forgot scott muni

Takes me back to '78, Forbert would be played on WNEW-FM by Pete Fornitale, Dennis Elsas, Vin Scelsa...
 BillG wrote:

It's in Maryland. It's a fairly upscale Baltimore/Washington suburb, so my guess is that the stink is emotional. Just a guess... You'd have to ask Mr. Forbert.
 
But if you look, he is from Mississippi and there is a Laurel there as well.
A distinctive voice.  I hadn't thought of him since Romeo’s Tune was on the radio but immediately asked, “Is this Steve Forbert?”
 the_jake wrote:
Where is Laurel and why does it stink?
 
It's in Maryland. It's a fairly upscale Baltimore/Washington suburb, so my guess is that the stink is emotional. Just a guess... You'd have to ask Mr. Forbert.
Where is Laurel and why does it stink?
I have this on vinyl . . . a long time favorite
This album (his debut, if I'm not mistaken) is excellent.
Subsequent albums were less impressive, but this one's a keeper.
One of those under rated singer songwriters that came on the scene as that genre was fading out. A true troubadour to this day. Makes me happy to hear him on RP every now and again. Thanks Bill!
I've been aware of him forever but never bought any albums. Got the Romeo's Tune 7" way back when. He was always highly respected with reviewers so I don't know why I didn't get any of his other stuff. So: Thanks for playing a little, now and then. Go ahead and play more, in fact!
Was not on my radar.  Thanks, RP!