The week of June 14, 1966, found so many repeats atop the Billboard Hot 100 that I have to go all the way to #7 to find a song I haven’t already featured.
Let me first take a deep breath and run down the top six: ‘Paint it Black‘ by The Rolling Stones, ‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind‘ by The Lovin’ Spoonful, ‘I Am a Rock‘ by Simon and Garfunkel, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman‘ by Percy Sledge, ‘Strangers in the Night‘ by Frank Sinatra, a ‘A Groovy Kind of Love‘ by The Mindbenders.
Hell of a lineup.
At #7, where it peaked, was Robert Parker’s ‘Barefootin’.’ This was Parker’s only hit, but as the sole writer and performer of the track he likely did pretty well for himself, as it went on to sell over a million copies.
I shudder to think of all the injuries and dirty feet that resulted from young people dancing to this song.
Everybody, get on your feet
You make me nervous when you’re in your seat
Take off your shoes and pat your feet
We’re doin’ a dance that can’t be beat
[Chorus]
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
[Verse 2]
Went to a party the other night
Long Tall Sally was out of sight
Threw away her wig, and her high sneakers, too
She was doin’ a dance without any shoes
[Chorus]
She was barefootin’
She was barefootin’
She was barefootin’
She was barefootin’
[Verse 3]
Hey, little girl with your red dress on
I bet you can barefoot all night long
Take off your shoes and throw ’em away
Come back and get ’em another day
[Chorus]
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
[Bridge]
Everybody get barefootin’
Take off your shoes
[Verse 4]
Li’l John Henry, he said to Sue
“If I was barefootin’ would you barefoot, too”?
Sue told John, “I’ll stir your stew
I was barefootin’ ever since I was two”
[Chorus]
They were barefootin’
They were barefootin’
They were barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
[Outro]
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
Ah-ha
We’re barefootin’
We’re barefootin’
Don’t have no shoes on
We’re barefootin’
Meet Me In Montauk 