Shoot Out On The Plantation

Album: Leon Russell (1970)
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Songfacts®:

  • According to the liner notes of the album, "'Shoot out' is said to be a thinly-veiled true story dealing with an altercation among some of Russell's friends."
  • This song was included on Leon Russell's self-titled debut solo album. Bobby "Whiplash" Whitlock, who played on the album, says the Plantation was a house in the San Fernando Valley area in California: "I used to live at the Plantation - remember the song, 'Shoot-out at the Plantation' that Leon Russell wrote? There was 13 of us: 'Indian Ed' Davis, Jimmy Karstein; there was a bunch of us living in this house in California." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    EJ Runyon - Phoenix, AZ, for above 2

Comments: 3

  • Bill from Sunshine State FloridaI've been digging this song for 50 years, never could understand half the words. Now that I've read the lyrics (thanks!) I still don't know what I am hearing!
  • Darren Dunn from Oklahoma City, OkThe Colonel is Gary Sanders another musician.
  • Robert from Tulsa, OkThe song is about a jealous boyfriend, a 'Jimmy Markham’ who showed up at a party at the Plantation loud & drunk. Taj Mahal’s drummer Chuck Blackwell who was in bed with Jimmy’s girl. Jimmy began to carry on, waking up the ‘Colonel’ (probably the home owner). From the top of the stairs, the Colonel basically told Jimmy to shut up saying girls are not for fightin. When Jimmy wouldn’t stop the Colonel left and re-appeared naked wearing a 38 and proceeded to start shooting down at Jimmy, who had hidden behind some bongo drums. Jimmy took off uninjured - although the drums had holes. Note also: Davis was in the concert for Bangldesh.
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