Album: Silk Degrees (1976)

Charted: 28 3

License This Song 

• Baby's into running around
  Hanging with the crowd
  Putting your business in the street
  Talking out loud
  Saying you bought her this and that
  And how much you done spent
  I swear she must believe it's all heaven sent
  
  Hey boy you better bring the chick around
  To the sad, sad truth the dirty lowdown
  
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  Taught her how to talk like that
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  Gave her that big idea
  
  Nothin' you can't handle
  Nothin' you ain't got
  Put your money on the table
  And drive it off the lot
  Turn on that old love light
  And turn a "maybe" to a "yes"
  Same old schoolboy game got you into this mess
  
  Hey son, better get back on to town
  Face the sad old truth, the dirty lowdown
  
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  Put those ideas in your head
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  
  Yeah
  
  Come on back down, little son
  Dig the low, low, low, low, lowdown
  
  You ain't got to be so bad, got to be so cold
  This dog eat dog existence sure is getting old
  Got to have a Jones for this
  Jones for that
  This runnin' with the Joneses, boy, just ain't where it's at, no, no
  
  You gonna come back around
  To the sad, sad truth, the dirty lowdown
  
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  Got you thinking like that, boy
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  
  I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
  Said I wonder, wonder, wonder, I wonder who
  Oh, look out for that lowdown (oh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  That dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty lowdown
  
  Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
  Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who
  
  Got you thinkin' like that
  Got you thinkin' just like that
  (Ooh, I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who)
  Lookin' that girl in the face is so sad
  I'm ashamed of you
  
  I wonder, wonder, wonder, wonder who Writer/s: Boz Scaggs, David Paich
  Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Spirit Music Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 23

• Bill from NorcalThis line is wrong
  "Come on back down, little son"
  It should be "Come on back down to Earth, son."
• Eddie from NjIt’s the low down, I heard it on the radio today. I immediately stopped what I was doing to listen. I’ve heard it a million times, never gets old!
• Seventh Mist from 7th HeavenI read elsewhere that Skaggs’s (or his management’s) refusal to allow this song on the SNF soundtrack cost him more than $5 million in royalties. Imagine stayin’ alive with that realization.
• Lindap from AzStill a great song. A great artist - dudes music still gets people singing along, clapping their hands and moving their bodies.
• Kai Earle from Vallejo, CalifBoz was born beautiful.
  This he will always be.
  Know this Boz. Hang on,
  please. Believe.
• Philip from Atlanta Yes, if you listen carefully both the drums and bass are double tracked.
• Anthonyo from Los Angeles, CaIn the facts comments, it reads: "Along with keyboard player David Paich, two other future Toto members also played on this track, drummer Jeff Porcaro and bass player David Hungate."
  
  A couple other items it DID NOT mention, was that producer Joe Wissert had Porcaro "double-track" his drum's hi-hat parts. In the final version, Wissert had Porcaro's full kit mixed down into stereo onto both channels, BUT ONLY his 8th notes playing the hi-hats were panned hard over to the RIGHT channel exclusively. Then in an over dub session, Wissert had Porcaro ONLY play his hi-hats, in 16th notes, without the rest of the drum kit being used. Those 16th notes, in constant succession, were hard panned over to the LEFT channel exclusively, during the final mix. LISTEN CLOSELY WITH A CRITICAL EAR, and one can clearly hear this clever hi-hat technique, which adds greatly to the drum groove of the song.
  
  Also the comment stating: "The producers of Saturday Night Fever (ie, executive producer Robert Stigwood & music supervisor David Shire) asked to use "Lowdown" in their movie, but Scaggs' manager turned them down...etc." That is a "1/2" observation. In an interview decades later, with key actor John Travolta, he said that during the production of Saturday Night Fever, the Bee Gees had yet to finish writing and recording the 5 songs that would subsequently be used in the film. Travolta stated that while he & actress Karen Lynn Gorney were dancing their highly choreographed scenes on the sound stage floor, being played over the P.A. system was INDEED Boz Scagg's "Lowdown" and other assorted hits from that era; from Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang, etc...", but rights were not secured ahead of time to actually keep these songs on the film's soundstrip, hence The Bee Gees music was later "mixed-in" and Scaggs & etc, were taken out. Barry Gibb had made mention to this fact, in his own quotes, as well.
  
  We learn something new everyday boys & girls...about "things" that happened, but very few know about, almost 45 years ago.
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenThey passed on Saturday Night Fever? I bet they got plenty of exercise kicking themselves as they watched that album go multi-platinum.
• Markantney from BiloxeAug 2020,
  Tina, early-on I agreed with you but have changed my mind as I've gotten older. And because the song wasn't part of SNF I believe adds to it's legend status. Put it this way, as HUGEEEE as the SNF Movie and Soundtrack was/are,...have any of those great songs lasted better than LowDown?? But yes the song would've been great in the movie.
• Tina from ArizonaThis is one of my all time favorite songs. I was 14 when this song came out and I LOVED it! The drums are genius in the song. Never get tired of this song, the whole Silk Degrees album for that matter. I wish they would have agreed to use it in Saturday Night Fever. It was perfect for that movie.
• Melinda from AustraliaIt doesn’t get any better than this song. In fact the whole Silk Degrees album is outstanding. Just hearing the intro to this song takes me back. Way back.
  I didn’t understand a lot of the lyrics back then. We didn’t have access to lyrics as they do today. It’s wonderful to learn what a lot of Boz Scaggs songs were about.
  And when Silk Degrees album came out. He had to be the coolest guy in his 30’s for his time.
  The songwriting was just so modern. About relationships. And it had that 70’s vibe. Where being cool about sex and relationships was was considered hip. No crazy drama.
  A hangover from the 1960’s I guess.
  Cause who was buying this album Silk Degrees?
  1960’s people who had just grown up.
  But really, the album Silk Degrees had broad appeal. Literally everybody loved the songs off that album.
  No. Boz Scaggs nailed it all. That moment in time. Quite an achievement.
• Zabo from Pugh, Pa.September 11, 2018
  
  First off you just gotta Love this Bass line. we’ve all been in a lowdown situation at one time or another. This song is essential Boz Scaggs party dance song. Remember to look out for that dirty lowdown!
• Ray Bigs from Whidbey Island, WaDoes anyone know the name of Boz Scaggs' Manager at the time of ...Lowdown & Silk Degrees? ...from Seattle but cannot remember his name. Thank You.
  
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 25th 1976, Boz Scaggs performed "Lowdown" on NBC-TV program 'Saturday Night Live'...
  At the time the song was in its first of two weeks at #5 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on October 3rd it would peak at #3 for two weeks...
  {See 3rd post below}.
• Chele from Philly, PaGreat song... have always loved it! I remember when it first came out around the time I graduated from high school. I played flute (still do), so you KNOW I love that flute and piccolo!
• Markantney from BiloxeAug 2014,
  
  Odd they didn't know they had a Hit on their hands and some DJ discovered it later. Shows how sometimes you never know?
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 28th 1976, "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #82; and October 3rd, 1976 it peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) and spent 22 weeks on the Top 100...
  Was track one of side two on his seventh studio album, 'Silk Degrees', and the album peaked at #2 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart and spent 115 weeks on the chart...
  Three other tracks from the album also made the Top 100 chart; "It's Over" (#38), "What Can I Say" (#42), and "Lido Shuffle" (#11)...
  Boz, born William Royce Scaggs, celebrated his 70th birthday twenty days ago on June 8th, 2014.
• Markantney from Biloxi, MsApr 2014, Ditto Mike in Alabama. He's got tons of cuts I like: slow, smooth, uptempo. I own a ton of his 70s, 80s, 90s catalog. He did a Jazzy type CD back in 2001 called "Dig"; it's one of his best but it came out around 9/11 so it didn't get it's due props. He's RRHOF level to me.
• Laurent from Manama, BahrainThere is a very good instrumental version of this great song on David Garfield's "Tribute To Jeff". Garfield also recorded a version with the great Alex Ligertwood on vocals (ex- Santana) on his "Tribute to Jeff - Revisited". Check them out at www.creatchy.com
• John from Fort Worth, TxI have loved the sound of this song since the day the album was promoted on TV ("Boz!") I'm just now learning the (to me) surprising and memorable lyrics. Now it all makes sense. I love this song. John 46
  
• Mike from Hueytown , AlJust a cool song. Boz Scagg's music does not get enough recognition
• Chase from Pasadena, CaNice... when I first heard it, I thought it was more of a mellow disco. Good summer song.
• Ken from Leicester, NcJeff Porcaro on drums on this one as on all of "silk degree's"

More Songfacts:

Beverly HillsWeezer

Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo wrote "Beverly Hills" after seeing a photo of the group Wilson Phillips and imagining what it would be like to marry someone famous.

Heaven Is A Place On EarthBelinda Carlisle

"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" writer Ellen Shipley got the idea for the song from a gas station greeting card that said "Heaven On Earth."

Country Grammar (Hot S--t)Nelly

Nelly's "Country Grammar" is a celebration of his hometown of St. Louis, which some folks from the coasts consider "country" because it's in the Midwest.

ShoutThe Isley Brothers

Otis Day And The Knights, the fictional band created to perform "Shout" in the movie Animal House, became a real band, performing the song at colleges and other venues.

Heads Carolina, Tails CaliforniaJo Dee Messina

Jo Dee Messina's 1996 country classic "Heads Carolina, Tails California" was inspired by a book released the previous year called Border Music by Robert James Waller, where the main character flips a coin to decide his next destination.

Take Me Out To The BallgameNora Bayes

The guys who wrote "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" had never been to a baseball game but knew it was a good song topic.

Editor's Picks

QueenFact or Fiction

Scaramouch, a hoople and a superhero soundtrack - see if you can spot the real Queen stories.

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.