For the month of January, Glyn at Mixed Music Bag
is challenging us to write about a group or solo artist
beginning with the letter A or B. Here’s my group.
You know youâve reached the big time when youâve made it into a book â never mind if the title of the book happens to be âMisheard Lyricsâ!
What do you think of when you hear the phrase: “Baking Carrot Biscuits”? It’s not from somebody’s recipe book. It’s actually a âmondegreenâ (misunderstood lyric) from the classic song “Takinâ Care of Businessâ, by Bachman-Turner Overdrive âŠ. my group for today.
BachmanâTurner Overdrive, often abbreviated BTO, was formed in 1973 by three brothers from Winnipeg, Manitoba âŠ. Randy, Robbie and Tim Bachman. At the suggestion of Neil Young, fellow Winnipeg bassist and vocalist Fred Turner was brought on board.
Randy Bachman said: âTakinâ Care Of Business is a song about the every day routines and processes it takes to live this thing we call ‘life’ through daily work.”âHis original idea was to write a song about a recording technician who worked for the Guess Who (Bachman’s former group) who would take the 8:15 train to get to work, a fact which inspired the opening lines of the song.
The original working title of “Takin’Care Of Business” was actually âWhite Collar Workerâ; however, while driving to a gig in Vancouver, Bachman heard a local DJâs catchphrase of âWeâre takinâ care of businessâ and it stuck with him. During the concert, Bachman decided on a whim to use the catchphrase in the songâs chorus instead of âWhite collar workerâ. After the show that night, the audience kept clapping and shouting âtakinâ care of businessâ and the rest is history.
BTOâs 1970s catalogue included seven top-40 albums (five in the US) and eleven top-40 singles in Canada (six in the US). They have six certified platinum albums and one certified gold album. BTO has sold nearly 30 million albums worldwide and their fans are affectionately known as âgearheadsââ…. a term derived from the band’s gear-shaped logo.
Oh, I almost forgot about âBaking carrot biscuitsâ! Thatâs an often misunderstood lyric for âTakinâ care of businessâ. If you want a good laugh, do a Google search on “misheard lyrics“; there are quite a few links, including a couple of videos on YouTube. I’ve provided one link to a very funny video about misheard song lyrics.
But now itâs time to hear one of BTOâs signature numbers, the song that made carrot biscuits popular âŠ. âTakinâ Care Of Businessâ.
LYRICS
You get up every morning from your alarm clock’s warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There’s a whistle up above and people pushin’, people shovin’
And the girls who try to look pretty
And if your train’s on time, you can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job to get your pay
If you ever get annoyed, look at me I’m self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day
And I’ll be taking care of business (every day)
Taking care of business (every way)
I’ve been taking care of business (it’s all mine)
Taking care of business and working overtime, work out
If it were easy as fishin’ you could be a musician
If you could make sounds loud or mellow
Get a second-hand guitar, chances are you’ll go far
If you get in with the right bunch of fellows
People see you having fun just a-lying in the sun
Tell them that you like it this way
It’s the work that we avoid, and we’re all self-employed
We love to work at nothing all day
And we be taking care of business (every day)
Taking care of business (every way)
We be been taking care of business (it’s all mine)
Taking care of business and working overtime
Mercy
Whoo
All right
Take good care of my business
When I’m away, every day
Whoo
They get up every morning from their alarm clock’s warning
Take the 8:15 into the city
There’s a whistle up above and people pushin’, people shovin’
And the girls who try to look pretty
And if your train’s on time, you can get to work by nine
And start your slaving job to get your pay
If you ever get annoyed, look at me I’m self-employed
I love to work at nothing all day
And I be taking care of business (every day)
Taking care of business (every way)
I’ve been taking care of business (it’s all mine)
Taking care of business and working overtime, take care
Takin’ care of business, whoo
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business (every day)
Takin’ care of business (every way)
Takin’ care of business (it’s all mine)
Takin’ care of business and working overtime, whoo
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business
We be takin’ care of business
We be takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business
Takin’ care of business
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Randy Bachman
Takin’ Care Of Business lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Here is a link to the very funny Peter Kay doing his stand-up comedy routine about “Misheard Lyrics”
https://youtu.be/7my5baoCVv8?si=d4ZvOUluaH5zwIJ4
See you on the flip side. đ
NAR©2024
This portfolio (including text, graphics and videos) is copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephantâs Trunk and The Rhythm Section and is not for use by anyone without permission. NAR © 2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 