No Control – The Elephant's Trunk

Today’s theme at Song Lyric Sunday is all about songs that mention toys. Thanks to Barbara from teleportingweenaghostmmnc for the suggestion.

“Come, I want to show you my playroom” He stands, holding out his hand. I let him lead me back out to the corridor. On the right of the double doors, where we came in, another door leads to a staircase. We go up to the second floor and turn right. Producing a key from his pocket, he unlocks yet another door and takes a deep breath. “You can leave anytime. It’s fine, whatever you decide.” I tell him to just open the damn door. He opens the door and stands back to let me in. I gaze at him once more. I so want to know what’s in there. Taking a deep breath, I walk in. The first thing I notice is the smell of leather. Suspended from the ceiling is an iron grid, eight foot square at least, and from it hang all manner of ropes, chains, shackles. There’s a startling assortment of paddles, whips, riding crops and funny-looking feathery implements. And it feels like I’ve time-traveled back to the sixteenth century and the Spanish Inquisition.” ~ Excerpts from Chapters 6 & 7, Fifty Shades of Grey, Book 1

The book gets even more interesting …. so I’m told.

There are toys and then there are toys.

There’s a classic soul ballad that speaks to the powerlessness of love. The lyrics describe a person who is willing to do whatever their partner wants them to and be completely under their control. It’s a sensual, titillating, smooth song about the all-encompassing nature of love. But is it “love” or something else, something more? The singer expresses that he would do anything to make his partner happy and would go to any lengths to remain in the relationship. He is a toy, a puppet in her hands.

I wonder if there’s a “safe word” mentioned in the lyrics of this song. “Red” is a common safe word, while “pickle” and “radish” are also popular …. so I’m told. In this song the safe word would probably be “string”, but I’m just speculating.

My featured song for today is “I’m Your Puppet“, a song written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham. The best known version is the one recorded by James & Bobby Purify which reached #5 on the US R&B chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. The single was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 1967. The song was featured on their 1967 album, James & Bobby Purify.

The duo released a re-recorded version as a single in 1976 which reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart. The single ranked #46 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1976.

It’s been a long time since I heard this song but when the theme of “toys” was suggested, it was the first song I thought of – not “Red Rubber Ball” or “Pinball Wizard” or even “Puff The Magic Dragon”. And after listening …. really listening and reading the lyrics …. my eyebrows raised a few times. What’s going on here? Is it the sweet and charming song I thought it was almost 60 years ago? You be the judge.

From the album James & Bobby Purify, this is “I’m Your Puppet”.

Lyrics

Pull the string and I’ll wink at you, I’m your puppet
I’ll do funny things if you want me to, I’m your puppet

I’m yours to have and to hold
Darling you’ve got full control of your puppet

Pull another string and I’ll kiss your lips, I’m your puppet
Snap your finger and I’ll turn you some flips, I’m your puppet

Listen, your every wish is my command
All you gotta do is wiggle your little hand
I’m your puppet, I’m your puppet

I’m just a toy, just a funny boy
That makes you laugh when you’re blue
I’ll be wonderful, do just what I’m told
I’ll do anything for you
I’m your puppet, I’m your puppet

Pull them little strings and I’ll sing you a song, I’m your puppet
Make me do right or make me do wrong, I’m your puppet

Treat me good and I’ll do anything
I’m just a puppet and you hold my string, I’m your puppet

Darling, darling, pull the strings, let me sing you a song any day
I’m your puppet baby, you can sing for me all night long

Honey, yeah

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Dan Penn / Spooner Oldham
I’m Your Puppet lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Games and Playthings

Big thanks to Jim for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by. See you on the flip side. 😎

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter #148, using the first sentence teaser,
and for Six Sentence Story, using the word ‘double’. Here’s my story:

She held out her arms to hug me, but I knew this wasn’t my house — and she definitely wasn’t my wife but she was one of the most gorgeous women I’d ever seen and I found it difficult to resist her charms; I’ve always been a weak man …. whether it was women, drugs, drinking, gambling, sex …. I couldn’t control myself.

Strange sensations came over me and I felt disoriented; I was sweating but I had chills, my vision was blurry, my tongue seemed huge in my mouth …. about three times its normal size …. my head felt like it was under water and my equilibrium was off, making me stumble and lose my balance, walking into the furniture and reeling yet even though I desperately wanted this goddess standing before me, I was unable to reach her.

For no apparent reason, I suddenly remembered when I got home from work earlier that day, I found a new drink in the refrigerator …. 24 mini-cans of some beverage with exotic-sounding names such as Peach Bellini, Pineapple Mule, Mango Meringue, Grapefruit Paloma, Maui Sunset …. and it was totally bewildering to me that I could remember those names but not where I was, who I was, who this woman was and yet I knew for a fact that I drank a couple of those cans of delightful nectar; could be that’s what was messing with my head …. making me be so unsure about some things but entirely certain about others …. not unlike taking quaaludes (the authentic Rorer 714s, not some cheap bootleg shit), dropping acid and then popping amyl nitrate all at the same time like some who-do voodoo cocktail.

I could hear this luscious woman talking but I was unable to reach her, to press her mind-bendingly magnificent body next to mine; her words were garbled and all I could make out was the name “Alex” which was very strange because my name wasn’t Alex .… or maybe it was .… I wasn’t sure of anything except that I definitely downed several cans of exquisite ambrosia with exciting names.

Holding on to the back of the sofa to keep myself from falling, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror and I gasped; I did a doubletake because even though my vision was definitely wonky, it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t see that I had suddenly transformed into a very attractive black man much like Michael B. Jordan when just half an hour ago I was my usual George Costanza look-alike!

Then without warning the woman’s voice started morphing and began to sound familiar, kind of like my wife Alexis and when I looked up into the mirror I was no longer Michael B. Jordan …. I was back to my old self, plain old Fred Johnson …. and when I looked over at the woman, that voluptuous blonde with the perfect 44 double Ds had been replaced with my short, squatty wife of 37 years; well, that sucked and I quickly determined the only thing I could do was to drink more of those tasty beverages in mini-cans and pray my gorgeous fantasy girl would return but when I yanked open the door of the fridge, I was alarmed to see there was no more voodoo juice left and my heart sank because, as always, I couldn’t control my damn self, I had downed all the mini-cans of ecstasy and now it was just me and short, squatty Alexis.

Fandango’s Story Starter #148

Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt!

This is “I Drink Alone” by George Thorogood and the Destroyers

Tag: No Control

Strings Attached

Now That’s A Tasty Beverage

Share this:

Share this: