http://www.billpaynecreative.com Billy Payne. Long time Little Feat keyboard player. He has been on stage with so many people over the years. On this night he was rocking the song he heavily contributed to….”China Grove”
I never tire of seeing Billy play. I remember watching him so many times with Little Feat as he attacked the keyboards with his style. There is no one who plays like him and I think that is why I have always thought he was one of a kind. I am glad I have had a few words with him here and there. I have worked with him as a stage crew member several times. My coolest memory was going on the tour bus and watching a baseball game on their big screen tv. I got some nice radio breaks recorded with several of the guys. Those were the days.
Here are some additional notes:
China Grove is a small town in Texas, about 10 miles from San Antonio in Bexar county. Did Doobie Brothers singer/guitarist Tom Johnston know this when he wrote the song? Sort of. Here’s what he told us: “The words were written last, and they were made up around this whole idea of this wacky little town with a sheriff that had a Samurai Sword and all that sort of thing. The funny thing was that I found out in 1975 in a cab in Houston that there really was a China Grove, although what happened was in 1972 we were touring in Winnebagos, and we were driving into San Antonio. And there is a China Grove, Texas, right outside of San Antonio. I must have seen the sign and forgotten about it. And when I came up with the term ‘China Grove,’ I thought I was just making it up because of the words being about this crazy sheriff with a Samurai Sword.”
Johnston’s lyrics were influenced by the oriental piano sound that Billy Payne came up with when they were working on the track. Payne was the pianist for Little Feat, and recorded with many other artists, including Elton John and James Taylor. Says Johnston: “the piano lick went, ‘Dadadadun, dadadadadundun.’ It was an Oriental sounding lick. And so from there I took off and went to the place I ended up with lyrically. I must have seen that sign and forgotten it. And when the cab driver told me this in Houston, I said, ‘You gotta be kiddin’ me.’ He said, ‘There really is a China Grove.’ I said, ‘No, there isn’t.’ He says, ‘Yeah, there really is. And it is right outside of San Antonio.’ I said, ‘That’s weird.’ And it turns out there’s one in North Carolina, too.”
When the sun comes up on a sleepy little town
Down around San Antone
And the folks are risin’ for another day
‘Round about their homes
The people of the town are strange
And they’re proud of where they came
Well, you’re talkin’ ’bout China Grove
Oh, China Grove
Well, the preacher and the teacher
Lord, they’re a caution
They are the talk of the town
When the gossip gets to flyin’
And they ain’t lyin’
When the sun goes fallin’ down
They say that the father’s insane
And dear Missus Perkin’s a game
We’re talkin’ ’bout the China Grove
Oh, China Grove
But every day there’s a new thing comin’
The ways of an oriental view
The sheriff and his buddies
With their samurai swords
You can even hear the music at night