Lock and Key

It’s night time in the big city

A school teacher drinks alone

They’re finally tearing down the old shoe factory

 

“We’re gonna be locked up, locked out, keyed up, wound up, we’re gonna be talking about church keys and skate keys, we’ll listen to the key of C and learn about the key to good living. There’ll be lip locks, Loch Ness, time locks, and vapor locks. Before the end of it we might even get the key to the city. So I hope you’re all locked and loaded and sitting by your radio.”

Singers and Songs

  • Bessie Smith
    Lock and Key

    “We’re gonna start it all off old school.”

  • Sonny Boy Williamson
    The Key (To Your Door)

    “Kind of a crazy march…sounds like they were all playing in different keys there for a minute. Personally, I don’t think it was actually the key to her door that he was looking for; maybe he was looking for the key to her chastity belt.”

  • Adam Hebert and The Country Playboys
    Ouvre Cette Porte
  • Jimmy Nelson
    Unlock the Lock
  • Lucinda Williams
    Changed the Lock

    “Time Magazine called her America’s best songwriter in 2002…I guess I was out of town.”

  • Somebody’s Changed the Lock on My Door
  • Dusty Fletcher
    Open the Door, Richard

    (Clip played)

  • Open the Door, Richard

    “See, that song can be done any kinda way…’bout time for it to come back again. Maybe I’ll even do it.”

  • Key to the Highway
  • Ten Long Fingers

    “Kind of a rockabilly, piano based version of Johnny B. Goode.”

  • Who Stole the Lock on the Henhouse Door

    “One of the last great New Orleans trumpet players. He was overshadowed by Louis but he actually had a fresh approach. In the 60’s he was still playing, and Don Ellis called him the most creative and avant garde trumpet player in New York.”

  • Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies
    You’re Bound to Look Like a Monkey

    “You don’t get any more western swing than this.”

  • You Don’t Knock

Other People and Players

The Places

  • The Delta
  • Mississippi
  • Georgia
  • Arkansas
  • Mexico City
  • Santiago, Chile
  • Jamaica
  • Dallas, TX
  • Louisiana (x 2)
  • Detroit

Record Labels

Other Songs and Albums

  • Johnny B. Goode
  • Star Spangled Banner

The Guests

Types of Locks

  • Cylinder Locks
  • Combination Locks
  • Permutation Locks
  • Electronic Locks
  • Ignition Locks
  • Padlocks
  • Bicycle Locks
  • Child Safety Locks
  • Magnetic Locks
  • Warden Locks
  • Key Card Locks
  • Bagels and Lox (in the northeastern states)
  • Dreadlocks

“Sometimes we tell you who wrote the song, what kind of music it is, who else recorded it, but you know sometimes we don’t get it right. I mean it’s important to remember this isn’t a classroom here; it’s music of the field, the pool hall, the back alley crap game, the barroom and the bedroom. We don’t want to make it dusty and academic. It’s full of sweat and blood, it’s like life itself. If every once in a while we get a name wrong, or we tell you it’s on the wrong label, it’s not gonna kill anybody…just listen to the music.”