William DeVaughn - "Be Thankful For What You Got"

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Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac
Gangsta whitewalls
TV antennas in the back
You may not have a car at all
But remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall
Just be thankful for what you've got
Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean
Gangsta whitewalls
TV antennas in the back
You may not have a car at all
But remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall
Just be thankful for what you've got
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac
Gangsta whitewalls
TV antennas in the back
You may not have a car at all
But remember brothers and sisters
You can still stand tall
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
[Instrumental Interlude]

Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh
Diamond in the back, sunroof top
Diggin' the scene
With a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh

Discuss! The best "one-hit wonder" tune ever?

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Great song. Matos and I tonight were discussing the fact that he cut it twice; there's also a 1980 disco version after the '74 smash.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

Said a bit about it here innit.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

I love the connection between this and Timmy Thomas! I was listening to both of these on Monday.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

Not to derail, but Marcello, you must also be a fan of Thomas' completely wild "Live Together" instrumental B-side "Funky Me."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

Funny you should mention that, but given the use of the drum machine and the general grey glow of "Funky Me," there's a fairly straight line that can be drawn between Timmy Thomas and early Scritti. Unfortunate that people now associate him as having been "rehabilitated" by Joss Stone, because his '70s stuff really was bizarre.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

I thought it was 'TV angels in the back', referring to 'Charlie's Angels'. I always thought it was a bit strange.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

MC, good points -- the Scritti thing wouldn't have occurred to me.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:53 (7 years ago) Permalink

Timmy Thomas, yes~!

Of course, this excellent William DeVaughn song should really be considered the best Curtis Mayfield tune not actually written or performed by the man himself. I once ordered a British-released 2 albums on 1 CD release by William DeVaughn that never showed up - when I wrote to ask, I was told it had been deleted! Anyone who has a copy of that, I'd love to do a trade (I've got roughly 10K CDs). Let me know!

― Dee Xtrovert (dee dee), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

theres been some decent covers - one by portrait, another by the intruders.

― blahbariantheoriginal, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

and and - o go on, say it - massive attack.

― mullygrubbr (bulbs), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Really? DIdn't know that. ;) I got the DeVaughn one on a cheap disco boxset.

Yo La Tengo also covered this, no?

― nathalie's baby (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

Those thumps behind the snere hits...

― Nic de Teardrop (Nicholas), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

Love (as in Arthur Lee's group) did a horrendous version on their final album, REEL TO REAL.

As for DeVaughn, the BE THANKFUL album is surprisingly good. It's been reissued in the US on the Collectables label, and holds up well from start to finish. Includes his soundalike followup, "Blood Is Thicker Than Water."

― Rev. Hoodoo (Rev. Hoodoo), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 10:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Years ago in a thrift store, I found a whole stack of "Be Thankful" LP's, still shrinkwrapped, 25 cents apiece. I bought the lot and gave them to all my soul-loving friends for Christmas. It is a quite solid record.

― Daniel Peterson (polkaholic), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 18:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

Yes, nathalie, Yo La Tengo did cover it. I haven't even heard the other covers!

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 19:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

I adore both the original and the Massive Attack versions. Not so crazy about the YLT though.

― Hutlock (Hutlock), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 19:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

With the "Diamond in the back, sun-roof top"
Diggin' the scene with the gangsta lean
Cause I'm the E, I don't slang or bang
I just smoke motherfuckers like it ain't no thang

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 19:34 (7 years ago) Permalink

I still only know the Massive Attack version. Eviscerate me if you must.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 19:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

You seem to eviscerate yourself quite well with little outside help.

― bahtology, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 21:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

Hooray!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 21:19 (7 years ago) Permalink

google image search for "gangsta lean"

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 21:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

Massive Attack: Be Thankful For What You Got (the video) C/D?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 23:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

they sure did good videos (up til "teardrop"). Classic.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 23:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

7 years pass...

Tune that couldn't get any more classic. Supposedly the original title was 'A Cadillac Don't Come Easy'

― Popture, Sunday, 21 October 2012 09:52 (7 months ago) Permalink

Saw old-school soul group the Winstons cover this recently

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 24 October 2012 03:43 (6 months ago) Permalink

I always think he's saying

"Gangsta whiteboys / TV interns in the back"

― Knut Horowitz, Able-Bodied Investment Banker and Ladies Man (Hurting 2), Wednesday, 24 October 2012 20:42 (6 months ago) Permalink

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