Mashed Potatoes U.S.A.

 

 

is a rhythm and blues song by James Brown. Released in 1962 as a single by King Records, it reached #82 on the Pop chart and #21 on the R&B chart. The title refers to the popular dance the Mashed Potato.

 

 

The song is basically a travelogue set over a strummed guitar/organ riff with a muted trumpet providing a jazz counterpoint to the vocal delivery. The bridge consists of the entire band repeating a two-chord riff.

In the song, Brown asserts "Here I am and I'm back again," then states his plan to bring the mashed potatoes to the cities he will tour. He then name checks his itinerary, starting with New York City and ending with his home town, Augusta, Georgia.

 

 

 

 

Here I am and I'm back again
I'm doing mashed potatoes
I'm gonna start by going
To New York City
With your number one

I'm going to Boston, ow
I'm going to Buffalo
Straight down the road
Gonna stop in Cleveland, Ohio

Gonna go to your
Next door neighbor
I'm gonna mashed potatoes
In Detroit

I'm gonna swing right on
Down the freeway
Doing the mashed potatoes
Gonna stop in Chicago
And St.Louis, Missouri

Going way over on the other side
And stop in Memphis, Tennessee
While I'm in neighborhood
I'm gonna stop in Nashville too

My old good old place
Where everybody's having
A mighty good time
Charlotte, North Carolina

I believe I'll mashed potatoes
Where the cowboys stay
Of course you know I'm
Talking about Dallas, Texas
And I want you to know I've got
Houston, Texas on my mind

Now any of these places I called
And I missed your town
I just want you to know
I'm coming through cause
I'm mashed potato bound

Miami, Florida, Jacksonville too
Columbia, South Carolina too
And Norfolk, Virginia too

San Francisco

I mashed potato at the
World's Fair is Seattle, Washington
Los Angeles, California

Going back over on the East Coast
I'm going to Richmond, Virginia
I'm gonna fool you
Now I'm going my old hometown
I'm going to Augusta, Georgia
Spelled A-u-g-u-s-t-a

 

 

 

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