OPEN THE DOOR, RICHARD
(Jack McVea / Dan Howell / Clinton "Dusty" Fletcher / John Mason)

Count Basie & His Orch.(vocal: Harry Edison & Bill Johnson) - 1947
The Three Flames - 1947
"Dusty" Fletcher - 1947
Jack McVea & His All Stars(vocal: McVea & John "Red" Kelly) - 1947
The Charioteers - 1947
Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - 1947
The Pied Pipers - 1947
Hank Penny - 1947
Ted Heath & His Music (vocal: Paul Carpenter & Dave Wilkins) - 1947
Billy Lee Riley - 1957
Ernie Barton - 1959
Billy Adams - 1966

Also recorded by: Five By Design; Hot Lips Page;
Big Sid Catlett; Chevalier Brothers; Mel Henke.


Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in,
Open the door, Richard,
Richard why don't you open the door?

Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in.
Open the door, Richard,
Richard, why don't you open the door?

I'm standing here diggin' in my hip-pocket,
And I'm stand-in' here scratch-in' in my pants-pocket,
And I'm standing here grop-in' in my coat pocket,
And I just can't find that key.

Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in,
Open the door, Richard,
Richard why don't you open the door?
Open the door?


*****


As recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra
with vocals by Harry Edison & Bill Johnson:


We was at the club tonight. Ol' Richard went home early. He's
got the key to the house. I'm gonna knock on the door, see if
I kin get in.

(Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat)

Open the door, Richard!! Ya see, Richard sleeps in the back room.
It's kinda hard to hear. Maybe I better knock a little louder.

(Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat)

Open the door, Richard!! I don't think Richard heard me yet.
Knock one more time. Let's see what's gonna happen.

(Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat)

Richard, open the door, please.

Open the door, Richard
Open the door and let me in
Open the door, Richard
Richard, why don't you open that door?

Richard, open the door, man-it's co-hold out here'n this air.
Now look! There's that old woman 'cross the street lookin' out
the windah
(Who's that, Widow Sweet?)
That must be her sister, I guess. She wants to make sure this
is me. She's tryin' to find out what's happenin'. Yes, it's me
and I'm late again!
(Did you hear what the lady's sayin'?)
No, what is she sayin'?
(She said you sure look common out here'n the street.)
Common? Man, I got class I ain't never used yet. I'm gonna
knock again. Richard's got to get up.

(Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat)

Open the door, Richard!! Man, you got a key to the house?
(No, I don't have a key. I don't have a key)
Somebody's got to get in the house. We can't climb in the transit
(Oh, I know he's in there.)
How you know he's in there?
(I can hear him breathin')
Ooooh, let's try it one more time!

(Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat)

Richard, open that door, man. Maybe Richard's gone.

(Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat)

Open the door, Richard
Open the door and let me in
Open the door, Richard
Richard, why don't you open that door?

I know he's in there
(How you know he's in there?)
Why, you got on the suit
I know I got on the only suit. Ain't got but one suit between
us. That's the reason why I don't like to rooooom with nobody

Richard, why don'tcha open the door, man?


*****


As recorded by Louis Jordan:


Open the door, Richard
Open the door and let me in
Open the door, Richard
Richard, why don't you open that door

I met old Zeke standin' on the corner the other day
That cat sure was booted with the liqour
(He was what?)
He was abnoxicated
(He was what?)
He was inebriated
(He was what?)
Well, he was just plain drunk
(Well, alright then!)

He was sure salty with the bartender
The bartender's tryin to make him by another drink
Zeke told the bartender, "There ain't no need of me buyin' no
drinks when everyone else is buyin them. I'm goin' to drink to
everybody's health, till I ruin my own"

Open the door, Richard!
Why don't he know who he's throwin outta that joint?
Why i'll go back in that joint and take a short stick and bust
it down to the ground!
Open the door, Richard!
But I hate to be caught out on the street like this cause I got
class I ain't never used yet
But I guess I better get on in the house 'cause I don't want
my Pastor to catch me out like this
Open the door, Richard!

Now look at that old woman across the street
Done stuck her head outta the window callin' her sister
Look at her and her sister sayin, "Ain't that him, ain't that him?"
Yes, it's me! And i'm drunk again!
Open the door, Richard!

I know he's in there 'cause I got on the clothes
They can't throw him out 'cause I owe just as much back rent as he
does
Imagine that old woman chargin' us three dollars a month and gettin'
mad cause we twelve months in the arears
Come meetin' me last thursday sayin, "Ain't you boys goin to give
me some back rent?"
I told her she'd be lucky if she got some front rent
Open the door, Richard!

Come on, open the door
'Cause i'm standin' here scratchin' in my pants pocket
And standin' here gropin' in my coat pocket
And standin' here feelin' in my shirt pocket
And I can't find the key
Open the door, Richard!

Open the door, Richard
Open the door and let me in
Open the door, Richard
Richard, why don't you open that door


*****


As recorded by Ted Heath & His Orchestra
with vocals by Paul Carpenter & Dave Wilkins:


Raindrops down my collar
Standing here in the street
I got raindrops down my collar
An' I got misery in my feet
I'd give my last dollar,
Matter of fact I'd give Ted's last dollar too
If I could just pick this lock
(Pick, pick, pick)
Listen to me holler
Listen to me knock

Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in,
Open the door, Richard,
Richard why don't you open the door?

Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in.
Open the door, Richard,
Richard, why don't you open the door?

I'm standing here diggin' in my hip-pocket,
And I'm stand-in' here scratch-in' in my pants-pocket,
And I'm standing here grop-in' in my coat pocket,
And I still can't find the key.

Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in,
Open the door, Richard,
Richard why don't you open the door?

(Dave) (Spoken)
What's a matter boy, you got troubles?

(Paul)
You ain't kiddin' man, I'm not married either

(Dave)
Hm,hm, that's bad. Can I help?

(Paul)
I tell ya, I've lost my key
You don't look thin enough to slide under that door

(Dave)
But ain't there nobody in there that you can wake up?

(Paul)
Er yeah there a guy by the name of Richard
But he's harder to wake up than Rip Van Winkle

(Dave)
Want me to try

(Paul)
Yeah, go ahead, I don't mind

(Dave)
Richard, open up that door man
It's cold out here
Yeah, and that goes for me too

(Paul)
There, see what I mean?
Thinks he's Juliet, playing hard to get

(Dave)
OK Romeo, but maybe he's gone

(Paul)
Gone? He can't gone
I got his only suit on

(Dave)
In that case boy you both got troubles
And I'm gonna leave you to it.

(Paul)
Alright, thanks a lot anyway
But I think I'll knock one more time

(Dave)
Yeah, do that, do that

(Sung)
Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in,
Open the door, Richard,

(Shouted)
I'm gonna kick that door down

(Sung)
Open the door, Richard,
Open the door and let me in,
Open the door, Richard,
Richard why don't you open the door?


(Transcribed by Bill Huntley - January 2005)


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