Mama Told Me (Not to Come)

He was a rock singer who gained fame as one of the co-lead singers of Three Dog Night.

Mainly his voices on the song Mama Told Me Not To Come.

Next on the Music History Today podcast, it is October the 21st, when in 1995, Doja Cat was born.

Don't turn on the lights 'cause I don't wanna see.

Mama told me not to come.

Mama told me not to come.

That ain't the way to have fun, no. Uh-uh.

Open up the window, let some air into this room.

And that cigarette you're smoking will scare me half to death.

Open up the window, sucker, let me catch my breath.

Mama told me not to come.

Yeah, this is early

... you know, his big hit was Mama Told Me Not to Come by Three Dog Night.

Uh-huh.

They covered his original version.

Yes.

Mama told me not to come.

Mama told me not to come.

That's not the way to have fun.

No. Don't go.

But in fact, I could fill a whole show with sometimes light-hearted, sometimes poignant songs he wrote over the course of the '60s, '70s, '80s, and beyond, that were made famous by other people.

Mama Told Me Not to Come was written about an innocent middle-class guy [laughs], like Randy Newman, getting invited to his first hipster party, and he's more than a little scared.

"This is the craziest party there could ever be.

Don't turn on the lights 'cause I don't wanna see." This is Mama Told Me Not to Come.

[singing] Want some whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea.

What's all these crazy questions they're asking me? This is the craziest party that could ever be.

Don't turn on the lights 'cause I don't wanna see.

Mama told me not to come.