‣ Been Smoking Too Long
I wrote "Been Smoking Too Long" in the last few weeks of 1966. I was living in Aix-en-Provence, in the south of France, playing around Aix and Marseilles in various clubs. The guitar/vocal demo (see link below) was recorded in early 1967 at a friend's flat. One evening, after a performance in Aix, a couple of young Englishmen introduced themselves. One of them was Nick Drake. We spent a few evenings playing songs for each other and one night Nick asked for the lyrics to "Been Smoking To Long" which I wrote out for him. It's an easy, bluesy song that seemed to capture the feel of the times. Nick picked up music very quickly. His guitar arrangement is sophisticated and smooth. Years later, when I heard his home recording, I realized he had changed a line. "Got the marijuana blues" became "Got no other life to choose" - a fatalistic turn of phrase that strikes me as very like him. He recorded the song a couple of times, first on the "Aix Tape" in April or May of 1967 and then on the home demo which is now included on the FAMILY TREE album. I've written more about Aix and my friendship with Nick elsewhere on this site in Nick Drake: A Place To Be and Sandy Grey. I continued to play the song during the early 1970s and then put it in a drawer and forgot about it. Times changed. I changed. I thought it might be worth revisiting this song. Instead of the original acoustic blues arrangement, I chose to lay down a chill groove with electro touches which just seemed to feel right to me. I was surprised at how easy it was to sing and how much better I now understand what I wrote so long ago. Many other artists have covered this song including Graham Coxon, Placebo, Hederos and Helberg, Dax Riggs, Alison Faith Levy, and lots of people who just like to sing it. Below the lyrics are some links to mp3s and video files. If you have a version of this song posted on the internet and would like a link posted here, please send an Email and include the complete URL. |
My recordingsBeen Smoking Too Long, 2003Available on CD: BLUE FLAME at CD Baby Scroll down for more versions: Placebo, Graham Coxon, Dax Riggs, Alison Faith Levy, and more. If you have version of "Been Smoking Too Long" send us a link. Been Smoking Too Long, 1967 my Home demo mp3 Lo-Fi mp3 Hi-Fi Recorded by Jean-Louis Pujol in Aix-en-Provence, France. Winter 1966-67. |
Been Smoking Too Long - LyricsWords & Music by Robin Frederick
I go to fix me some breakfast But I ain't got no food Go to take me a shower But the water don't feel no good Tell me, tell me, what have I done wrong Ain't nothin' goin' right for me Must be I been smoking too long. Got opium in my chimney Got the marijuana blues Got a nightmare made of hash dreams Got the devil in my shoes Tell me, tell me, what have I done wrong Ain't nothin' goin' right for me Must be I been smoking too long. Now when I get to smokin' I put my worries on a shelf Don't think about nothin' Try not to see myself Tell me, tell me, what have I done wrong Ain't nothin' goin' right for me Must be I been smoking too long. Now in these blues I'm singing There's a lesson to be learned Don't go round smokin' 'Less you want to get burned Tell me, tell me, what have I done wrong Ain't nothin' goin' right for me Must be I been smoking... Ain't nothin' goin' right for me Must be I been smoking... Ain't nothin' goin' right for me Must be I been smoking too long. © 1966 Robin Frederick. All rights reserved. Used by permission. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
More versions of Been Smoking Too LongGraham Coxon live on Virgin Radio |
MP3 Placebo bootleg version: Been Smoking Too Long. (mp3 stream) Stoned. Hederos & Helberg's version is available at iTunes Outstanding! Dax Riggs - Been Smokin' Too Long (YouTube video.) - A hot live performance version of the song with the kind of party atmosphere it was written for. Mudflow - Check out this great Chicago blues-style version from Swedish band Mudflow at MySpace. High energy and plenty of punch! Dale Miller & Alison Faith Levy - Audio & album available at CDbaby.com The real deal. Dale Miller is a superb guitarist and Levy's vocals are right on target. A chill version of Been Smoking Too Long by Miguel Varela (mp3 stream) Very nice! C. Ashleigh Caldwell - Audio & album available at CDbaby.com. Bluesy and haunting. Here's Anat Navarro< with a smokin' piano/vocal track straight from the bedroom. Love the teddy bear in the background! He looks totally stoned. :-) YouTube Several video versions of "Been Smoking Too Long." Some are pretty good! |
Robin Frederick
©2012 Robin Frederick
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Robin Frederick is a professional songwriter, music producer and recording artist. Nick Drake's recording of her song "Been Smoking Too Long" appears on the FAMILY TREE album. She is also a contributor to the album notes in the re-release of the FRUIT TREE box set and FAMILY TREE CD.
Over her 35 years in the music industry, Robin has written more than 500 songs for television, records, theater, and audio products. She is a former Director of A&R for Rhino Records , Executive Producer of 60 albums, and the author of "Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting" and Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV."
Robin's books are used to teach songwriting at top universities and schools in the U.S. They're fun to read and filled with practical, real world information. Buy them at Amazon.com...
Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting Shortcuts to Songwriting for Film & TV