Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?

Lyrics

We may seem happy like everything's alright

But from the outside looking in

Everything's uptight

But deep down inside we're covering up the pain

It's an old thing

It's a soul thing

But it's a real thing

Pray tell what’s gonna happen to brother

Who’s gonna help him get further

One another

One another

There's old dude standing on the corner

Waiting for a fox to pass

The only thing he's got to go by

Is this is where he saw her last

And there's old John, two dollars in his pocket

Talking loud and thinks he's rich

And look for little fool, too cool to go to school

Get a job, in two days he quits

Pray tell what’s gonna happen to brother

Who’s gonna help him get further

One another

Is that the truth?

One another

Yeah, you're right

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Pray tell what’s gonna happen to brother

Who’s gonna help him get further

One another

One another

Mama get up early, early in the morning

Papa's already gone

Going out a-working for half of what he's worth now

You know that it's wrong

What happen to the Liberty Bell I heard so much about?

Did it really ding-dong?

It must have dinged wrong

It didn't ding long

Pray tell what’s gonna happen to brother

Who’s gonna help him get further

One another

Is that the truth?

One another

Yeah, you're right

Mama get up early, early in the morning

Papa's already gone

Working two jobs for half of what he's worth now

You know that it's wrong

What happen to the Liberty Bell I heard so much about?

Did it really ding-dong?

It must have dinged wrong

It didn't ding long

Pray tell what’s gonna happen to brother

Who’s gonna help him get further

One another

Is that the truth?

One another

Yeah, you're right

Pray tell what’s gonna happen to brother

Who’s gonna help him get further

One another

Is that the truth?

One another

Yeah, you're right

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah

Did it really ding-dong?

It didn't ding long

Did it really ding-dong?

It didn't ding long

Credits

• Written by: Allen Toussaint
• Produced by: Joe Henry
• Musicians:

Allen Toussaint - vocal, piano

Elvis Costello - vocal

Anthony "AB" Brown - Fender Telecaster

The Imposters:

Steve Nieve - Hammond B3, second piano (live breakdown)

Davey Faragher - bass, backing vocals

Pete Thomas - drums

The Crescent City Horns:

Carl Blouin - baritone saxophone

Amadee Castenell - tenor saxophone

Joe "Foxx" Smith - trumpet

Sam "Big Sam" Williams - trombone and solo

Discography

Albums:

• The River In Reverse, 2006

Alternate Versions:

• This section may be incomplete.

Covers

Also recorded by:

• Lee Dorsey, 1970
• This section may be incomplete.