Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress) - The Hollies
Song Lyrics / Chart History / Artist Information

• Written by Roger Cook, Roger Greenway, and Allan Clark
• Cook & Greenway were a popular British songwriting team who collaborated on a number of songs...most notably on "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" (aka "The Coke Song" as done by The New Seekers 
• Allan Clark was the lead singer of the Hollies
• The song was originally performed by the British band The Hollies, who consisted (at the time of the recording) of Allan Clark on vocals, Terry Sylvester and Tony Hicks on guitar, Bernie Calvert on bass, and Bobby Elliott on drums
• For a while in the early days of the band they had another guitarist named Graham Nash, who went on to a successful solo career, as well as being part of the hugely successful Crosby Stills & Nash formed in 1969
• This was the only Hollies song that did not have any backup vocals
• It was originally considered to be a throw away filler song, never intending for it to be released as a single
• Indeed, Allan Clark left the band shortly before it's release to pursue a solo career.  The success of the song and the lackluster reception given Swedish replacement Mikael Rickfors resulted in his return to the band a year later in 1973
• The song reached #2 on the Billboard Top 40 chart in 1972
• Interestingly enough, it did NOT do that well in Britain where the Hollies were from, only reaching #32 on the UK chart
• LCWIABD was also The Hollies highest charting song of their careers
• It was the 9th of 12 Top 40 hits in the US for the band

An excerpt from a live Oracle performance is available as both a streaming RealAudio format, or as a higher quality downloadable MP3.  Select the version you'd prefer.

Song Lyrics - 
Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)

Saturday night I was downtown, 
Working for the F.B.I.
Sitting in a nest of bad men, 
Whiskey bottles piling high

Bootlegging boozer on the west side 
Full of people who are doing wrong
Just about to call up the DA man
When I heard this woman sing a song

A pair of 45s made me open my eyes, 
My temperature started to rise
She was a long cool woman in a black dress
Just-a five nine beautiful tall
With just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all

I saw her headed to the table, 
Like a tall walking big black cat
When Charlie said I hope that you're able boy
'Cause I'm telling ya she knows where it's at

Then suddenly we heard the sirens
And everybody started to run
A-jumping out of doors and tables
When I heard somebody shooting a gun

Well the DA was pumping my left hand
And a-she was a-holding my right
Well I told her don't get scared 
'Cause you're gonna be spared

I've gotta be forgiven
If I wanna spend my living with a
Long cool woman in a black dress
Just a five nine beautiful tall
Yeah, with just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all
She had it all.....
Had it all.....
Had it all!.....
Had it all!.....
She had it all.....
Ooooohhhh, Had it all!.....

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