Twelve Good Men
'Larry was trying to put together a band from his group of artists so that many of them could go to Warner Brothers together. The Young Lions and The Solid Rock Blues Band and Street Level Choir recordings were rehearsals for the transition but he could not find the musical skills within his artists and was not comfortable with their enthusiasm for the new direction but not writing songs which revealed a brighter light.' Written in 1978
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Version 1 is a full studio recording
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Something New Under The Son [Special edition cassette]
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Version 2 is a live band recording, from the Flevo Totaal Festival in Holland in 1989. Larry is backed by the Finnish band Q-Stone, and his brother Charles
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Version 3 is a studio recording, likely a live rehearsal of the song
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Version 4 is a live recording, performed with a full band in Sweden, in 1993
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Version 5 is a live recording, performed solo with acoustic guitar
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Version 6 is a short excerpt of a live recording, performed solo with acoustic guitar during a concert in Northern Ireland
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Version 7 is a short excerpt of a live recording, performed with a full band during a concert in Northern Ireland
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Rough Diamonds, Precious Jewels Sampler Disc [Second and third versions] [See the CD tab on the singles page]
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Version 8 is the same recording as version 7, but unedited
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lyrics version 1
Twelve good men take one [Spoken]
One [Spoken]
I got my black leather jacket
The one I've worn through all my youth
I got my dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth
Don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Well you need twelve good men
And I can only find eleven
There are six young lions
And I'm waiting for number seven
I may be living on earth
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I'm in love with
There's no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
You know I'll love her just the same
Well it's like meeting an angel from heaven
There's not a lot you can explain
Take it Randy, take it Jonny
You know a man with a woman
Is a mystery like a hawk
Or an eagle in the sky
Or a serpent on a rock
Well I can't say I understand it
But that's the way kings used to talk
And if this song sounds familiar
That's because it's already been done (Yeah)
Yes I wrote this song down
Just the way I heard it sung
You should know by my last album
There's nothing new under the sun
The truth is like a flame
I heard that from Rambling Jack
He said the truth is not a lie
Just like white cannot be black
(Let me try again)
And the truth is Bobby stole this song from the bluesmen
And now I'm trying to steal it back
Love you Bobby, love you
I got my black leather jacket
The one I kept all of my youth, yeah
And I got these dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth
I'm just warning you, don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
One [Spoken]
I got my black leather jacket
The one I've worn through all my youth
I got my dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth
Don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Well you need twelve good men
And I can only find eleven
There are six young lions
And I'm waiting for number seven
I may be living on earth
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I'm in love with
There's no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
You know I'll love her just the same
Well it's like meeting an angel from heaven
There's not a lot you can explain
Take it Randy, take it Jonny
You know a man with a woman
Is a mystery like a hawk
Or an eagle in the sky
Or a serpent on a rock
Well I can't say I understand it
But that's the way kings used to talk
And if this song sounds familiar
That's because it's already been done (Yeah)
Yes I wrote this song down
Just the way I heard it sung
You should know by my last album
There's nothing new under the sun
The truth is like a flame
I heard that from Rambling Jack
He said the truth is not a lie
Just like white cannot be black
(Let me try again)
And the truth is Bobby stole this song from the bluesmen
And now I'm trying to steal it back
Love you Bobby, love you
I got my black leather jacket
The one I kept all of my youth, yeah
And I got these dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth
I'm just warning you, don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
lyrics version 2
I need twelve good men
I can only find eleven
And there are six young lions
I'm still waiting for number seven
I may be living here down on earth
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I'm in love with
There's no need to say her name, yeah yeah yeah
And no matter what happens baby
I'm gonna lo-ove you just the same
You know love is like seeing an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
Take it Charley, take it Hessi [Referring to Heikki Silvennoinen]
Yeah yeah yeah
I've got this black leather jacket
The one I've had through all my youth
I've got these dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth, yeah yeah yeah
A-don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Oh-ah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-wo-oh-oh
I can only find eleven
And there are six young lions
I'm still waiting for number seven
I may be living here down on earth
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I'm in love with
There's no need to say her name, yeah yeah yeah
And no matter what happens baby
I'm gonna lo-ove you just the same
You know love is like seeing an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
Take it Charley, take it Hessi [Referring to Heikki Silvennoinen]
Yeah yeah yeah
I've got this black leather jacket
The one I've had through all my youth
I've got these dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth, yeah yeah yeah
A-don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Oh-ah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-wo-oh-oh
lyrics version 3
Two three four [Spoken]
You need twelve good men
And I can only find eleven yeah-eh
There are six young lions
But I'm still waiting for number seven
I may be living on earth
But I am living for heaven
Well man with a woman
Is like a lizard on a rock
Yeah something something something
I can't remember what I had here right, I had totally better lyrics. Eh [Spoken]
Well I don't say I understand it
That's the way Solomon used to talk
Yeah
Allright lowve
Weh-ah yeah yo
Oh-an-wo-an-lo-aaah
Yeah
Allright, that sounds good
Woo-hoo
I got my black leather jacket
The one I wore through all my youth
Hmmm, I've got my black sunglasses
Man I feel just like William Booth
Yeah baby, don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Okay that sounds good. Eh but let me go get those other lyrics an' an' we'll do it again [Spoken]
You need twelve good men
And I can only find eleven yeah-eh
There are six young lions
But I'm still waiting for number seven
I may be living on earth
But I am living for heaven
Well man with a woman
Is like a lizard on a rock
Yeah something something something
I can't remember what I had here right, I had totally better lyrics. Eh [Spoken]
Well I don't say I understand it
That's the way Solomon used to talk
Yeah
Allright lowve
Weh-ah yeah yo
Oh-an-wo-an-lo-aaah
Yeah
Allright, that sounds good
Woo-hoo
I got my black leather jacket
The one I wore through all my youth
Hmmm, I've got my black sunglasses
Man I feel just like William Booth
Yeah baby, don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Okay that sounds good. Eh but let me go get those other lyrics an' an' we'll do it again [Spoken]
lyrics version 4
You need twelve good men
I can only find eleven
There are six young lions
I'm still waiting for number seven
I may be living down here on earth
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I'm in love with
There's no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
I'm gonna love her just the same
It's like meeting an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
Allright
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I got a black leather jacket
The kind I worn through all my youth
When I wear dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth
Hey man, don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah-ah
I can only find eleven
There are six young lions
I'm still waiting for number seven
I may be living down here on earth
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I'm in love with
There's no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
I'm gonna love her just the same
It's like meeting an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
Allright
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I got a black leather jacket
The kind I worn through all my youth
When I wear dark sunglasses
I feel just like William Booth
Hey man, don't ask me nothing 'bout nothing
I just might tell you the truth
Yeah
Yeah
Yeah-ah
lyrics version 5
You need twelve good men
And I can't even find eleven
There were six young lions
And I kept waiting for number seven
I might be living down here on earth
[Squeal of feedback] Maybe not for long but [Spoken]
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I was in love with
Ain't no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
I'm always gonna love her just the same
Love is like meeting an angel from heaven
I mean love is just really kinda, it's just, it's just too hard to explain
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Alright, take it boys
Ow ow ow ow ow.... [Imitates guitar solo]
I've got this black leather jacket
Same kind I've worn through all my youth
Ah-ah-ah
Sometimes I put on dark sunglasses
Stand on the street corner and preach and sing
I feel just like William Booth
Ah-ah-ah
So don't ask me nothing about nothing
I just might tell you the truth
And I can't even find eleven
There were six young lions
And I kept waiting for number seven
I might be living down here on earth
[Squeal of feedback] Maybe not for long but [Spoken]
But I am living for heaven
I got a woman I was in love with
Ain't no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
I'm always gonna love her just the same
Love is like meeting an angel from heaven
I mean love is just really kinda, it's just, it's just too hard to explain
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Alright, take it boys
Ow ow ow ow ow.... [Imitates guitar solo]
I've got this black leather jacket
Same kind I've worn through all my youth
Ah-ah-ah
Sometimes I put on dark sunglasses
Stand on the street corner and preach and sing
I feel just like William Booth
Ah-ah-ah
So don't ask me nothing about nothing
I just might tell you the truth
lyrics version 6
You need twelve good men
And I can't even find eleven
Ha-ah
There were six young lions
And I kept waiting for number seven
I may be living down here on earth
But I am living for heaven
I've got a woman I was in love with
Ain't no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
You know I'll prob'ly always love her just the same
Love is like meeting an angel from heaven
And I can't even find eleven
Ha-ah
There were six young lions
And I kept waiting for number seven
I may be living down here on earth
But I am living for heaven
I've got a woman I was in love with
Ain't no need to say her name
And no matter what might happen
You know I'll prob'ly always love her just the same
Love is like meeting an angel from heaven
lyrics version 7
There's a woman I'm in love with
And there's no need to say her name
Yes no matter what might happen
You know I'm gonna love her just the same
Yeah yeah yeah
Well it's like meeting an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
I've got these dark sunglasses
The ones I've worn through all my youth
Yeah-eh
I've got this black leather jacket
And there's no need to say her name
Yes no matter what might happen
You know I'm gonna love her just the same
Yeah yeah yeah
Well it's like meeting an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
I've got these dark sunglasses
The ones I've worn through all my youth
Yeah-eh
I've got this black leather jacket
lyrics version 8
You need twelve good men
I can only find eleven
There are six young lions
And I'm waiting for number seven
I may be living here on earth
But I am living for heaven
Yeah
There's a woman I'm in love with
And there's no need to say her name
Yes no matter what might happen
You know I'm gonna love her just the same
Yeah yeah yeah
Well it's like meeting an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
I've got these dark sunglasses
The ones I've worn through all my youth
Yeah-eh
I've got this black leather jacket
Feel like William Booth
Now baby don't ask me nothing about nothing
Just might a-tell you the truth
Oh-oh-oh
Ah bababababa-oh
Ah babababa-oh
Bababa-ah-oh-ah yeah
La la la la leh
I can only find eleven
There are six young lions
And I'm waiting for number seven
I may be living here on earth
But I am living for heaven
Yeah
There's a woman I'm in love with
And there's no need to say her name
Yes no matter what might happen
You know I'm gonna love her just the same
Yeah yeah yeah
Well it's like meeting an angel from heaven
Love is so hard to explain
I've got these dark sunglasses
The ones I've worn through all my youth
Yeah-eh
I've got this black leather jacket
Feel like William Booth
Now baby don't ask me nothing about nothing
Just might a-tell you the truth
Oh-oh-oh
Ah bababababa-oh
Ah babababa-oh
Bababa-ah-oh-ah yeah
La la la la leh
This song borrows quite heavily from Bob Dylan's 'Outlaw Blues', from his album Subterranean Homesick Blues. The groove and melody are similar, and Larry uses or adapts several lyrics: 'I got my dark sunglasses', 'Don't ask me nothin' 'bout nothin', I just might tell you the truth' and 'I got a woman in Jackson, I ain't gonna say her name, She's a brown-skin woman, But I love her just the same'.