Wet Willie – Keep On Smilin’

First, let’s get this out of the way… wet–willy. Noun. (plural wet willies) (slang) A prank whereby a saliva-moistened finger is inserted into an unsuspecting person’s ear, often with a slight twisting motion… Oh yes…I’ve given them and have been on the receiving end. When you are 12 given wet willies were a lot of fun….oh wait…that was yesterday!

Wet Willie began as a blues-rock band during the  Summer of 1969 down in Mobile Alabama. The original nucleus of the group that eventually became known as Wet Willie was called Fox. Wet Willie eventually moved to Macon Georgia and signed to Capricorn Records sharing the label with The Allman Brothers and The Marshall Tucker Band but they really didn’t have a southern rock sound.

They did open for their label mates and gained a following. Like many bands from that era if you were from the south you were automatically “southern rock”…

Keep On Smiling peaked at #10 in the Billboard 100 and #21 in Canada in 1974.

They broke up in 1979. They haven’t recorded anything new since then but they still tour. In 2012 Wet Willie released a new live CD “Miles of Smiles” on the Hittin’ The Note Records label. They continue to tour with three original members including original lead singer Jimmy Hall, brother Jack Hall on bass and vocals, sister Donna Hall Foster on vocals as well as other long time members, drummer T.K. Lively, Ric Seymour on guitar and vocals, Ricky Chancey on guitar and newest member, keyboardist Bobby Mobley.

Keep On Smilin’

Well you say you got the blues,
You got holes in both of your shoes, yeah-
You’re feeling alone and confused,
You got to keep on smilin’, just keep on smilin’

Yeah, you’re- you’re bout to go insane,
Cause your womans playing games,
And she says that you’re to blame,
You try to keep on smilin’, just keep on smilin’

Keep on smilin’ through the rain, laughin’ at the pain
Just flowin’ with the changes, till the sun comes out again
Keep on smilin’ through the rain, laughin at the pain
Just flowin’ with the changes, and singin’ this refrain

Singing in a honky tonk cafe,
Nobodys hearin’ what you play, yeah-
They’re too busy drinkin anyway,
You gotta keep on smilin’, brother keep on smilin’

Say you found a piece of land
[Lyrics from: https:/lyrics.az/wet-willie/keep-on-smilin/keep-on-smilin.html]
Gonna change from city boy to country man, yeah-
Try to build you’re life with your hands
And just keep on smilin’, keep on smilin’

Keep on smilin’ through the rain, laughin’ at the pain
Just flowin’ with the changes, till the sun comes out again
Keep on smilin’ through the rain, laughin at the pain
Just flowin’ with the changes, and singin’ this refrain

You’re just hangin out- in a local bar,
And you’re wonderin’- who the hell you are
Are you a farmer – are you a star?

Smile on through the rain
Laugh all through the pain
Flow through to changes
Till the sun comes out again

Keep on smilin’, smilin’ – smilin’, smilin’
Laughin, laughin- said laughin’, laughin’
Keep on flowin’, flowin’, flowin’
Yeah