Download Instrumental    You’re sitting in a Mexican cantina (if you’ve never done that, you should), minding your own business, when this beautiful lady gives you the eye from across the room.  She crooks her finger at you, coaxing in a sultry voice, “Come a little bit closer, you’re my kind of man, so big and so strong”.  Well, that’s you alright… big and strong…. and her kind of man, for sure.  She continues, “Come a little bit closer, I’m all alone and the night is so long”.  Well, okay then… done deal.  Let me get you a chair since I’m so big and strong.

And so begins a terrific story and song by Jay and the Americans.  “Come a Little Bit Closer” reached #3 on the charts in 1964 and served as a kind of comeback hit for the group.  They hadn’t had any chart success since they put out “Only  in America” in ’63.  Then, in ’65, they scored another hit with “Cara Mia”.  So that’s one hit a year for 3 years, which isn’t bad.  I haven’t had a hit in 50 years myself… so there ya go.

Back to our story (song).  Seems our temptress has a boyfriend named Jose.  Apparently, Jose doesn’t take kindly to someone messing with his woman (nobody does) and the boy is 7 foot tall and 300 pounds (I just made that up, but Jose is scary, nonetheless).  Our hero bails out the window (a smooth move) but hears the little tart say to Jose, “Come a little bit closer, you’re my kind of man”.  Sound familiar?  Trouble is, Jose really is “big and strong” and it’s truly time to exit stage left.

I like performing a song that tells a tale – no matter how far-fetched.  I gave you a guitar intro to help you slide into the right key, and your backup vocals are done with an organ.  So this arrangement is ideally suited for a solo performer.  Give it a shot on your next gig, unless you’re playing a cantina in Mexico – you just might run into Jose… who still carries a grudge.