Song Premiere: Cowboy Mouth – ‘Kiss the Baby’

Cowboy Mouth releases their new EP Open Wide on March 27. It’s a high-energy grab-bag of funk-rock, rock and roll, and country rock, including a punning song inspired by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and a punk-rock cover of John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” It’s also got the wryly funny single “Kiss the Baby,” which we’re happy to premiere today.

For three decades, since the band emerged from New Orleans with the hit single “Jenny Says,” they’ve been knocking crowds upside the head, playing over 3,500 shows and counting. With the COVID-19 crisis putting live shows on pause for the moment, a set of five new tracks from Cowboy Mouth is just what we need.

(They’re releasing an updated version of “Jenny Says” too, calling it “Jenny 20.”)

Asked about “Kiss the Baby,” frontman/drummer Fred LeBlanc seemed almost caught by surprise. “Oh… What a silly little song. I was really surprised when I came up with this one, mostly because it made me laugh out loud! And couldn’t everybody use a good bit of laughter right now?

“Anyway, it’s a catchy little rock ‘n’ roll song about affection between a couple. Not exactly a love song, but not NOT one, either – if that makes any sense. Just take the song in the spirit it’s meant to be in and enjoy!”

For a “silly little song,” “Kiss the Baby” rocks pretty darn hard. LeBlanc sings the first couple of verses and choruses in a tongue-in-cheek drawl that at first suggests Elvis Presley. You can’t help but imagine a nervous glint in his eye. Over this tense-sounding stretch he paints a picture of a man’s insecurity as he wakes up with a lover he’s unsure of: “I got to know how much you want me / By the way you torture, tease and taunt me.”

Then, after exploding into a hard-rocking bridge, the song climaxes with a wailing rave-up. And you’ll find it reverberating joyously in your head for hours. All in a tightly packed three minutes and 18 seconds. Check out Cowboy Mouth’s “Kiss the Baby” right here.