Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

"Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" is a 1969 song recorded by Sly and the Family Stone. The song, released as a double A-side single with "Everybody Is a Star", reached number one on the soul single charts for five weeks, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970. Billboard ranked the record as the No. 19 song of 1970.

"Thank You" was intended to be included on an in-progress album with "Star" and "Hot Fun in the Summertime"; the LP was never completed, and the three tracks were instead included on the band's 1970 Greatest Hits LP. "Thank You" and "Star", the final Family Stone recordings issued in the 1960s, marked the beginning of a 20-month gap of releases from the band, which would finally end with the release of "Family Affair" in 1971.

The song's length on the original hit single and the Greatest Hits LP is 4:48 and was re-channeled to simulate stereo on the popular Greatest Hits LP. The previously unreleased full-length version (6:18) was mixed by Bob Irwin in true stereo and its only issue was on a 1990 Columbia promotional CD Legacy: Music for the Next Generation. On the subsequent (and currently available as of 2015) The Essential Sly & The Family Stone 2-CD set, the track is in stereo but is the standard 4:48 length hit version.

The song was ranked number 402 on Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Overview
The title is an intentional mondegreen or sensational spelling for "thank you for letting me be myself again." The third verse contains specific references to the group's previous successful songs, "Dance to the Music", "Everyday People", "Sing a Simple Song", and "You Can Make It If You Try". The song features co-lead vocals from Sly Stone, Rose Stone, Freddie Stone, Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini, Greg Errico and Larry Graham.

Cover versions

 * A slower arrangement of the song (retitled "Thank You for Talkin' to Me Africa") is the closing track of the band's next album, There's a Riot Goin' On (1971).


 * In 1970, pianist Junior Mance included an instrumental cover of the song on his album, With a Lotta Help from My Friends.


 * Maceo & All the King's Men covered the song on their 1970 album Doing Their Own Thing.


 * Gladys Knight and the Pips did a cover version of the song in 1971.


 * Magazine covered the song in 1980 on the album The Correct Use of Soap. The same recording was issued as the A-side of a single, and a live version was included on the 1981 album Play.


 * Soundgarden performed it on their 1989 tour and during their John Peel session that year.


 * Dave Matthews Band has performed this song for many years, typically in the second set


 * Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy covered the song for the credits of the 2007 animated film Shrek the Third, and its soundtrack.


 * Widespread Panic includes portions of this song during live performances as John Bell "raps", most commonly during "Barstools and Dreamers" and "Red Hot Mama Girl".
 * Lonnie Smith performed the song on May 21, 1970 at Club Mozambique in Detroit. A recording of this concert was released in 1995.


 * My Morning Jacket performed the song as a medley with Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" on New Year's Eve 2017, at 1st Bank Center in Denver, Colorado.


 * Dr. John included the song on his 1994 studio album Television.


 * Big Brovaz performed a cover of the song for the 2004 film Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, which is also included on the soundtrack album.

In other media
Janet Jackson's 1989 song "Rhythm Nation" samples the groove from the song in between verses.

Personnel

 * Sly Stone – co-lead vocals, guitar, writer, producer
 * Rose Stone – co-lead vocals
 * Jerry Martini – tenor saxophone and co-lead vocals
 * Cynthia Robinson – trumpet and co-lead vocals
 * Freddie Stone – guitar, co-lead vocals
 * Larry Graham – bass, co-lead vocals
 * Greg Errico – drums and co-lead vocals