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Ain't No Gal in This Town
(Greer-Robinson)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 21, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526
Poor me, I ain't got a gal in this town,
All of them turned me down,
'Cause I ain't got a gal in this town.
Eee-eee-eee...
All yellows and browns,
All of them turned me down,
'Cause I ain't got a gal in this town.
Boo-hoo, you hear my mournful wail,
I even looked in jail,
For a familiar frail.
Oooh-doo, you, you, you got me down,
Stop your dragging me 'round,
'Cause I ain't got a gal in this town.
I've got a million gals in Memphis,
I've got a gal way out in Saint Paul,
I took my hat and left them flat
'Cause they couldn't kick the gong.
Are You in Love With Me Again?
(Cab Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded May 21, 1936.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Are you in love with me, dear?
Are you in love with me again?
Love, I must have near, dear,
If love stays til the end.
I still love you so true,
You'll never, never make me blue!
Oh, are you in love with me, dear?
Are you in love with me again?
You Dog (Aw, You Dog)
(Hoover-Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 12, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
Aw, you dog, you dirty dog,
You better stop your sniffing around like that;
I know just what you're driving at!
Aw, you dog, you salty dog,
You sniffing, snapping, yipping, yapping,
Aw, you dog!
They got the news all over town,
You and my wife been running 'round,
Stop it 'fore I mow you down,
Aw, you dog!
Deacon Green's been talking, too,
He says that he saw you
Kiss my wife in the pew,
Aw, you dog!
Aw, you dog, you ornery dog,
You better stop your sniffing around like that;
I know just what you're driving at!
Aw, you dog, you ornery, salty dog,
You sniffing, snapping, yipping, yapping,
Aw, you dog!
Aw, you dog, you dirty, dirty dog,
You sniffing, snapping, yipping, yapping,
Aw, you dog!
Aw You Dog
(Hoover-Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded March 14, 1932.
From Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526
Aw, you dog, you dirty dog,
You better stop your sniffing around like that;
I know just what you're driving at!
Aw, you dog, you dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty,
dirty dog,
You sniffing, snapping, yipping, yapping,
Aw, you dog!
Say, they got the news all over town,
You and my wife been running 'round,
Stop it 'fore I mow you down,
Aw, you dog!
Deacon Green's been talking, too,
He said that he saw you
Kiss my wife in the pew,
Aw, you dog!
Aw, you dog, you dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty
dog,
You better stop your sniffing around like that;
I know just what you're driving at!
Aw, you dog, you dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty
dog,
You sniffing, snapping, yipping, yapping,
Aw, you dog!
Aw, you dog, you dog, you dirty, dirty, dirty,
dirty dog,
You sniffing, snapping, yipping, yapping,
Aw, you dog!
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
(Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded July 2, 1935.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Baby, won't you please
come home,
'Cause you've left your
daddy all alone,
I have tried in vain,
Never no more to call your
name.
Since you left, you broke
your daddy's heart;
That will never make us
part,
Every hour in the day,
You can hear me say,
"Oh, baby, baby, please come
on home!
Come on home to your daddy,
will you, darling, please!"
Since you left, you broke
your daddy's heart;
That will never make us
part,
Every hour in the day,
You can hear me say,
"Oh, baby, won't you please
come home to your loving daddy,
Oh, baby won't you please
come home!"
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(Arlen-Koehler)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 21, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
I don't want you,
But I hate to lose you,
You've got me inbetween the devil and the deep
blue sea.
I forgive you,
'Cause I can't forget you,
You've got me inbetween the devil and the deep
blue sea.
I ought to cross you off my list,
But when you come knocking at my door,
Fate seems to give my heart a twist,
And I come running back for more.
I should hate you,
But I guess I love you,
You've got me inbetween the devil and the deep
blue sea.
Black Rhythm
(Mills-Heywood)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded June 11, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
Down in Louisiana
There's a grand piano-playing man;
He knows that they can't kid him
'Cause he's got hot rhythm in his hand.
The blues that he'll compose will thrill you
From your head to your toes.
He called his song "Black Rhythm,"
'Cause his black hands did it 'neath the moon,
The keys he plays on sweetly,
And you're left completely in a swoon.
The melancholy strum
Mixed with the rum-tum of melodious blues.
When he plays the blue note,
And adds a new note,
You'll think that he wrote a symphony.
But he's just improvising
On a southern mammy melody.
You'll quit your pouting,
And start a'shouting,
No need in doubting he knows the keys.
He can lay on the white ones,
Can play on the black ones with ease.
The way he plays Black Rhythm
Makes the gang stick with him all night long,
Forget the hour is late,
They hear him syncopate his mournful song.
A'humming like the breeze,
A' strumming lightly on those ivories.
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded May 6, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
What can I do
Now that you say we're
through?
I'm left with the blues in
my heart.
How can I smile
When life don't seem
worthwhile?
I'm left with the blues in
my heart.
How can I live?
What is there life can give?
As long as we're apart.
How can I go on
Knowing that you are gone?
I'm left with the blues in
my heart.
The Calloway Boogie
(Mysels, Sanford)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded December 11, 1947,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra: 1942-1947, Chronological Classics 996
Here's a little tune
we're gonna play for you,
There ain't nothin' to it
and it's easy to do:
Called the Calloway Boogie,
It's the Calloway Boogie,
Keeps you groovy twenty-four
hours a day!
If you like music with a
boogie beat,
Here's a little ditty that's
really all reet!
It's the Calloway Boogie,
It's the Calloway Boogie,
Keeps you groovy twenty-four
hours a day!
I woke up with the blues
the other day,
The cats started jamming and
they blew away.
With the Calloway Boogie,
The Calloway Boogie,
Keeps you groovy twenty-four
hours a day!
We play waltzes, bebop
and jive,
But here's the kind of music
that keeps you alive!
It's the Calloway Boogie,
It's the Calloway Boogie,
Keeps you groovy twenty-four
hours a day!
If you like boogie with
some hi-de-ho,
Just listen to me, here's
the way it goes:
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi!
Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho!
Keeps you groovy twenty-four
hours a day!
A Chicken Ain't Nothin' But a Bird
(Wallace)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded October 14, 1940,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, 1940-1941; Chronological Classics 629.
Chicken!
Nice fried chicken!
Barbecued chicken!
Won't you send it down the
line.
Say!
Everyone's talking 'bout
chicken;
Chicken's a popular bird;
Anywhere you go, you're
bound to find,
A chicken ain't nothin' but
a bird.
Some folks call it a
fowl,
That's the story I heard,
But let 'em call it this and
let 'em call it that,
A chicken ain't nothin' but
a bird.
You can boil it, roast
it, broil it,
Cook it in a pan or a pot,
Eat it with potatoes, rice
or tomatoes,
But chicken's still what you
got, boy!
It was a dish for old
Caesar,
Also King Henry the Third,
But Columbus was smart, said
"You can't fool me,
A chicken ain't nothin' but
a bird."
You can boil it, roast
it, broil it,
Cook it in a pan or a pot,
Eat it with potatoes, rice
or tomatoes,
A chicken's still what you
got, boy!
It was a dish for old
Caesar,
Also King Henry the Third,
But Columbus was smart, said
"You can't fool me,
A chicken ain't nothin' but
a bird."
Chinese Rhythm
(White-Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded September 4, 1934.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
You can do most anything, but whatever you do,
There's only one thing, you gotta have Chinese
rhythm!
You can see sing and dance and play 'most
anything you choose,
There's only one thing, you gotta have Chinese
rhythm!
There's rhythm in love songs, rhythm in blues,
There's rhythm in almost anything you do.
When the moon is bright and you're making
love,
There's only one thing, you gotta have Chinese
rhythm!
Doin' the New Low-Down
(Fields-McHugh)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, vocals by Cab Calloway and the
Mills Brothers, recorded December 29, 1932, with Don Redman and his Orchestra.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544. and
From
Don Redman and His Orchestra, 1931-1933; The Chronogical Classics 543.
Oh, make me play that crazy thing again,
I've got to do that lazy swing again,
He-de-ho, doin' the new lowdown!
I've got my feet to misbehaving now,
Got a soul, not for saving now,
Hi-de-hay, doin' the new lowdown!
That dancin' demon has my feet in a trance,
'Cause when I'm dreamin' I go right into that
dance!
Once you hear that haunting strain to it,
God, I'll bet you'll go insane to it,
Hi-ho, doin' the new lowdown!
Hi-ho, doin' the new lowdown!
Evenin'
(White-Parrish)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded September 18, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
Evenin',
Every night you come and you find me,
Must you always come and remind me,
That my gal is gone.
Hurry, evenin',
Don't you see I'm deep in your power,
Every minute seems like an hour,
Since my gal is gone.
Shadows fall
On the wall,
That's the time I miss her kiss most of all,
Even though I try
How can I go on?
Take me, evenin',
Let me sleep 'til gray dawn is breaking,
I don't care if I don't awaken,
For my gal is gone.
Shadows fall
On the wall,
That's the time I miss her kiss most of all,
Even though I try
How can I go on?
Take me, evenin',
Let me sleep 'til gray dawn is breaking,
I don't care if I don't awaken,
For my gal is gone.
Everybody Eats When They Come To My House
(Burns)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded December 11, 1947,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra: 1942-1947, Chronological Classics 996,
and
Also found on
Cab Calloway: Are You Hep to the Jive? Columbia Legacy's Rhythm and Soul Series,
CK 57645.
Have a banana, Hannah,
Try the salami, Tommy,
Give with the gravy, Davy,
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
Try a tomato, Plato,
Here's cacciatore, Dorie,
Taste the baloney, Tony,
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
I fix your favorite
dishes,
Hopin' this good food fills
ya!
Work my hands to the bone in
the kitchen alone,
You better eat if it kills
ya!
Pass me a pancake,
Mandrake,
Have an hors-d'oeuvre-y,
Irvy,
Look in the fendel (?),
Mendel,
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
Hannah! Davy! Tommy!
Dora! Mandrake!
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
Pastafazoola, Talullah!
Oh, do have a bagel, Fagel,
Now, don't be so bashful,
Nashville,
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
Hey, this is a party,
Marty,
Here, you get the cherry,
Jerry,
Now, look, don't be so
picky, Micky,
'Cause everybody eats when
they come to my house!
All of my friends are
welcome,
Don't make me coax you, moax
you,
Eat the tables, the chairs,
the napkins, who cares?
You gotta eat if it chokes
you!
Oh, do have a knish,
Nishia,
Pass me the latke, Macky,
Chile con carne for Barney,
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
Face! Buster! Chair!
Chops! Fump!
Everybody eats when they
come to my house!
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Good Sauce from the Gravy Bowl
(Calloway, Mills, Swayzee)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded January 21, 1935.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
I like good sauce in the gravy bowl,
Must be sauce about ninety days old!
Good sauce, good sauce from the gravy bowl!
Drink good sauce from morn til night,
Drink enough and it makes you tight.
Good sauce, good sauce from the gravy bowl!
One drink, two drinks, three drinks, four
drinks, five drinks, six drinks,
Drink it, drink it,
You're bound to get high,
And when you do,
You'll feel so blue,
You'll think that you always blue,
And you gonna die!
I like good sauce from the gravy bowl,
Must be sauce about ninety days old!
Good sauce, good sauce from the gravy bowl!
Happy Feet
(Jack Yellen, Milton Ager)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 14, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
Copyright is owned by Warner Bros.
Happy feet! I've got those hap-hap-happy feet!
Give them a low-down beat
And they begin dancing!
I've got those ten little tip-tap-tapping toes,
When they hear a tune
I can't control the dancing, dear,
To save my soul!
Those weary blues can't get into my shoes,
Because my shoes refuse
To ever grow weary.
I keep cheerful on an earful
Of music sweet;
Just got those hap-hap-happy feet!
Harlem Hospitality
(Van Heusen-Arlen)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recordedSeptember 21, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
It's the one and only Lennox Avenue,
That's the one and only place to travel to;
Music in the air,
Dancing everywhere,
That's Harlem hospitality!
When you hear a welcome to your song,
You'll keep shoutin' hallelujah all night long;
You never rest
When you get the best
Of Harlem hospitality!
It's a waste of life until you hear a song and
love it,
You just, "Yeah, man!"
It's a taste of life to shim-sham-shimmy with the
"Black and Tan."
You don't need to eat an apple every day,
Hi-de-ho will keep the doctor far away,
You can't get ill
When you get the thrill
Of Harlem hospitality!
Hep Cat's Love Song
(Boyd, Calloway, Gibson)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded March 5, 1941,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, 1940-1941; Chronological Classics 629.
When I hug ya
You stay hugged;
When I dig ya
You stay dug;
When I kiss you, baby,
Everybody knows that I'm
wild about you!
When I love ya,
I love ya strong!
When you kiss me
You can't go wrong;
When I hold you, baby,
Everybody knows that I'm
wild about you!
You may say that I'm
jivin',
But it's you that I'm
thinkin' of,
It's not imagination or
infatuation,
It's just plain, everyday
love!
I'm a schoolboy
From the sticks;
When I'm with ya,
I get my kicks;
You're a sender, honey!
Everybody knows that I'm
wild about you!
Hey, Doc!
(Sampson, Gannon)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra with vocals by Cab Calloway and Tyree Glenn, recorded July 24, 1941.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1941-1942; The Chronological Classics 682.
Note: Tyree Glenn's part is shown in italics.
[Spoken] Hey, Doc,
hey, Doc, I've got to see you.
[Spoken] Who's that waking
me up at 8:30 here in the morning? What's wrong with you, boy?
[Spoken] Well, Doc,
something is bothering me.
[Spoken] Is that so? Well,
tell me about it.
Hey, Doc, hey, Doc,
I wonder what's wrong
with me.
[Spoken] You look like
you're beat to your chops this morning.
Hey, Doc, hey, Doc,
My temperature's
one-oh-three.
[Spoken] Well, let me feel
your pulse, let me feel your pulse.
Hey, Dock, hey, Doc,
Whenever she looks at me
. . .
[Spoken] Oh, there's a chick
mixed up in this thing here!
Say, do you get a hazy
spell?
Yeah!
A crazy spell?
Yeah!
And do you run around in
circles and yell that you need a pill?
Hey, Doc, hey, Doc,
My ticker is on the
blink.
[Spoken] Hey, nurse, hand me
my stethoscope over there.
[Spoken] What do you
think?
[Spoken] I think what the
trouble is, uh, you in love!
[Spoken] Well, Doc,
that's a killer. That's a gasser. That knocks me on out.
The Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man
(Davis, Coots)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded September 15, 1936.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
I'm the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man,
I can really do wonders, I can,
If you've got the misery,
Bring your misery to me,
I'm that Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
I'm the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man,
I do things on a miracle plan,
If the blues are hangin' 'round,
And the devil's got you down,
See the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
Hi-de-hi!
Ho-oh-oh-oh!
Sister Green came to me for my love recipe,
Said she'd heard about my miracle plan,
Sister Green is now okay,
Takes a treatment everyday,
From the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
He's the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi!
Ho-lo-lo-lo!
Brother Jones lived in sin,
He couldn't stop drinking gin,
And he heeded my miracle plan,
Now he brings his gin to me,
I get drunk instead, you see,
I'm the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
He's the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi!
Ho-oh-oh-oh!
Yesterday, you know, I got a line
From good old Father Divine,
He was jealous of my good miracle plan;
You know, I was cuttin' in, you see,
Now, we're partners, him and me,
I'm the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
Yowza!
He's the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
I'm the Hi-
I'm the Ho-
I'm the Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man!
Hotcha Razz-Ma-Tazz
(Razaf-Hudson-Mills)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded January 23, 1934.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
Say, don't be among the late ones,
Change your dancing ways,
Keep up with the up-to-date ones,
And learn that brand-new craze,
Listen, pal, you gotta swing and grab your gal,
And do that thing,
Learn that jig-time dance
They call hotcha razz-ma-tazz.
No excuse for dignity,
Just get loose and follow me.
Swing your partners one and all,
To hotcha razz-ma-tazz.
I'm here to betcha it's gonna getcha,
It soon will hit your list,
Oh, what a rhythm,
It's got a rhythm that your feet cannot resist.
It sends you young and old all for it.
And they call for more-it,
On the floor they call for more,
For hotcha razz-ma-tazz.
I Learned About Love From Her
(Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded December 19, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
We met one evening when the moon was bright,
And when she gave me the eye I thought that I
would die,
She had such curly hair and teeth of white,
And I learned about love from her.
And when she'd hold me in her arms so tight,
Every kiss was like a torch, my lips, they used
to scorch,
That gal was just a mess of dynamite!
And I learned about love from her.
You've heard about that man from Tennessee,
Say, he came along one day and he stole my gal
away;
Now she's teaching him what she taught me,
When I learned about love from her.
At night I sit alone so sad and blue,
Like a monkey on the shelf; say, I could hang
myself!
There's a gang of things I didn't learn to do
When I learned about love from her.
Went to school, went to school, just to learn
the game of love,
Once a fool, stays a fool, that's one thing I'm
certain of,
There's no one beneath the Sun, beneath this sky
above
Who can tell upon a given Sunday where his gal
will be on Monday.
Now my gal and I are far apart
And with teardrops in my eyes, say, I realize
I didn't learn how to mend a busted heart
When I learned about love from her!
I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby
(Waller-Hill)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded March 9, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
I'm the world's most happy creature,
Tell me, what can worry me?
I'm crazy 'bout my baby,
And my baby's crazy 'bout me!
Mr. Cupid was our teacher,
That's the reason we agree,
I'm crazy 'bout my baby,
And my baby's crazy 'bout me!
Parson, get your book out,
Get it ready in your hand,
Keep a steady look-out;
'Cause I know you understand.
We're an A-one combination,
The perfect he and she,
I'm crazy 'bout my baby,
And my baby's crazy 'bout me!
It Looks Like Suzie
(Friend)
Transcribed from Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, recorded June 11, 1931.
From
Blanche Calloway and Her Joy Boys, 1925-1935; The Chronogical Classics 783.
It looks like Suzie,
It must be Suzie,
I'm sure it's Suzie,
But I don't know;
Could be Virginia
With her eyes of blue,
Could be Mary,
Sweet Mary Lou,
But it looks like Suzie,
She talks like Suzie,
She walks like Suzie,
Oh, gosh, oh, gee!
Just ask her if she knows Lou
From Boston, Massachu,
If she does,
Why, then it's Suzie Lee!
It looks like Suzie,
Must be Suzie,
I'm sure it's Suzie,
Aw, but I don't know, let me see;
Could be Virginia
No, she's got eyes of blue,
Then again, it could be Mary,
Sweet Mary Lou,
Ah, but it looks like Suzie,
She talks like Suzie,
Ah, she walks like Suzie,
And if it ain't Suzie, glory!
Now, get all the friends you've known
And give a swell party at your home,
And if she breaks it up,
Whoopie! It's Suzie Lee!
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded July 9, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
It looks like Suzie,
It must be Suzie,
Sure it's Suzie,
Still, I don't know;
Could be Virginia
With her eyes of blue,
Could be Mary,
Sweet Mary Lou,
But it looks like Suzie,
She talks like Suzie,
She walks like Suzie,
Gosh, oh gee!
Just ask her if she knows Lou
From Boston, Massachu,
And if she does,
Then that's old Suzie Lee!
Jitter Bug
(Swayzee-Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded January 22, 1934.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
If you'd like to be a jitter bug,
First thing you must do is get a jug,
Put whiskey, wine and gin within,
And shake it all up and then begin.
Grab a cup and start to toss,
You are drinking jitter sauce!
Don't you worry, you just mug,
And then you'll be a jitter bug!
Hear this fat boy blowing his horn;
He's been a bug since the day he was born,
His favorite jitter sauce is rye,
I swear, he'll drink it 'til the day he die!
Toot your whistle and ring your bell,
Oh, butchie-wutchie, time will tell,
Don't you worry, you just mug,
You'll always be a jitter bug!
These four boys playing saxophone,
Order jitter sauce by phone,
Central, give me Harlem 4-9-4,
I think these bugs could drink some more,
They drink sauce from morn to night
And never stop until they're tight,
Don't you worry, they just mug,
They're poor little jitter bugs!
Now, here's old Father, a wicked old man,
Drinks more sauce than the other bugs can,
He drinks jitter sauce every morn,
That's why jitter sauce was born,
See him shake with his trombone,
He just can't leave that sauce alone,
Get along, Father, you just mug,
You'll always be a jitter bug!
There's Rip Van with his eyes a-twinkle,
We named him after Rip Van Winkle,
Like Rip, he'd sleep for twenty years
If he could get his fill of beer,
Rip drinks his sauce, gets on the stand,
Soon he forgets that he's in the band,
Don't awaken him, just let him mug;
He'll always be a jitter bug.
Hep! Hep! The Jumpin' Jive
(Calloway-Froeba-Palmer)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded July 17, 1939,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, 1939-1940, Chronological Classics 595.
Hep-hep!
De-boodle-de-ack,
de-boodle-de-ackasaki!
Hep-hep!
Oh, rang-tang, te-dah-dah,
Hep-hep!
Gonna tell you 'bout the
jumpin' jive,
Hep-hep!
Jim, jam, jump, the jumpin'
jive;
Hep-hep!
Cats gonna beat out this
mellow jive;
Hep-hep!
Beat it out on the mellow
side.
Boy?
Whatcha gonna say there,
gate?
Oh, boy!
Whatcha gonna say there,
gate?
Palomar, shalomar, Swanee
shore,
Let me dig that jive once
more,
Boy!
Lay it right on down to
the gator.
Oh, boy!
Lay it flat as a gator.
Now, can't you hear those
hepcats call,
Yeah!
Come on, boys, let's have a
ball!
The jim, jam, jump on the
jumpin' jive
Makes you dig your jive on
the mellow side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jump is the
solid jive
Makes you nine foot tall
when you're four foot five,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Now, don't you be that
ickeroo,
Get hep, come on and follow
through,
Then you get your steady foo,
You make the joint jump like
the gators do,
The jim, jam, jump on the
jumpin' jive
Makes you like your eggs on
the Jersey side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jumpin' jive
Makes you hep-hep on the
mellow side!
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jump on the
jumpin' jive,
Will make you dig your jive
on the mellow side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jump, the
solid jive
Makes you nine foot tall
when you're four foot five,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Now, don't you be that
ickeroo,
Get hep, come on and follow
through,
Then you get your steady foo,
You make the joint jump like
the gators do,
The jim, jam, jump on the
jumpin' jive
Makes you like your eggs on
the Jersey side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jumpin' jive,
Makes you hep-hep on the
mellow side;
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
[Scating]
Now, I've told you 'bout the
jumpin' jive,
The jim, jam, jump, the
jumpin' jive,
I know you dug this mellow
jive,
Oh, you dig it on the mellow
side.
Kickin' the Gong Around
(Arlen-Koehler)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 21, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
It was down in Chinatown,
All the cokies laid around,
Some were high and some were mighty low;
There were millions on the floor
When a knock came on the door,
And there stood old Smoky Joe.
He was sweatin', cold and pale,
He was lookin' for his frail,
He was broke and all his junk ran out;
Nobody made a sound,
As he stood and looked around,
And then you hear old Smoky shout:
Saying, "Tell me where is Minnie?
My poor Minnie!
Has she been here,
Kicking the gong around?"
"If you don't know Minnie,
She's tall and skinny,
She gets her pleasure
Kicking the gong around!"
[Scat chorus]
"Just tell her Smoky Joe
Was here and had to go."
And as he departed,
The curtains parted,
And there stood Minnie
Kicking the gong around!
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded December 18, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
It was down in Chinatown,
All the cokies laid around,
Some were high and some were mighty low;
Count millions on the floor
When a knock came on the door,
And there stood old Smoky Joe.
He was sweatin', cold and pale,
He was lookin' for his frail,
He was broke and all his junk ran out;
As he stood and looked around,
Nobody made a sound,
And then you hear old Smoky shout:
"Tell me where is Minnie?
Oh, I want my little Minnie!
Has she been here,
Kicking the gong around?"
"If you don't know Minnie,
Oh, she's tall and skinny,
She gets her pleasure
Kicking the gong around!"
[Scat chorus]
"You just tell her Smoky Joe
Was here and had to go."
And as he departed,
The curtains parted,
And there was Minnie
Kickin' the gong around!
The Lady With the Fan
(Calloway-Burns-Blackman)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded November 2, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
She's the lady with the fan,
When she comes by, hold your man,
She made Smoky Joe so ginny
He forgot about his Minnie.
She's the lady with the fan!
She's the lady with the fan,
Can she dance? Yeah, man!
Every wiggle gets a giggle
From the hick who pays a nickel.
To see the lady with the fan!
She's the lady with the fan,
She's the lady with the fan,
She's such a grand attraction,
She put lazy-bones in action,
She's the lady with the fan!
She's the lady with the fan,
She's the lady with the fan,
In fair or stormy weather,
She shakes them both together,
She's the lady with the fan!
'Long About Midnight
(Hill-Mills)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded January 22, 1934.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
Just take a look at Harlem after sundown,
Any time you choose;
It's hard to find the people feeling run-down;
There's no time for blues.
If you don't know just what to really do
Just take a walk along the avenue;
You'll hear the sounds come a-floatin' through
Along about midnight.
They close the windows and they dim the light
To hide their doings from a stranger's sight;
Everything is going right,
'Long about midnight.
Pianos tinkle, and the couples sway,
Taking the pleasures they find,
They don't care how they live by day,
Why not leave trouble behind?
They're not pretending like the hoy-falloy;
They really mean it; it's the real McCoy.
They turn an ounce of booze into a pound of joy,
'Long about midnight!
Lordy
(Hammerstein II, Romberg)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra with vocals by Cab Calloway
and the Cabaliers, recorded December 24, 1941.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1941-1942; The Chronological Classics 682.
Hey, Lord.
The night is friendly,
The stars are winkin',
My sleepy-headed baby's eyes
are blinkin,'
I hold him in my arms and
sit here thinking,
Lordy! What a sweet world.
The night is friendly,
With voices croonin',
And gals and fellows in the
shadows spoonin',
And clouds that open up to
let the moon in,
Lordy! What a sweet world.
Now, I ain't callin' this
life perfect,
But I am thanking my maker
above,
Because for everything
That you don't like,
There's a million little
things that you love, oooh.
A bell is chimin',
To toll the hour,
The sky is dripping light on
every livin' flower,
It like to drown us in a
silver shower,
Lordy! What a sweet world.
I'm so happy,
Happy!
Happy to be livin',
Yes sir!
Livin' on a friendly night,
On a friendly night,
In a friendly world,
In a friendly world.
My heart is happy,
Thanks to the Lord!
Minnie the Moocher
(Mills-Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded December 23, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
Folks, now here's the
story 'bout Minnie the Moocher,
She was a red-hot
hootchie-cootcher,
She was the roughest,
toughest frail,
But Minnie had a heart as
big as a whale.
[Call and response scat
chorus differs every time. The following is simplified:]
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-di-hi!
Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho!
He-de-he-de-he-de-he!
Ho-de-ho-de-ho!
Now, she messed around
with a bloke named Smoky,
She loved him though he was
cokie,
He took her down to
Chinatown,
He showed her how to kick
the gong around.
Now, she had a dream
about the king of Sweden,
He gave her things that she
was needin',
He gave her a home built of
gold and steel,
A diamond car with a
platinum wheel.
Now, he gave her his
townhouse and his racing horses,
Each meal she ate was a
dozen courses;
She had a million dollars
worth of nickels and dimes,
And she sat around and
counted them all a billion times.
Poor Min, poor Min, poor Min.
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded December 18, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
Folks, now here's the
story 'bout Minnie the Moocher,
She was a red-hot
hootchie-cootcher,
She was the roughest,
toughest frail,
But Minnie had a heart as
big as a whale.
[Call and response scat
chorus differs every time.]
Hi-de-hi-de-hi-di-hi!
Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho!
He-de-he-de-he-de-he!
Ho-de-ho-de-ho!
She messed around with a
bloke named Smoky,
She loved him though he was
cokie,
He took her down to
Chinatown,
And he showed her how to
kick the gong around.
She had a dream about the
king of Sweden,
He gave her things that she
was needin',
He gave her a home built of
gold and steel,
A diamond car with a
platinum wheel.
He gave her his townhouse
and his racing horses,
Each meal she ate was a
dozen courses;
She had a million dollars
worth of nickels and dimes,
She sat around and counted
them all a million times.
Poor Min, poor Min, poor Min.
.
Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day
(Koehler-Arlen)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded May 20, 1932.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
Here's some news that'll
get you,
It's made to order for you.
I just bet it'll fit you,
Follow up these red hot
blues.
Grab a taxi and go down,
Chinatown's on a spree;
Let me give you the lowdown,
This is really history.
Whenever folks in
Chinatown start acting gay
There's something in the air
that makes them feel that way.
Yeah, man, I heard somebody
say
It's Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day!
Old Smoky Joe's so happy
he can hardly wait,
He's spent a million dollars
for his wedding date,
Yeah, man, they're gonna
celebrate,
It's Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day.
You better come on down,
Way down in Chinatown,
Oh, let me take you down
To see them kick the gong
around.
A million cokies
shouting, "Hay-de-hay-de-hay!"
The king of Sweden's gonna
give the bride away,
Yeah, man, I heard somebody
say,
It's Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day!
The king and queen of
every nation
Were glad to get an
invitation;
The prince of Wales said he
would get away
For Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day!
They said a hundred
thousand hoppies
Went over to China picking
poppies,
They're gonna put them all
in one bouquet
For Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day!
Hi-de-hi-de-hi,
Ho-de-ho-de-ho-de-ho!
Hay-de-hay-de-hay,
It's Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day!
Yeah, man! Why, what's
that them boys say?
It's Minnie the Moocher's
wedding day!
Miss Otis Regrets (She's Unable to Lunch Today)
(Cole Porter)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded July 2, 1935.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today,
Madam,
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today,
She's so sorry to be delayed,
But last evening down in Lover's Lane she
strayed, Madam,
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today,
madam,
When she woke up and found that her dream of
love had gone, Madam,
She ran to the man who led her so far astray,
And from under her velvet gown,
She drew a forty-four pistol,
And she shot that dirty rascal down, Madam,
Now, Old Lady Otis regrets she's disabled and she
can't lunch today.
And the moment before she died,
She lifted her lovely head and cried, "Oh, Madam,
Miss Otis regrets she's unable to lunch today."
My Gal Mezzanine
(Rene, Ellison, Rene)
Transcribed from Cleo Brown, vocalist,
recorded April 4, 1936,
From:
Cleo Brown: The Legendary Cleo Brown, President Records, PLCD 548.
Have you seen the cute
and keen
Baby sweet as a tangerine?
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
Got blazin' eyes, like
temptation,
No more like 'em in
creation;
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
She's the red hot mama
from Bahama with the red hot cootchie-coo!
You get sweet infection in
the deep hot section,
When that gal looks at you!
She ain't fat, she ain't
lean,
A just right baby, she's
inbetween,
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
Have you seen the cute
and keen
Baby sweet as a tangerine?
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
Got blazin' eyes, like
temptation,
No more like 'em in
creation;
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
She's the red hot mama
from Bahama with the red hot cootchie-coo!
Get sweet infection in the
deep hot section,
When that gal looks at you!
She ain't fat, she ain't
lean,
A just right baby, she's
inbetween,
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
My Gal Mezzanine
(Rene, Ellison, Rene)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded March 3, 1937.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Get with me and give me your
attention,
I've found affection built
to my dimension,
She's lovely, she's sweet,
She's hot, but discreet,
The name I gave my honey is
so complete!
Have you seen her, cute
and keen,
A baby sweet as a tangerine,
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
Listen, I'd just like to
mention
All I like in my creation,
She's a red-hot mama from
Bahama with a red-hot kootchie-coo,
You get her sweet affection
if you need perfection when my gal looks at you!
She ain't fat, she ain't
thin,
She's just right, she's
inbetween,
That's my gal, Mezzanine!
Nobody's Sweetheart
(Kahn-Erdman-Schoebel-Meyers)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded December 23, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
You're nobody, nobody's
sweetheart now,
There's no place for you
somehow,
With all of your fancy
clothes, silken gowns,
You'll be out of place in
the middle of your own hometown,
When you walk down the
avenue,
All the folks just can't
believe that it's you.
With all those painted lips
and painted eyes,
Wearing a bird of paradise,
It all seems wrong somehow,
It seems so funny,
You're nobody's sweetheart
now!
San Francisco Fan
(Mysels, Sanford)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded December 11, 1947,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra: 1942-1947, Chronological Classics 996
San Francisco Fan
Loved a no-good gamblin'
man;
She drank the coffee dregs
so she could fry his eggs
In a golden fryin' pan.
Can-canned by command,
Of the Gold Rush Cafe clan,
She gave her man her pay; he
gambled it away
Playing Chinatown fan-tan.
Once they caught him
cheatin'
And he knew that he was
beaten,
When a miner aimed a pistol
at his head,
Fanny, when she seen 'em,
Ran and jumped right
inbetween 'em,
And she stopped a dozen
slugs of poison lead.
There was Fanny dyin'
While a hundred men were
cryin'
And the angels up above were
cryin', too;
When seven horses started
draggin'
Fanny's coffin in a wagon
Down a dusty California
avenue.
San Francisco Fan
Gave her life to save her
man,
A man who wasn't worth a
shovelful of earth
From the grave of San
Francisco Fan.
San Francisco Fan
Gave her life to save a man,
A man who wasn't worth a
shovelful of earth
From the grave of San
Francisco Fan.
Save Me, Sister
(Harburg, Arlen)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded January 27, 1936.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Save me, Sister, Sister, save me,
Save me from temptation,
Of other lips, of other eyes,
Of other vows, of other ties,
Of other smiles and other sighs.
From that devil revelry,
From the life of fancy free!
Save me, Sister, Sister, save me;
My heart needs salvation!
I'm gonna miss, I'm gonna stray,
But lady, from this very day,
I'll go the straight and narrow way.
Sister, if you lead me to
Pastures green and eyes of blue,
Don't make me feel like a motherless child,
A sisterless son,
And dozens and dozens of loverless cousins!
Save me, Sister, Sister, save me;
What's my destination?
I'm gonna rise, I'm gonna shine,
I'm gonna sign the dotted line,
I'm going to make the heavens mine, above,
Sister, you're a winner if you save a little
sinner who's in love.
There's a light ahead in somebody's eyes.
His heart cries out for love that glorifies!
Don't make him feel like a motherless child,
A sisterless son,
And dozens and dozens of loverless cousins;
He's headed for,
He's headed for,
That pearly shore
That pearly shore,
That golden door,
That golden door!
The little sinner who's in love!
The Scat Song
(Parish-Perkins-Calloway)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded February 29, 1932.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
Note: Scat varies with every verse. Supply your own!
When your sweetie tells you, everything'll be
okay,
Just skeep-beep de bop-bop beep bop bo-dope
skeetle-at-de-op-de-day!
If you feel like shoutin', advertise it just
this way:
And skeep-beep de bop-bop beep bop bo-dope
skeetle-at-de-op-de-day!
Don't give a hang what words you use at any
time,
Sing this silly language, without any reason or
rhyme.
When you face the preacher, there's only one
thing to say:
Just skeep-beep de bop-bop beep bop bo-dope
skeetle-at-de-op-day!
[Scat chorus]
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded December 18, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
[Starts with impressive scatting, then:]
Spoken: [Bennie Payne?] Say, what you doin', boy? [Cab] Oh, man, I'm just scatting and going right on to town, Satchmo!
When your sweetie tells you, everything'll be
okay,
Just: [Instrumental]
If you feel like shoutin', advertise it just
this way:
And
[Instrumental]
Don't give a hang what words you use at any
time,
Sing this silly language, without any reason or
rhyme.
When you face the preacher, there's only one
thing to say:
Just [Instrumental]
[Followed by incredible scat-singing!]
Six or Seven Times
(Mills-Waller)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded June 11, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
St. Louis woman, she's never pleased,
She says there's one good man who'll soon be
deceived,
If she can't hear from him each night at least
Six or seven times.
She says the other songs don't mean a thing,
There's only one that makes her heart go bing,
That's why she craves that little tune I sing
Six or seven times.
Some of These Days
(Brooks)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded December 23, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
Some of these days you're gonna be so lonely,
Some of these days you're gonna want me only,
You'll miss my love and miss my kiss,
You're gonna miss your little daddy when he goes
away!
You'll be so lonely alone without me,
You know, baby, why I went away;
Oh, when I'm leaving, there's no doubt your
heart'll be grieving;
You're gonna miss your daddy, mama, some of these
days.
St. James Infirmary
(Primerose-arr. of traditional folksong -The Gambler's Blues)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded December 23, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
Folks, I'm goin' down to St. James Infirmary,
See my baby there;
She's stretched out on a long, white table,
She's so sweet, so cold, so fair.
Let her go, let her go, God bless her,
Wherever she may be,
She will search this wide world over,
But she'll never find another sweet man like me.
Now, when I die, bury me in my straight-leg
britches,
Put on a box-back coat and a stetson hat,
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain,
So you can let all the boys know I died standing
pat.
Folks, now that you have heard my story,
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that booze;
If anyone should ask you,
Tell 'em I've got those St. James Infirmary
blues.
St. Louis Blues
(W.C Handy and heavily modified by Cab)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded July 24, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
A
Got St. Louis blues.....blue
as I can be;
B
There's two people in this
world I just can't stand;
There's two people in this
world I just can't stand;
That's a two-faced woman and
a lyin' man;
B
I'm gonna leave this town
walkin', talkin' to myself;
I'm gonna leave this town
walkin', talkin' to myself;
Because the sweet woman I
love, she belongs to somebody else.
C (The following verse is so heavily scatted that it is virtually
incomprehensible.)
[Oh, I say, look here, sweet
mama, someday your papa's...
When that big old hound
comes around...
And when that big old piece
of hound comes..
He's sure gonna leave this
town.]
B
I'm goin' back to Chicago to
have my hambone boiled;
I'm goin' way back to
Chicago to have my hambone boiled;
Because these women in New
York City let my good hambone spoil.
D
I got the St.Louis blues,
sweet mama, got St. Louis blues, just blue,
Blue as I can be, St. Louis
blues; baby,
Aw, your daddy got St. Louis
blues, sweet mama,
All those blues, I'm blue as
I can be.
Stardust
(Mitchell Parish - Hoagy Carmichael)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 12, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song;
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you.
That was long ago,
When each kiss was an inspiration;
Now you were in my arms,
And my consolation
Is in the stardust of a song,
Beside a garden wall,
When the stars are bright
You are in my arms;
The little nightengale sings his fairytale
Of paradise where roses grew,
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody,
The memory of love's refrain.
When I'm all alone
And thought I was with you,
I get so lonesome, honey, just for you,
I love to hear you sing that song.
That Man is Here Again
(Samson, Collins)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded March 3, 1937.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah!
Mama, that man's here again!
Brothers and sisters, have you heard the news
today?
Now, I've been told that Mr. Van Chuba is in town
to stay!
He's the new sensation,
He has lots of syncopation,
Come on, gather 'round 'cause I've got more to
say,
Oh, yeah!
Mama, Mama, that man is here again!
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah!
Mr. Van Chuba, came back from Cuba,
Playing his tuba,
That man is here again!
He plays the hot number,
Breaks up your slumber,
You will dance the rhumba,
Oh, yeah!
That man is here again!
When that man begins to swing,
Everybody goes to town,
Oh, he has that certain thing
Makes you Suzy-Q, then you truck on down.
He keeps you swayin',
While he is playin',
Everyone is sayin', "Oh, yeah,
That man is here again!"
[Scat chorus]
That man is here,
That man is here, is here again!
Trickeration
(Arlen-Koehler)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 21, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
Just follow me,
And you will see,
What folks in Harlem
Call Trickeration.
Don't mean a thing,
This crazy swing,
Latest thing in Harlem,
Trickeration!
Rhythm, look what you went and done,
Rhythm, you are the guilty one.
Another phrase,
Just another craze,
Everyone in Harlem
Does Trickeration.
Weakness
(Edwin Swayzee)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded September 4, 1934.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
I've only got one weakness:
Baby darling, that one is you.
I'll always keep my weakness,
Forever my whole life through.
You are the one,
You beautiful son of a gun,
My life would be done without you.
I've only got one weakness:
Oh, babe, baby darling, it's you!
The Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Swing
(Davis, Coots)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded September 15, 1936.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1934-1937; The Chronogical Classics 554.
Everybody's excited!
Everybody's invited!
Come along, and swing that thing,
It's the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Swing!
Hear the clarinets tootin'!
Everybody's salutin'!
Come and meet the queen and king,
It's the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Swing!
Swing high, there's joy in sight,
Swing low, from left to right,
Swing out, tonight's the night,
There's gonna be a lot of free and fancy
swinging!
Say good-bye to your blueses,
Polish up your old shoeses,
Come and give your feet a fling,
It's the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Swing!
It's the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Swing!
Here comes the swingin' deacon! The swingin'
deacon!
There's no use speakin'! There's no use speakin'!
The swingin' deacon is gettin' hot,
Just gettin' things ready to tie the knot!
"Do you take this woman for your lawful wife?"
"I do!"
"You do!"
"Do you promise to swing her for the rest of your
life?"
"I do!"
"You do."
"Now, lookie here, gal, do you take this man by
the name of Jim?"
"I do!"
"She do."
"Do you promise to swing with no one else but
him?"
"I do!"
"You're crazy!"
Now the wedding ceremony's completed;
May your future swinging be bright!
I pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Swing;
There'll be plenty of swingin' that thing
tonight!
Who Calls?
(Hill, Marks)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra with vocals by Cab Calloway
and the Palmer Brothers, recorded November 3, 1941.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1941-1942; The Chronological Classics 682.
Who calls,
When the western moon is
pale,
Is there someone on the
trail,
Who calls?
Who calls,
When the sage is silv'ry
white,
Is there someone in the
night,
Who calls?
Somewhere,
Somewhere across the
Great Divide, ooooh,
Someone,
Someone who calls me to
their side.
Who calls,
When a star falls from
above,
Can it be the one I love,
Who calls?
Who calls.
When the sage is silv'ry
white,
Is there someone in the
night,
Who calls?
Somewhere,
Somewhere across the Great
Divide,
Someone,
Someone who calls me to
their side.
Who calls,
When a star falls from
above,
Can it be the one I love . .
.
Wouldn't you be happy?
Who calls?
The Worker's Train
(Calloway, Skyler, Shaftel)
Transcribed from vocals by Cab Calloway,
recorded October 14, 1940,
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, 1940-1941; Chronological Classics 629.
The eight-fifteen is the
worker's train,
The eight-fifteen, and I'm
off again,
The eight-fifteen is an
awful pain;
Wish I didn't have to travel
on the eight-fifteen!
The eight-fifteen going
off uptown,
The eight-fifteen sort of
brings me down,
The eight-fifteen always
makes me frown,
Got to get up early for the
daily eight-fifteen.
I'm happy on Sunday,
'Cause I can stay in bed
till ten;
When I think of Monday,
I suffer 'cause I know
that's when I get:
The eight-fifteen through
the tunnel way,
The eight-fifteen, think
I'll quit today,
The same routine, but I need
the pay,
Better hurry, can't afford
to miss the eight-fifteen!
Yaller
(Myers-Schwab)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded November 12, 1930.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1930-1931; The Chronogical Classics 516.
A
Dark folk, white folk, but never a hand,
They say to this man,
"You're yaller, you're yaller, you're yaller,
you're just a yaller."
A
Black folk, white folk, I'm learning a lot,
You know what I am, I know what I'm not,
B
Ain't even black, I ain't even white,
I ain't like the day and I ain't like the night.
Feeling mean, so inbetween, I'm just a high
yaller.
B
Ain't even bad, I ain't even good,
I don't understand and I ain't understood,
Not a friend sticks to the end when you're yaller.
C
Take me to a church and make me pray,
Make me sing a psalm there;
You better leave my soul in a crude cafe,
I don't even belong there.
B
Oh Lord, can't you make a sinner a saint,
Why did you start me but run out of paint,
Pass me by, a no-'count yellow man.
B
Lord only knows, I'm trying to rest,
I want to be down with a load on my chest.
Make my bed; wish I were dead,
A yaller man.
You Can't Stop Me From Loving You
(Holiner-Nichols)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded October 12, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
You can throw bricks at my window,
You can put tacks in my shoe,
Sprinkle ground glass on my applesause,
But you can't stop me from loving you.
You can put rocks in my pillow,
You can put sand in my shoe,
You can be aloof as you crash the roof
But you can't stop me from loving you.
You can sneer at my devotion
You can seem as mean as can be,
If you'll pardon my emotion,
But that won't discourage me.
You can put lumps in my cornflakes,
Tell me my brain's good as new,
You can laugh in my face as you trump my ace,
But you can't stop me from loving you.
You Rascal, You
(Theard)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His
Orchestra, recorded September 23, 1931.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1931-1932; The Chronogical Classics 526.
I'll be glad when you
dead, you rascal, you.
I'll be glad when you dead,
you rascal, you.
When they bury you six feet
deep
No more fried chicken can
you eat,
I'll be glad when you dead,
you rascal, you.
I'll be oh, so glad when
you dead, you rascal, you.
I'll be glad when you dead,
you rascal, you.
I'll be standing on a corner
full of gin
When they bring your dead
body in,
I'll be glad when you dead,
you rascal, you.
I'll be oh, so glad when
you dead, you rascal, you.
I'll be oh, so glad when you
dead, you rascal, you.
I took you to my home,
You wouldn't leave my wife
alone.
I'll be glad when you dead,
you rascal, oh, you hound!
I'll be oh, so glad when
you dead, you rascal, you.
I'll be oh, so glad when you
dead, you rascal, you.
What's this thing you got
Makes my wife think you're
so hot? You dirty dog!
I'll be glad when you dead,
you rascal, oh, you hound!
Zaz Zuh Zaz
(Calloway-White)
Transcribed from Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, recorded November 2, 1933.
From
Cab Calloway and His Orchestra 1932-1934; The Chronogical Classics 544.
(The Zaz-Zuh-Zaz chorus has been simplified here from Cab's scatted version.)
Now, here's a very entrancing phrase,
It will put you in a daze,
To me it don't mean a thing,
But it's got a very peculiar swing!
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay!
Now, zaz-zuh-zaz was handed down
From a bloke down in Chinatown;
It seems his name was Smoky Joe,
And he used to hi-de-hi-de-ho.
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay!
When Smoky Joe came into town
And he kicked the gong around,
Any place that he would go
Minnie the Moocher she was sure to go,
With her zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay!
It makes no difference where you go,
There's one thing that they sure do know:
There's no need for them to be blue,
For the zaz-suh-zaz will always see them through!
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zaz,
Zaz-zuh-zaz-zuh-zay!