Texty: Manhattan Transfer. The Offbeat Of Avenues. Blue Serenade.

Music & Lyrics by Tim Hauser & Van Dyke Parks

Hot to trot shot,
out to the hot spot
Up to the nines with bodies in line
an' feelin' so fine
What's to lose, go get eem shoes

You take a train, you find a
fascinatin' rhythm in the rain
At every stop,
you hear the clippin' and the clop

You take a beat, you find a
fascinatin' rhythm in your feet
It's so complete and you know
nothin' can compete

(You ain't seen nothin', you ain't seen nothin' - yet!)

You start to palpitate and the
jeep is shakin' the snake
Like a man upon the move for a
doll who doesn't hesitate
Bad John
You hear the sound of a sad song

And when the downtown folk
all shake it on out tonite
Jeep is jake and rakin' in the take
Bad John
You are back where you belong

She's such a sight tonite (Hello)
A Caribana with a fan a top banana
in a blue savanna moon
A neck in neck
You tell her darlin' get the check
you're all electric
Up in Harlem in a swoon
Another dance with a with a tropical fan
Another chance with
the topical tan

Mean swimmin' saxophones
Takin' in the wimmin' and
shakin' them bones
The goat get in the fete begin
Naughty in the body and set for sin
A Creole girl step up and say
"never say never"
with a casual sway
Takin' her time to come my way
Bad John
You are back where you belong

All reet I'm tippin' in, deed I do
And while the goat is on the fire
and every note is your desire
You approve her every move
You in a spin (Come on in)
She wanna grab you by the duff
and tell you
Honey this is tough enough
for sure
There's the door,
what are you waiting for?
And just us two,
Serenading in Blue

You take a frail who makes a
copesetic caper with her tail
I'm tellin' you, she really
puttin' on a do

The saxophones, you can't relax
when there is rhythm in your bones
You're on the hoof,
you raise a racket on the roof

Some syncopation, makin' with the
eyes an arisin' occasion
Made it in the shade the way they
played that satin Serenade in Blue