Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents the original lyrics for the 1920 Ragtime song "Strut Miss Lizzie" that was composed by African Americans Henry Cramer and Turner Layton. This post also showcases a 1921 recording of that song. Explanations of some of the terms that are found in the original 1921 lyrics are also included in this post.
In addition, this pancocojams post presents the lyrics to the Broadway Empire (TV Series) version of "Strut Miss Lizzie" and showcases a YouTube sound file of that version.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, linguistics, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to African American composer Henry Creamer and Turner Layton for their musical legacies. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to those who are featured in these YouTube examples. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/strut-miss-lizzie-information-lyrics.html for a 2015 pancocojams post that includes some of the content that is found in this post.
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Creamer for information about Henry Creamer.
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Layton for information about Turner Layton.
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ORIGINAL LYRICS - STRUT MISS LIZZIE
[Verse 1]
At the barber's ball in the barber's hall
All the dusky belles were there
Such a glancin', prancin', struttin' and a-dancin'
They were doing for fair
All the belles and beaus prancin' on their toes
Tried to do the cake walk swell
When a midnight blonde came prancing on
They were heard to yell
[Chorus]
Won't you strut Miss Lizzie, get busy
I want to see you walk
For the folks all state the way you syncopate
Is the whole town talk
When you move so pretty, it's a pity
The other girlies frown
But the men you meet
Like the way you shake your feet
Oh you knock 'em dizzy
Strut Miss Lizzie Brown
[Verse 2]
They were steppin' sweet, they were steppin' neat
They were steppin' super fine
To the singing, swinging, fancy pigeon winging
They were falling in line
Every dame and dude struck an attitude
For to win that cake they tried
But when Lizzie Brown came prancing 'round
Everybody cried
[Chorus]
Won't you strut Miss Lizzie, get busy
I want to see you walk
For the folks all state the way you syncopate
Is the whole town talk
When you move so pretty, it's a pity
The other girlies frown
But the men you meet
Like the way you shake your feet
Oh you knock 'em dizzy
Strut Miss Lizzie Brown
[Bridge]
Go down the street by the school
Pat your feet you steppin' fool
Strut your stuff, use your "Kerch"
Trot your tootsies by the church
Through the alley, dodge the cans
Shake Miss Sally's pots and pans
Cool your dogs, we're coming through
Get set for Lenox Avenue
[Chorus]
Won't you strut Miss Lizzie, get busy
I want to see you walk
For the folks all state the way you syncopate
Is the whole town talk
When you move so pretty, it's a pity
The other girlies frown
But the men you meet
Like the way you shake your feet
Oh you knock 'em dizzy
Strut Miss Lizzie Brown
Written By Turner Layton & Henry Creamer
Accompanied By
Henderson’s Orchestra
Release Date: 1921
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SHOWCASE SOUND FILE- Mary Stafford & Her Jazz Band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wwWChj0QfE&ab_channel=lindyhoppers
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BROADWALK EMPIRE LYRICS FOR "STRUT MISS LIZZIE"
Won't you strut Miss Lizzie,
Get busy!
I wanna see you walk;
Oh, the folks all see the way you syncopate,
Hear the whole town talk!
When you move so preety,*
It's a pity
The other girlies frown,
But the men you meet
Like the way you shake your feet;
Oh, you knock'em dizzy,
Strut Miss Lizzie Brown!
Go down the street, by the school,
Pack your feet you struttin' fool!
Strut your stuff by the kirk,**
Trot your tootsies by the church!
Through the alley, dodge the cans,
Shake Miss Ellie's pots and pans.
Cool your dog, we're comin' through,
Except for Lennox Avenue!
-online source: http://www.songlyrics.com/david-johansen/strut-miss-lizzie-lyrics/
Artist: David Johansen
Album: Boardwalk Empire, Volume 2: Music From the HBO
Original Series
-snip-
*"Preety" is a typo for the word "pretty"
**I think this line is supposed to be "Strut your stuff, use your "Kerch" (as found in the original song lyrics). "Kerch" is probably a shortened form of "handkerchief". My guess is that that line meant "wave your handkerchief".
"Kirk" is the Scottish word for "church". If that line is correct, the line that follows it "Trot your tootsies by the church" basically means the same thing.
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YOUTUBE EXAMPLE- Strut Miss Lizzie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3eh3of-UyA&ab_channel=DavidJohansen-Topic
David Johansen – Topic, July 25, 2018
Strut Miss Lizzie · David Johansen · Vince Giordano &
The Nighthawks
Boardwalk Empire Volume 2: Music From The HBO Original
Series
℗ 2013 Home Box Office, Inc.
Released on: 2013-01-01
Composer Lyricist:
Henry Creamer
Composer Lyricist:
Turner Layton
SOME EXPLANATIONS FOR TERMS IN THE ORIGINAL LYRICS
These explanations are given in
Additions and corrections are welcome.
1. dodge the cans = move out of the way of the trash cans
**
2. "dusky belles" = beautiful Black women
3. "kerch" is probably a shortened form of "handkerchief". My guess is that that line meant "wave your handkerchief".
4."knock 'em dizzy" - make them lightheaded and
excited with admiration
5. "midnight blond" - perhaps a light skinned Black woman, formerly referred to as "high yellow" or "yellow" * or an attractive Black woman who isn't light skinned and doesn't have (dyed) blond hair.
I'm guessing at this definition as I have never read or heard this referent outside of this song (except for a commenter who shared information about it after reading the 2015 pancocojams blog post on this subject. That comment and my response is quoted below.
*The terms "high yellow" and "yellow" haven't been used in the United States since at least the mid 1950s.
**
7. "stepping sweet (neat, and fine") = dancing very well
**
8. "struck an attitude" - similar or the same as "strike a pose"; [dancers] put on a particular facial expression and held their body in a way that conveyed poise, self-confidence, pride,
insolence etc.
9. "strut"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strut
"
2a: to walk with a proud gait
2b: to walk with a pompous and affected air
[...]
2. a pompous step or walk
3. arrogant behavior : SWAGGER"
From https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/strut
"Someone who struts walks in a proud way, with their head held high and their chest out, as if they are very important."
**
9. "to strut your stuff"
"Your stuff" here means your body; your whole self (which also includes your spirit/attitude)
10. "syncopate" - dance moving to the music's rhythm and beat
**
**
12. "Tried to do the cake walk swell" = tried to do
the cake walk very well - The cakewalk is a 19th century African American
originated dance in which couples strut in imitation of formal European dances.
The couple who is judged to be the best calk walkers wins a cake as their
prize.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/02/cakewalk-grand-march-usa-canada.html for a 2012 pancocojams post entitled "The Cakewalk & The Grand March - The USA & Canada"
**
13. "win the cake" = the best dance couple is awarded a prize of a cake which is why that strut is called "the cake walk".
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Here is a reprint of a commenter's note about the term "midnight blond" and my response to that comment:
ReplyDeleteFrom the discussion thread for the 2015 pancocojams post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/strut-miss-lizzie-information-lyrics.html
slam2011, April 10, 2015 at 8:01 PM
"I haven't found the meaning of "midnight blonde", but a vintage postcard (c.1920s?)for sale on the internet uses the phrase. The card shows a little black girl in a very big sunbonnet and very short dress. She is standing in a bashful pose with her hands behind her back, peeping out cutely from under her bonnet. The wording on the card says " Iss yo partial to blonds? Ise ah blond - ah midnight blond." But the girl in fact is shown as very dark-skinned, with naturally textured hair.
Somehow I feel the words may be a quote, perhapsfrom a show, and perhaps originally delivered by an adult woman?There is something slightly unsettling in the juxtaposition of words and image."
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slam2011 was a frequent pancocojams commenter from the United Kingdom. In an email to me she shared that she was who a retired librarian or a school teacher (I'm sorry I can't remember which of these professions she noted). slam2011 often shared sometimes obscure information that she had gleaned from her online research that was prompted by these pancocojams posts, including histories of words and phrases from the Oxford English Dictionary. Thanks for sharing that information, slam2011.
I haven't heard from slam2011 for some time. I hope she and her family are well.