Jitterbug Swing

(Catfish Keith lyrics version)

Words & Music:

Bukka White

(from "Parchman Farm Blues (1940))

 

I was introduced to this song via Catfish Keith's Homespun Tapes DVD.  (Run and get it!  And his CDs!  No matter what style of guitar you play he will teach you something new and cool.)  His performance is jaw dropping and he somehow plays both the guitar and washboard parts using only his voice and acoustic guitar.  Keith's DVD also has a tab and instructions on how to play this tune right.

 

[open D tuning - D A D F# A D; played with a slide]

 

D

Hey, hey, hey!  You pretty people!

Hey, hey, hey!  You funky people!

Come on, let's do the Jitterbug Swing!

D

Hey, hey, hey!  You pretty people!

Hey, hey, hey!  You funky people!

Come on, let's do the Jitterbug Swing!

A

When ya do the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing,

[n.c.]                              D

And you know you will be doin' that thang!  Come on & do that thang!

 

D  [under Keith's low string syncopated section]

Get down & do that funky thang, baby!

Funky Chicken!  Salty Dog!

Do the Black Bottle!  Everybody yell, "Hot Dog!"

Gonna yell, "Hot Dog!"

 

Tell you what - you make the hair rise, you make the hair rise,

Mama, you make the hair rise on my lonesome head!

You make the hair rise, you make the hair rise,

Mama, you make the hair rise on my lonesome head!

A

When ya do the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing,

[n.c.]              D

I believe I been misled!  I believe I been misled, baby!

Getting' down with a hung-down head.

 

[under Keith's low string syncopated section]

Do the Funky Chicken!  Do the Black Bottle!

Do the Boogie-Woogie!  Do the falling down!

Baby, oh, baby!  Oh, yeah!

 

Hey, hey!  I'm workin'!  I'm workin'!

Mama, you know I'm workin', workin' on my nerves!

I'm workin'!  I'm workin'!

Mama, you know I'm workin', workin' on my lonesome nerves!

Gonna do the Jitterbug Swing, do the Jitterbug Swing, do the Jitterbug Swing,

[n.c.]                          D

Just like bumpin' into a big iceberg!

Just like bumpin' in, just like bumpin' into a big iceberg.

 

[under Keith's low string syncopated section]

Tell me, pretty baby, I know everything you did.

When you do it good, baby, I knew you're gonna try...

To keep it hid, keep it hid.

 

Hey, hey, hey!  I'm goin',  I'm goin', goin' down by Chinatown.

Hey, I'm goin' slappin' it down, down...

Slappin' it down by Chinatown.

Gonna do the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing,

[n.c.]                              D

And you know you will be doin' that thang!

 

Gonna do the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing, the Jitterbug Swing,

[n.c.]             D

Baby, all over the world!