Lulu's Back in Town
Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Lyrics


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Where's that careless chambermaid?
Where'd she put my razor blade?
She mislaid it, I'm afraid,
It's gotta be foun'!
Ask her when she cleaned my room
What she did with my perfume;
I just can't lose it,
I've gotta use it,
'Cause Lulu's back in town.

Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed,
Gotta sew a button on my vest,
'Cause tonight I've gotta look my best,
Lulu's back in town.
Gotta get a half a buck somewhere,
Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair,
Gotta get myself a boutonniere,
Lulu's back in town.
You can tell all my pets,
All my Harlem coquettes;
Mister Otis regrets
That he won't be aroun'.
You can tell the mailman not to call,
I ain't comin' home until the fall,
And I might not get back home at all,
Lulu's back in town.

You can bet I've got it bad,
Best complaint I've ever had;
We'll be stepping out tonight,
An' struttin', an' how.
We're in for the swellest time,
Finish up without a dime;
Look here, you fellers,
I'll make you jealous,
My Lulu, she's a wow.

Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed,
Gotta sew a button on my vest,
'Cause tonight I've gotta look my best,
Lulu's back in town.
Gotta get a half a buck somewhere,
Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair,
Gotta get myself a boutonniere,
Lulu's back in town.
You can tell all my pets,
All my blondes and brunettes;
Mister Otis regrets
That he won't be aroun'.
You can tell the mailman not to call,
I ain't comin' home until the fall,




And I might not get back home at all,
Lulu's back in town.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Benny Goodman and His Orchestra's song "Lulu's Back in Town" talk about the excitement and anticipation of the main character getting ready for Lulu's arrival in town. The singer seems to have a special connection with Lulu, perhaps romantically involved with her as the lyrics talk about wanting to look their best for her arrival, getting a boutonniere, slicking their hair, and pressing their tuxedo. The verses of the song mention fixing the singer's room, locating their razor blade and perfume that the careless chambermaid misplaced. The chorus repeats the same lines, emphasizing the importance of preparing and looking good for Lulu.


Overall, the lyrics of "Lulu's Back in Town" represent a fun, upbeat, and lighthearted song about someone excited to see their loved one return to town. The song's swing style and fast-paced melody, typical of the Swing era, also add to the enthusiasm.


Line by Line Meaning

Where's that careless chambermaid?
I'm looking for the chambermaid who's careless and doesn't keep my things intact.


Where'd she put my razor blade?
I can't find my razor blade, it must have been misplaced by the chambermaid.


She mislaid it, I'm afraid,
I'm afraid the chambermaid carelessly misplaced my razor blade.


It's gotta be foun'!
I need to find my razor blade!


Ask her when she cleaned my room
When she cleaned my room, ask the chambermaid what she did with my perfume.


What she did with my perfume;
I'm curious to know where the chambermaid placed my perfume when she cleaned my room.


I just can't lose it,
I cannot afford to lose my perfume.


I've gotta use it,
I need to use my perfume because of Lulu's arrival.


'Cause Lulu's back in town.
Lulu is back and that's why I need to find my razor blade and perfume.


Gotta get my old tuxedo pressed,
I need to press my tuxedo to look presentable for Lulu.


Gotta sew a button on my vest,
I need to sew a button on my vest to look the best I can for Lulu.


'Cause tonight I've gotta look my best,
I need to look my best tonight because Lulu is here.


Gotta get a half a buck somewhere,
I need to find some change to get what I need to prepare for Lulu's arrival.


Gotta shine my shoes and slick my hair,
I need to polish my shoes and groom my hair to attract Lulu.


Gotta get myself a boutonniere,
I need to buy myself a boutonniere to wear as a decoration for Lulu.


You can tell all my pets,
Informing all my girls about my plans with Lulu.


All my Harlem coquettes;
Telling all my lovers in Harlem about Lulu.


Mister Otis regrets
I cannot make it to see Otis because of Lulu's arrival.


That he won't be aroun'.
Letting everyone know that I won't be around because of Lulu.


You can tell the mailman not to call,
I'll be busy, so tell the mailman not to visit me until the fall.


I ain't comin' home until the fall,
I won't be coming home until later this year.


And I might not get back home at all,
I'm not sure if I'll be returning home at all.


'Cause Lulu's back in town.
This is all because Lulu is here in town.


You can bet I've got it bad,
I'm in love and obsessed with Lulu.


Best complaint I've ever had;
Being in love with Lulu is the best thing that's ever happened to me.


We'll be stepping out tonight,
Lulu and I will be going out tonight.


An' struttin', an' how.
We will be walking around confidently and showing off.


We're in for the swellest time,
It's going to be a great time for Lulu and me.


Finish up without a dime;
We will finish the night with no money left.


Look here, you fellers,
Look at all of you, my friends.


I'll make you jealous,
I'll make all of you jealous by having Lulu at my side.


My Lulu, she's a wow.
Lulu is an amazing girl and everyone should know it.


You can tell all my pets,
Informing all my girls about my plans with Lulu.


All my blondes and brunettes;
Letting all my blonde and brunette lovers know about Lulu.


Mister Otis regrets
I cannot make it to see Otis because of Lulu's arrival.


That he won't be aroun'.
Letting everyone know that I won't be around because of Lulu.


You can tell the mailman not to call,
I'll be busy, so tell the mailman not to visit me until the fall.


I ain't comin' home until the fall,
I won't be coming home until later this year.


And I might not get back home at all,
I'm not sure if I'll be returning home at all.


'Cause Lulu's back in town.
This is all because Lulu is here in town.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL DUBIN, HARRY WARREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@memonk11

I used to mountain bike. And when I would go down this one particular mountain, this recording would run through my head. The rhythm, the joy of it, I can't explain it. It just fit. Fats Waller may be the single most underated musician of the 20th century.

@erikb2170

He influenced Louis Armstrong. Anyone who knows this knows that he shouldn’t be underrated.

@memonk11

@@erikb2170 maybe I should have said "underappreciated".

@theoriginalmr.j1422

​One of Thelonius Monk's influences as well. By, the way wasn't King Oliver was Louis Armstrong's idol.

@tcampbell1111

That great comedian and entertainer, Redd Foxx, performed this tune on his TV show, Sanford and Son in the spirit of the original performance, a rollicking, fun romp through stride rhythm, diminished chords and lyrics that have me wanting to meet Lulu! I had to add this to my repertoire. It's just a blast to play on guitar. Thanks Redd for all the laughs.

@bellabdutch

I have no doubt that Fats Waller would have taken over the world had he not died at 39. What an effortless, huge talent.

@XYZ-lz3xv

Gigantic talent, and the band is GREAT.

@lashbonnett979

If. You. Don't. Like. Fats. Waller. You. Ain't. Got. No. Rhythm. What. A genius. This. Man. Was

@joequade7269

Lash Bonnett this is real music not like the stuff on radio these days!!!

@user-og5cx4xz1n

Watching red Foxx brought me here 😂😂❤❤ lulu back In town

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