Tokyo Joe
Bryan Ferry (with Roxy Music) Lyrics

My girl Friday she no square
My female companion, who I refer to as 'My girl Friday', is not conventional or boring

She like lotus blossom in her hair
She adorns her hair with beautiful flowers, like the lotus blossom

Be-bop records and something new
She enjoys listening to be-bop music and discovering new things

Sometimes borrowed but she's never blue
She may borrow things from others, but it doesn't make her unhappy

Oh no
The chorus refrain of 'Oh no' indicates that this woman is not Tokyo Joe

Way past midnight, she not home
Late at night, she is not at home

She cut the ice down the Danger Zone
She navigates through the dangerous parts of town with ease

Water-tight dresses, she don't care
She wears tight fitting dresses without concern

A trifle risque, a tart, no sir
She is a bit daring and provocative, but not overly so

Oh no
Again, the chorus refrain of 'Oh no' indicates that this woman is not Tokyo Joe

Geisha girl show you she adore you
Asian entertainers known as geisha are known for demonstrating their admiration for you

Two oriental eyes implore you
Their pan-Asian physical features communicate their need for your attention

Femme fatale or ingenue?
Is she a dangerous temptress or innocent young woman?

She very cunning, fiendish clever
She's smart and deviously clever

Geisha girl suffer many times a fool
Despite her intelligence, the geisha girl often falls for men who are not trustworthy

Sayonara moon
Goodbye moon - perhaps this represents the end of a romantic evening

When all the world's a stage, oh where are you?
In a world where everything seems like a performance, where do you really fit in?

Tokyo Rose on the radio
Playing on the radio is the infamous Tokyo Rose of World War II, who broadcast Japanese propaganda to American troops

Or Diz and Bird puttin' on the moan
Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker playing their jazz music with pained expressions

Tappin' out telexes to Tupelo
Sending telegrams to Tupelo, Mississippi - perhaps a reference to a lover or family member?

Dear John, doh ray me fah so?
Writing letters to a man named John, with a reference to the musical scale (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do)

Let's go
The song is encouraging someone to 'go' somewhere or do something

Call for Tokyo Joe
Asking for a man named Tokyo Joe

Walkin' tall down the Danger Zone
Confidently striding through the dangerous part of town

She hokey-cokey till the cows come home
She loves to dance and will do so all night long

Big shot, from the hip, neon cool
She is brash and confident, with a cool, flashy demeanor

Say, when you've been around, what's left to do?
After experiencing so much, what is there left to explore or enjoy?

Don't know? Ask Tokyo Joe
If you don't know the answer, try asking Tokyo Joe

So inscrutable her reply
Her answer is cryptic and difficult to decipher

"Ask no question and tell me no lie"
She is suggesting that the question asked should be avoided and honesty should be upheld

GI boys howlin' out for more
American soldiers, the GIs, are calling out for more entertainment

VIP'S purrin' "je t'adore"
Very important people (VIPs) are purring with admiration for the performers

Ah so, that's Tokyo Joe
That's Tokyo Joe, who has presumably been entertaining the crowd