Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands, Cab Calloway and his Orchestra, from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Doc Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Chu Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86.
Calloway was born to a middle-class family in Rochester, New York, and lived there until 1918. He later lived in Baltimore, Maryland. His father, Cabell Calloway II, was a lawyer, and his mother, Martha Eulalia Reed, was a teacher and church organist. His parents recognised their son's musical talent, and he began private voice lessons in 1922. He continued to study music and voice throughout his formal schooling. Despite his parents' and vocal teachers' disapproval of jazz, Calloway began frequenting and eventually performing in many of Baltimore's jazz clubs, where he was mentored by drummer Chick Webb and pianist Johnny Jones.
After graduating from high school, Calloway joined his older sister, Blanche, in a touring production of the popular black musical revue Plantation Days (Blanche Calloway herself went on to become an accomplished bandleader before her brother did, and he often credited his inspiration to enter show business to her). Calloway attended Lincoln University, Pennsylvania , and left in 1930 without graduating.
When the tour ended in Chicago in the autumn, Cab decided to remain in Chicago with his sister, who had an established career as a jazz singer in that city. His parents had hopes of their son becoming a lawyer like his father, so Calloway enrolled in Crane College. His main interest, however, was in singing and entertaining, and he spent most of his nights at the Dreamland Cafe, the Sunset Cafe, and the Club Berlin, performing as a drummer, singer, and emcee. At the Sunset Cafe he met and performed with Louis Armstrong who taught him to sing in the scat style.
The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Cab Calloway and his Orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930) were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring. Calloway quickly proved so popular that his band became the co-house band with Ellington's, and he and his group began touring nationwide when not playing at the Cotton Club. Their popularity was greatly enhanced by the twice-weekly live national radio broadcasts on NBC at the Cotton Club. Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at the Paramount Theatre. As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network colour barrier.
Unlike many other bands of comparable commercial success, Calloway's gave ample soloing space to its lead members, and, through the varied arrangements of Walter 'Foots' Thomas, provided much more in the way of musical interest.
In 1931, he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". That song, together with "St James Infirmary Blues" and "The Old Man of the Mountain", were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White, and The Old Man of the Mountain respectively. Through rotoscoping, Cab not only gave his voice to these cartoons but his dance steps as well. Cab took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher" he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man". He also performed in a series of short films for Paramount in the 1930s (Calloway and Ellington were featured on film more than any other Jazz Orchestra of the era). In 1943 he appeared in the high-profile 20th Century Fox musical film, Stormy Weather.
In his later career, Calloway became a popular personality, appearing in a number of films and stage productions that utilised both his acting and singing talents. In 1952, he played the prominent role of Sportin' Life in a production of the Gershwin opera Porgy and Bess. Another notable role was Yeller in The Cincinnati Kid (1965). In 1967 Calloway co-starred as Horace Vandergelder in an all-black revival of Hello, Dolly! (even though the original production was still running) starring Pearl Bailey. This was a major success, and led to a cast recording released by RCA. In 1973-1974 he was featured in an unsuccessful Broadway revival of The Pajama Game.
Calloway attracted renewed interest in 1980 when he appeared as a supporting character in the film The Blues Brothers, performing "Minnie the Moocher", and again when he sang "The Jumpin' Jive" with the Two-Headed Monster on Sesame Street. This was also the year in which the cult film Forbidden Zone was released, which included rearrangements and parodies of Cab Calloway songs written by Danny Elfman, a Calloway fan.
On 18th November 1994 Calloway died, having suffered a major stroke six months earlier. In 1998, The Cab Calloway Orchestra (directed by Cab's grandson C. "CB" Calloway Brooks) was formed to honour Cab Calloway's legacy nationally and internationally.
Jumpin Jive
Cab Calloway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De-boodle-de-ack, de-boodle-de-ackasaki!
Hep-hep!
Oh, rang-tang, te-dah-dah,
Hep-hep!
Gonna tell you 'bout the jumpin' jive,
Hep-hep!
Jim, jam, jump, the jumpin' jive;
Cats gonna beat out this mellow jive;
Hep-hep!
Beat it out on the mellow side.
Boy?
Whatcha gonna say there, gate?
Oh, boy!
Whatcha gonna say there, gate?
Palomar, Shalomar, Swanee shore,
Let me dig that jive once more,
Boy!
Lay it right on down to the gator.
Oh, boy!
Lay it flat as a gator.
Now, can't you hear those hepcats call,
Yeah!
Come on, boys, let's have a ball!
The jim, jam, jump on the jumpin' jive
Makes you dig your jive on the mellow side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jump is the solid jive
Makes you nine foot tall when you're four foot five,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Now, don't you be that ickeroo,
Get hep, come on and follow through,
Then you get your steady foo,
You make the joint jump like the gators do,
The jim, jam, jump on the jumpin' jive
Makes you like your eggs on the Jersey side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jumpin' jive
Makes you hep-hep on the mellow side!
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jump on the jumpin' jive,
Will make you dig your jive on the mellow side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jump, the solid jive
Makes you nine foot tall when you're four foot five,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
Now, don't you be that ickeroo,
Get hep, come on and follow through,
Then you get your steady foo,
You make the joint jump like the gators do,
The jim, jam, jump on the jumpin' jive
Makes you like your eggs on the Jersey side,
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
The jim, jam, jumpin' jive,
Makes you hep-hep on the mellow side;
Hep-hep!
Hep-hep!
(Scat singing)
Now, I've told you 'bout the jumpin' jive,
The jim, jam, jump, the jumpin' jive,
I know you dug this mellow jive,
Oh, you dig it on the mellow side.
The lyrics to Cab Calloway’s “Jumpin Jive” are a tribute to the swinging music and dance of the era. “Hep-hep!” is a call to jive and swing, and “de-boodle-de-ack, de-boodle-de-ackasaki!” represents scat singing, a style of vocal improvisation often heard in jazz music. The lyrics talk about the energy and excitement felt when dancing to the “jumpin’ jive,” a style of swing dance characterized by its bouncing steps and fast tempo. Cab Calloway invites his audience to dance and “beat out this mellow jive” with the cats, using playful and imaginative expressions like “lay it right on down to the gator” to create a sense of rhythm and momentum.
The lyrics also offer some advice for those who may not know how to dance the jumpin’ jive: “don’t be that ickeroo,” meaning don’t be the one who doesn’t know what they’re doing, and “get hep, come on and follow through” which means to pay attention and join in on the fun. The song’s upbeat tempo and scat singing keep the pace lively and energetic, encouraging listeners to go out and try the jumpin’ jive for themselves.
Overall, the lyrics to “Jumpin Jive” celebrate the infectious energy and joy of the swing dance scene, inspiring listeners to tap their feet, swing their hips and get moving to the music.
Line by Line Meaning
Hep-hep!
Attention!
De-boodle-de-ack, de-boodle-de-ackasaki!
Nonsense sounds, just to create the right atmosphere.
Oh, rang-tang, te-dah-dah,
More nonsense syllables, just to keep the rhythm going.
Gonna tell you 'bout the jumpin' jive,
I'm going to explain to you the meaning of the 'jumpin' jive' genre.
Jim, jam, jump, the jumpin' jive;
The 'jumpin' jive' music and dance style involves moving in a lively, rhythmic way.
Cats gonna beat out this mellow jive;
The musicians are going to play this relaxed, cool style of music and beat.
Beat it out on the mellow side.
The music should be played in a way that feels laid-back and smooth.
Boy?
Hey, you there!
Whatcha gonna say there, gate?
What are you going to say, man?
Oh, boy!
Oh, man!
Palomar, Shalomar, Swanee shore,
Locations that evoke a sense of fun and dance.
Let me dig that jive once more,
Play that music again, so I can dance to it.
Boy!
Man!
Lay it right on down to the gator.
Play the music so that everyone can dance, even the alligators.
Oh, boy!
Oh, man!
Lay it flat as a gator.
Play the music smoothly and effortlessly as an alligator lying flat.
Now, can't you hear those hepcats call,
You can hear the cool and sophisticated people who love this kind of music calling out for more.
Come on, boys, let's have a ball!
Let's have some fun dancing to this music, guys.
The jim, jam, jump on the jumpin' jive
This energetic style of dance and music called the 'jumpin' jive'
Makes you dig your jive on the mellow side,
Makes you feel cool and relaxed while dancing to it.
Hep-hep!
Attention!
The jim, jam, jump is the solid jive
This bold and confident style of dance and music called the 'jumpin' jive'
Makes you nine foot tall when you're four foot five,
Gives you a feeling of empowerment and confidence, even if you're small in stature.
Hep-hep!
Attention!
Now, don't you be that ickeroo,
Don't be uncool or out-of-touch with this style of music and dance.
Get hep, come on and follow through,
Get with it, and follow the steps of the dance.
Then you get your steady foo,
Then you can establish your own cool, identifiable style of dance.
You make the joint jump like the gators do,
You can dance so energetically that you can make the alligators in the nearby swamp dance too.
Makes you like your eggs on the Jersey side,
The good feeling that comes with this music makes you crave a particular type of food.
The jim, jam, jumpin' jive,
This lively and rhythmic style of dance and music called the 'jumpin' jive'
Makes you hep-hep on the mellow side;
Makes you feel cool and relaxed while dancing to it.
(Scat singing)
Nonsense syllables used for a musical effect.
Now, I've told you 'bout the jumpin' jive,
I have explained to you the origins and styles of 'jumpin' jive' music and dance.
The jim, jam, jump, the jumpin' jive,
This lively and rhythmic style of dance and music called the 'jumpin' jive'
I know you dug this mellow jive,
I know you enjoyed dancing to the cool and relaxed 'mellow side' of this music.
Oh, you dig it on the mellow side.
You really enjoy dancing to the 'mellow side' of this music.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: CAB CALLOWAY, FRANK FROEBA, JACK PALMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AaronSpielman
This is one of, if not the best dance scenes in film history. I never get tired of watching it.
@maeandbob
Me neither, although I do wince at the splits in the steps every time!😂
@capt.bart.roberts4975
Makes my eyes water!
@jubalcalif9100
I heartily concur !!
@JimBluePiano
Unbelievable real talent like this cannot be duplicated….no special effects, no fancy lights & , lasers, no CGI, just real authentic talent. I agree with other commenter we need to see people with skills like this, not only during halftime Super Bowls, but everywhere else! If there is any talent like this that exists on the planet, I want to move there 😁.
@lynnfisher3037
Forget it. No one does this today.
@donaldbucher472
Deep respect for these great artists, creating magic under absurdly challenging circumstances.
@user-fc8xz8yr1k
"Such concentration and great musicianship"!😊
@jwa718
They had undying admiration from every other dancer in Hollywood for their sheer genius and gravity defying moves! Even here in 2023 this stands as one helluva amazing routine!
@brianschumer788
Done in 1 take!!.. The jumps at the end completely improvised, although in the interview I watched about this, admittedly one brother (I forget which) said, he was bruised a bit a few days after..Mind boggling, the Athleticism and talent of these two brothers