Everybody Eats When They Come To My House
Cabell Calloway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try the salami, Tommy,
Give with the gravy, Davy,
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Try a tomato, Plato,
Here's cacciatore, Dorie,
Taste the baloney, Tony,
I fix your favorite dishes,
Hopin' this good food fills ya!
Work my hands to the bone in the kitchen alone,
You better eat if it kills ya!
Pass me a pancake, Mandrake,
Have an hors-d'oeuvre-y, Irvy,
Look in the fendel (?), Mendel,
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Hannah! Davy! Tommy! Dora! Mandrake!
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Pastafazoola, Talullah!
Oh, do have a bagel, Fagel,
Now, don't be so bashful, Nashville,
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Hey, this is a party, Marty,
Here, you get the cherry, Jerry,
Now, look, don't be so picky, Micky,
'Cause everybody eats when they come to my house!
All of my friends are welcome,
Don't make me coax you, moax you,
Eat the tables, the chairs, the napkins, who cares?
You gotta eat if it chokes you!
Oh, do have a knish, Nishia,
Pass me the latke, Macky,
Chile con carne for Barney,
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Face! Buster! Chair! Chops! Fump!
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Cab Calloway's song "Everybody Eats When They Come To My House" is a humorous piece that celebrates the joy of hosting guests for dinner. The song showcases Cab's ability to entertain listeners with playful lyrics and catchy rhythms. The song's chorus reiterates the message that no matter what one's guests' preferences are, there is always something for everyone to eat at Cab's house.
In the verses of the song, Cab introduces various foods that his guests might enjoy. For example, he suggests trying a banana, salami, gravy, tomato, cacciatore, or baloney. Cab is a generous host who offers up his own labor and ingredients to create a feast for his friends. He sings, "I fix your favorite dishes, hopin' this good food fills ya! Work my hands to the bone in the kitchen alone, you better eat if it kills ya!" Cab's dedication to his guests is expressed through his willingness to serve them even if they are picky eaters or have dietary restrictions, stating "Eat the tables, the chairs, the napkins, who cares? You gotta eat if it chokes you!"
The song also features a series of amusing names for Cab's guests such as Hannah, Tommy, Dorie, Tony, and Mandrake, making the song even more playful.
The playful lyrics in "Everybody Eats When They Come To My House" are matched by the lively and tight musical arrangement, which is a hallmark of Cab Calloway's music. The song is an example of the swing jazz style that became popular in the 1930s, characterized by fast tempos, improvisation, and an emphasis on rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Have a banana, Hannah,
I offer you a banana, Hannah, as the first item on my menu.
Try the salami, Tommy,
I encourage you to sample the salami, Tommy.
Give with the gravy, Davy,
Please take this gravy with your meal, Davy.
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
It is my tradition to feed everyone who enters my home.
Try a tomato, Plato,
Plato, you should try one of these tomatoes.
Here's cacciatore, Dorie,
Dorie, I think you'll enjoy this cacciatore.
Taste the baloney, Tony,
Tony, you should taste this baloney.
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
I want to make sure that everyone eats when they are in my home.
I fix your favorite dishes,
I have prepared dishes that I know you all love.
Hopin' this good food fills ya!
I hope this delicious food fills you up and satisfies you.
Work my hands to the bone in the kitchen alone,
I have worked very hard in the kitchen preparing all this food by myself.
You better eat if it kills ya!
I insist that you eat, even if it means you eat until you can't eat anymore.
Pass me a pancake, Mandrake,
Mandrake, would you please pass me a pancake?
Have an hors-d'oeuvre-y, Irvy,
Irvy, please try one of these hors d'oeuvres.
Look in the fendel (?), Mendel,
Mendel, would you check the oven or the pan to see if there's more food?
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
I always make sure that people have plenty to eat when they visit me.
Hannah! Davy! Tommy! Dora! Mandrake!
I am calling out to my guests, making sure they all hear me.
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
There is no lack of food in my house - everyone who comes will have plenty to eat.
Pastafazoola, Talullah!
Talullah, you should try some pastafazoola.
Oh, do have a bagel, Fagel,
Fagel, I highly recommend trying this bagel.
Now, don't be so bashful, Nashville,
Nashville, don't hold back - try some of this food.
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
I am happy to serve food to all who enter my home.
Hey, this is a party, Marty,
Marty, this is a festive occasion, so enjoy yourself and eat up!
Here, you get the cherry, Jerry,
Jerry, here is a cherry for you to enjoy.
Now, look, don't be so picky, Micky,
Micky, you're being too choosy - just try some of the food I've prepared.
'Cause everybody eats when they come to my house!
I have plenty of food for everyone, so there's no reason to go hungry.
All of my friends are welcome,
I welcome all of my friends into my home.
Don't make me coax you, moax you,
I don't want to have to convince you to eat - just enjoy the food!
Eat the tables, the chairs, the napkins, who cares?
There is so much food that if you run out of things to eat, just eat the furniture!
You gotta eat if it chokes you!
I insist that you eat, even if you feel like you can't take another bite.
Oh, do have a knish, Nishia,
Nishia, make sure to try a knish - they're delicious!
Pass me the latke, Macky,
Macky, could you please pass me a latke?
Chili con carne for Barney,
Barney, I have a special dish of chili con carne just for you.
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
It's my goal to make sure everyone is well-fed when they come to my home.
Face! Buster! Chair! Chops! Fump!
I'm calling out to everyone in the room to make sure they hear me.
Everybody eats when they come to my house!
Feeding my guests is a top priority, so you can count on having plenty to eat when you visit me.
Contributed by Makayla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Wolf251982
Classic!
Wolf251982
Great Tune.