Tiger Rag
Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli Lyrics


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Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where oh where can he be?
Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"

Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Where oh where can he be?




Low or highbrow, they all cry now
"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Tiger Rag" by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli are a call to action, rallying the listener to join in the search for a fierce and elusive tiger. Throughout the song, the repeated refrain of "Where's that tiger!" emphasizes the urgency and excitement of the search. The lyrics also encourage the listener to take action against the tiger, calling for them to "Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!" The line "Low or highbrow, they all cry now / 'Please play that Tiger Rag for me'" reinforces the notion that this search for the tiger is a shared experience that transcends social and cultural boundaries.


Overall, the lyrics to "Tiger Rag" capture the wild energy and excitement of jazz music, encouraging listeners to let loose and participate in the music in a visceral way.


Line by Line Meaning

Where's that tiger! Where's that tiger!
Where is the energy and excitement that we crave?


Hold that tiger! Hold that tiger ! Hold that tiger!
Capture and control that wild and untamed energy!


Choke him, poke him, kick him and soak him!
Do whatever it takes to wrangle and manipulate that energy.


Where's that tiger? Where's that tiger?
Seriously, where is it? We need it now!


Where oh where can he be?
We're searching high and low for that raw, unbridled energy.


Low or highbrow, they all cry now
People from all walks of life are begging for that energy.


"Please play that Tiger Rag for me"
Give us that music that embodies that incredible energy.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY TIERNEY, JOSEPH JOE MC CARTHY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@jackmorris4821

Have been loving this song and group for 84 years..am now 94 still loving it!

@D45VR

This music keeps one young.

@benpietrzykowski9216

Props for knowing how to comment and work YouTube

@stevengalliou3475

i hope that at 104, yours ears shall be able to listen it again...^^

@jackmorris4821

@@stevengalliou3475 thanks Steven !

@davidferrara1105

Welcome Jack, many happy years to you

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@sathvikparthasarathy382

I listened to this piece, picked up my guitar , played it perfectly note by note with just 2 fingers , kept the guitar back, then I woke up

@OziMarika

Must have been a great sweet dream.

@alexdb9129

Never sleep

@Whitman1819

You forgot to use your thumb... hehe

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