St. Louis Shuffle
Frank Trumbauer and His Orchestra Lyrics
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He hung up his coat and his hat,
He gazed all around, but no wifey he found,
So he said "where can Flossie be at?"
A note on the table he spied,
He read it just once, then he cried
It ran, "Louis dear, it's too slow for for me hear,
So I think I will go for a ride."
"Meet me in St. Louis, Louis,
Meet me at the fair,
Don't tell me the lights are shining
Any place but there,
We will dance the Hoochee Koochee,
I will be your tootsie wootsie,
If you will meet in St. Louis, Louis,
Meet me at the fair."
"Meet me in St. Louis, Louis,
Meet me at the fair,
Don't tell me the lights are shining
Any place but there,
We will dance the Hoochee Koochee,
I will be your tootsie wootsie,
If you will meet in St. Louis, Louis,
Meet me at the fair."
The lyrics of "Meet me in St. Louis, Louis" by Frank Trumbauer and His Orchestra's song "St. Louis Shuffle" tell a story of a man named Louis who comes back to his home only to find that his wife is missing. In her place, he finds a note where his wife Flossie tells him that life is too slow for her, and she wants to go out for a ride. The note encourages Louis to meet her in St. Louis at the fair, where they can dance the Hoochee Koochee together. The song ends with a chorus, where Flossie urges Louis to meet her at the fair and promises to be his tootsie wootsie.
The song captures the mood of the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair when millions of visitors from around the world came to experience the wonders of modern technology, entertainment, and culture. The fair was instrumental in shaping the cultural identity of St. Louis, which was considered the gateway to the west. The lyrics of "Meet me in St. Louis, Louis" reflect the excitement and anticipation of the fair, inviting audiences to join in the festivities and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city.
Line by Line Meaning
When Louis came home to the flat,
Louis returned to his home/apartment and saw his coat and hat hanging.
He hung up his coat and his hat,
Louis put his coat and hat away on the hooks.
He gazed all around, but no wifey he found,
Louis looked around his home but couldn't find his wife.
So he said "where can Flossie be at?"
Louis wondered where his wife, Flossie, could be.
A note on the table he spied,
Louis saw a note on the table.
He read it just once, then he cried
Louis read the note once and started crying.
It ran, "Louis dear, it's too slow for for me hear,
The note said that Flossie found things too boring to stay with Louis.
So I think I will go for a ride."
Flossie intended to leave and go for a ride.
"Meet me in St. Louis, Louis,
Flossie wanted Louis to meet her in St. Louis.
Meet me at the fair,
Flossie wanted to meet Louis at the fair in St. Louis.
Don't tell me the lights are shining
Flossie didn't want to hear about other places with lights.
Any place but there,
Flossie only wanted to meet Louis at the St. Louis fair.
We will dance the Hoochee Koochee,
Flossie planned on dancing the Hoochee Koochee with Louis.
I will be your tootsie wootsie,
Flossie would be Louis' tootsie-wootsie, or term of endearment.
If you will meet in St. Louis, Louis,
Flossie would only be Louis' tootsie-wootsie if he met her in St. Louis.
Meet me at the fair."
Flossie reiterated that she wanted Louis to meet her at the fair.
"Meet me in St. Louis, Louis,
Flossie repeated her request for Louis to meet her in St. Louis.
Meet me at the fair,
Flossie still wanted to meet Louis at the St. Louis fair.
Don't tell me the lights are shining
Flossie didn't want to hear about other places with lights.
Any place but there,
Flossie only wanted to meet Louis at the St. Louis fair.
We will dance the Hoochee Koochee,
Flossie planned on dancing the Hoochee Koochee with Louis.
I will be your tootsie wootsie,
Flossie would be Louis' tootsie-wootsie, or term of endearment.
If you will meet in St. Louis, Louis,
Flossie would only be Louis' tootsie-wootsie if he met her in St. Louis.
Meet me at the fair."
Flossie reiterated that she wanted Louis to meet her at the fair.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: RALPH BLANE, HUGH MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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