Willie And The Hand Jive
Johnny Otis Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know a cat named Way-Out Willie
He got a cool little chick named Rockin' Millie
He can walk and stroll and Susie Q
And do that crazy hand jive too

Papa told Willie, "You'll ruin my home"
"You and that hand jive has got to go"
Willie said, "Papa, don't put me down"
"They're doin' that hand jive all over town"

Hand jive, hand jive
Hand jive, doin' that crazy hand jive

Mama, mama, look at Uncle Joe, look at him
He's doin' that hand jive with sister Flo
Grandma gave baby sister a dime, hey, hey
Said, "Do that hand jive one more time"

Well, a doctor and a lawyer and an Indian chief
They all dig that crazy beat
Way-out Willie gave 'em all a treat, yeah
When he did the hand jive with his feet

Hand jive, hand jive
Hand jive, doin' that crazy hand jive, hey, hey
Come on, sugar
Yeah

Well, Willie and Millie got married last fall
They had a little Willie Junior and that ain't all
You know the baby got famous in his crib, you see, hey, hey
Doin' that hand jive on T.V., come on

Hand jive, hand jive (why don't you?)
hand jive, doin' that crazy hand jive

Hey, hey, well
Yeah, yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Johnny Otis’s song β€œWillie and the Hand Jive” is a catchy tune about a man named Way-Out Willie and his love for the hand jive. The chorus of the song is dedicated to the hand jive, a dance move that was popular in the 1950s. The lyrics of the song talk about Willie’s obsession with the hand jive, which seems to create problems with his family. Willie’s father doesn’t approve of the dance move and warns him to stay away from it. However, Willie insists on doing the hand jive and ends up causing arguments with his family.


The song also talks about how famous and well-loved the hand jive is, with a doctor, a lawyer, and an Indian chief all enjoying the dance move. The lyrics suggest that even babies love the hand jive and will dance along to it. The song ends with Willie and his wife, Billie, having a baby named Willie Junior, who has inherited his father's love for the hand jive and even appears on TV to show off his moves.


Overall, the song is a tribute to the hand jive, a dance that captivated the 1950s music scene and continues to be celebrated today. It tells a story of a man who is passionate about his love for dance and shows how this love can bring people together.


Line by Line Meaning

I know a cat named Way-Out Willie
I am aware of a cool guy with crazy skills named Way-Out Willie


He got a cool little chick named Rockin' Billie
He has a very attractive lady to be with named Rockin' Billie


Do you walk and stroll with Susie Q
Do you like to enjoy and dance along to Susie Q's music


And do that crazy hand jive too?
And then showoff your amazing hand jive skills


Papa told Willie "you'll ruin my home
Willie's Dad warned him that his crazy hand jive is ruining the home environment


You and that hand jive has got to go"
He insisted Willie that he needs to stop the hand jive trend.


Willie said "papa, don't put me down
Willie tried to persuade his father that he shouldn't discourage him


Been doin' that hand jive all over town"
He tried to prove how popular the hand jive trend is in the town and how it's drawing people together


Hand jive, hand jive
It's all about the hand jive we all love


Hand jive, doin' that crazy hand jive
It's all about that cool hand jive everybody wants to do


Mama, mama, look at uncle Joe, look at him
Mama, mama, look over there at uncle Joe showing off his hand jive skill


He's doin' that hand jive with sister Flo
He's having fun showing off his moves with his sister Flo


Even gave baby sister a dime, hey, hey
He was so happy after showing off his skills that he even gave his baby sister a dime


Said "do that hand jive one more time"
He loved it so much, he wants her sister to do it one more time


Well, a doctor and a lawyer and a indian chief
Even people from all profession, like doctors, lawyers and indian chiefs loves hand jive dance


They all dig that crazy beat
They are all crazy about this hand jive and loves the music


Way-Out Willie gave them all a treat, yeah
Way-Out Willie gave everyone present there a special treat of crazy hand jive dance


When he did the hand jive with his feet
He did something rare and unique by performing hand jive with his feet and amazed everyone there


Come on, sugar, yeah!
Let's do it together, sugar! Come on


Well, Willie and Billie got married last fall
Last fall, Willie and Billie tied the knot and wedded finally


They had a little Willie Junior and that ain't all
They were blessed with a little baby boy named Willie Junior and it wasn't the end of their story


You know that baby got greatness and it's plain to see, hey, hey
It's clear and evident that the baby born is going to be great and special


Doin' that hand jive on T.V., come on
They are going to show their amazing hand jive skills on the television and invite everyone to join them


Hand jive, hand jive
It's time for the famous hand jive


(Why don't you) hand jive, doin' that crazy hand jive
Why don't you join us for this amazing hand jive dance and showoff your cool moves with us


Hey, hey, well
This is really exciting!


Yeah, yeah
We are all very excited, yeah yeah!




Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Johnny Otis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@paganpoet3

Otis was born in Vallejo, California, to Greek immigrant parents,
Alexander J. Veliotes, a Mare Island longshoreman and grocery store
owner, and his wife, the former Irene Kiskakes, a painter.[1][4] He had a
younger sister, Dorothy, and a younger brother, Nicholas A. Veliotes,
who became the U.S. Ambassador to Jordan (1978–1981) and Egypt
(1984–1986). Johnny grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in
Berkeley, California,
where his father owned a neighborhood grocery store. He became known
for his choice to live his professional and personal life as a member of
the African-American community.[5][6][7] He wrote, "As a kid I decided
that if our society dictated that one had to be black or white, I would
be black."[8]
At 20, despite the deep and enduring objections of his mother, he
married Phyllis Walker, a woman of black and Filipino descent who he had
known since childhood.[9] They had four children: Shuggie Otis and
Nicholas Otis, both of whom became musicians, and two daughters, Janice
and Laura.[10]



All comments from YouTube:

@donlarge282

I loved this song as a teenager in 1958, and 65 years later I still love it.

@mattasticmattattack8546

No offense intended, but I didn't know people your age were on YouTube, your automatically one of the best people here πŸ‘β€οΈ

@jacobblumin4260

I just listened to recordings of this song by four other bands and none are as good as this original. Don't know what happened to Johnny Otis but he wrote a song that is immortal. I'm 75 years old and this song rings in my head from sixty years ago. Maaaaaaaaahvelous!

@7c8f9x

I AM 77 YRS OLD, DROVE A 58 CHEVY BEL AIR, LISTENED TO JOHNNY SINGING THIS SONG ON MY AM RADIO WITH VIBRASONIC MAKING IT SOUND LIKE IN A SOUND CHAMBER, COOLEST THING U EVER HEARD, THE CHEVY HAD A 283 WITH GLASSPACKS, SOUNDED GREAT ALSO, THOSE WERE THE DAYS MY FRIEND!

@bid84

Better than today that’s for sure, cars where outrageous in the American 50’s.

@jmsjms296

@@bid84 A real threat for sure

@glenw-xm5zf

283 was 230 hp that year. Awesome engine. One great car, unlike today's plastic crap

@ssurfcity

Been hearing this song all my life, 57 years. Wanting to hear the song, brought me here.

@user-hz5yb4bh5v

Bin.

@mooneysilvia

Me too. I was gardening and picked up a garden slug and immediately thought of this song

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