Jump Jive An' Wail
Keely Smith/Louis Prima/Sam Butera/Witnesses Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby, baby it looks like it's gonna hail
You better come inside
Let me teach you how to jive and wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
Papa's in the icebox lookin' for a can of ale
Papa's in the icebox lookin' for a can of ale
Mama's in the backyard
Learning how to jive and wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotto jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
A women is a women and a man ain't nothin' but a male
A women is a women and a man ain't nothin' but a male
One good thing about him
He knows how to jive and wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Jill stayed up
She wants to learn how to jive and wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
"Jump Jive An' Wail" is a classic swing song by Keely Smith, Louis Prima, and Sam Butera & the Witnesses. The lyrics describe a stormy night where it's best to stay inside and learn to dance to the lively music of jump jive. The first two lines of the song indicate that there's a hailstorm outside and the addressee should come inside. Then the singer invites the addressee to learn how to jive and wail while jumping to the beat. The chorus repeats four times throughout the song and emphasizes the importance of jumping, jiving, and wailing.
The next verse describes Papa as he looks for his ale in the fridge, while Mama is in the backyard learning how to jive and wail. The third verse claims that men are nothing but males, but at least they know how to jump jive and wail. The final verse references the nursery rhyme of Jack and Jill going up the hill to fetch a pail, with Jill staying up to learn how to dance.
This is a fun and upbeat tune that encourages its listeners to dance and have a good time. It's a classic in the swing genre and often played at dance events.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, baby it looks like it's gonna hail
The weather is getting bad and it might start hailing soon.
You better come inside
It's safer to be indoors when there's hail.
Let me teach you how to jive and wail
I can show you how to dance and have fun while we wait out the storm.
You gotta jump, jive and then you wail
When dancing, you need to jump around, move your body to the beat, and then scream with excitement.
Papa's in the icebox lookin' for a can of ale
Dad is in the fridge trying to find a cold beer to enjoy.
Mama's in the backyard
Mom is outside, probably dancing and having fun with others.
Learning how to jive and wail
She's practicing and getting better at dancing to the beat of the music.
A women is a women and a man ain't nothin' but a male
Women are unique and special, while men are just males of their species.
One good thing about him
There's something good about men, despite their simplicity compared to women.
He knows how to jive and wail
They have at least one thing going for them: they can dance and have fun too.
Jack and Jill went up the hill to get a pail
Just a nursery rhyme reference, nothing to do with the song's overall theme.
Jill stayed up
Jill didn't go down the hill with Jack, she stayed up to dance and enjoy the music.
She wants to learn how to jive and wail
Jill is enthusiastic and eager to learn how to dance and party with others.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LOUIS PRIMA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Baboon4215
Great stuff for sure...they don't make music like this on the radio no more. Thanks for sharing! :)
@OnlyFiftiesAgainmjp
+Michael Bishop They certainly don't !..Thanks for watching,glad you enjoyed it :-))
@Baboon4215
+OnlyFiftiesAgain I was planning on making this into a Tenor Saxophone Instrumental--wouldn't remove the trumpet/piano Improvisation from the song, I would leave those parts of the song alone/as is because it wouldn't be the same without it. I finally got some 1/2 decent recording equipment, makes a huge difference for videos. Got weekly uploads coming starting this weekend...stay tuned!
@davidchildress6432
Brian seltzer did a version of it
@georgebrown7906
He was just one of a kind... His timing was perfect, and in the right place here on earth...
@user-nh7oz3zj3y
Awsome !!!
@CharlieBrn
Eternal music. Happy to have grown up through some decades that have music that measures up.
@gandalfshakur8235
Amazing how he recorded/sung this in his mid-50s. Other raves from this era also include Fats n' Sam. Long live awesome music!
@annieromanowski7730
Just FANTASTIC! THIS was SWING music at it's finest!
@jimit6398
Sam Butera, one of the great saxophone players of all time.