Twist and Shout
Sue and Mary Lyrics

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Saturday night and the moon is out
I gonna head on over to the Twist and Shout,
Find a two-step partner and a cajun beat,
When it lifts me up, I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle, wanna beg for more
Wanna dance to a band from a Lousian' tonight

And I never have wandered down to New Orleans,
Never have drifted down a bayou stream
But I heard that music on the radio,
And I swore someday I was gonna go
Down a highway 10 past Lafayett
There's a Baton Rouge and I won't forget to send you a card with my regrets
'Cause I'm never gonna come back home

Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout,
Find a two-step partner and a Cajun beat,
When it lifts me up, I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle, wanna beg for more
Wanna dance to a band from a Lousian' tonight
Hey

They gotta alligator stew and a crawfish pie,
A gulf storm blowin' into town tonight
Livin' on the delta it's quite a show
They got hurricane parties ev'ry time it blows?
But here up north it's a cold, cold rain,
And there ain't no cure for my blues today
Except when the paper says Beousoleil is a comin' into town
Baby let's go down

It's Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout,
Find a two-step partner and a cajun beat,
When it lifts me up, I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle, wanna beg for more
Wanna dance to a band from a Lousian' tonight

Bring your mama, bring your papa, bring you sister too
They got lots of music and lots of room
When they play you a waltz form a nineteen ten,
You're gonna fell a little bit young again
Well you learn to dance with you rockin' roll,
You learn to swing with do-si-do
But you learn to love at the fais so do?
When you hear a little Jolie Blon

Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout,
Find a two-step partner and a cajun beat,
When it lifts me up, I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle, wanna beg for more

Wanna dance to a band from a Lousian' tonight
Hey, sure

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Twist and Shout" by Sue and Mary portray a desire to experience the vibrant and exhilarating atmosphere of a Cajun dance in Louisiana. The song sets the scene on a Saturday night, with the moon shining brightly. The singer expresses their intention to go to the Twist and Shout, a dance venue, where they hope to find a partner for the two-step dance and immerse themselves in the infectious Cajun beat. The music lifts their spirits and they eagerly anticipate dancing on the big dance floor to a live band from Louisiana.

The second verse reveals that the singer has never been to New Orleans or explored the bayou streams, but they have heard the music of Louisiana on the radio and have always dreamed of going. They mention the specific places along Highway 10, such as Lafayette and Baton Rouge, indicating their longing to experience the Cajun culture there. The singer acknowledges that they may never come back home, as their yearning for this Louisiana experience may shape their future.

The final verse introduces the lively elements of Louisiana, including alligator stew, crawfish pie, and hurricane parties. There is a stark contrast between the cold rain up north and the excitement and energy of a Louisiana storm. The mention of Beousoleil, a well-known Cajun band, creates anticipation for the forthcoming joyous celebration in town.

Line by Line Meaning

Saturday night and the moon is out
It's the weekend and the atmosphere is perfect for a night out

I gonna head on over to the Twist and Shout
I will go to the Twist and Shout, a dance venue

Find a two-step partner and a cajun beat
Look for someone to dance a specific style and rhythm with

When it lifts me up, I'm gonna find my feet
When the music energizes me, I will dance confidently

Out in the middle of a big dance floor
In the center of a crowded area where people are dancing

When I hear that fiddle, wanna beg for more
The sound of the fiddle makes me crave for more dancing

Wanna dance to a band from a Lousian' tonight
Desire to dance to music by a Louisiana band tonight

And I never have wandered down to New Orleans
I have never explored the city of New Orleans

Never have drifted down a bayou stream
I have never leisurely floated along a bayou waterway

But I heard that music on the radio
However, I have heard that music on the radio

And I swore someday I was gonna go
I made a promise to myself that one day I would visit

Down a highway 10 past Lafayett
Traveling on highway 10, going past Lafayett

There's a Baton Rouge and I won't forget to send you a card with my regrets
In Baton Rouge, I will remember to send you a card expressing my apologies

'Cause I'm never gonna come back home
Because I have no intention of returning home

They gotta alligator stew and a crawfish pie
They have a dish made of alligator and a pie containing crawfish

A gulf storm blowin' into town tonight
There is a storm from the Gulf of Mexico arriving in town tonight

Livin' on the delta it's quite a show
Living on the delta, it's an impressive sight

They got hurricane parties ev'ry time it blows?
They often have parties whenever a hurricane occurs

But here up north it's a cold, cold rain
However, here in the north, it's a chilly downpour

And there ain't no cure for my blues today
Nothing can alleviate my sadness at the moment

Except when the paper says Beousoleil is a comin' into town
Unless the newspaper announces that Beousoleil is coming to town

Baby let's go down
Darling, let's attend the event

Bring your mama, bring your papa, bring you sister too
Invite your mother, father, and sister as well

They got lots of music and lots of room
There will be plenty of music and sufficient space

When they play you a waltz form a nineteen ten
When they perform a waltz from the year 1910

You're gonna fell a little bit young again
You will feel a sense of youthful energy once more

Well you learn to dance with you rockin' roll
You learn to dance with rocking movements

You learn to swing with do-si-do
You learn to swing while performing the do-si-do dance move

But you learn to love at the fais so do?
But you discover love while attending the fais so do event?

When you hear a little Jolie Blon
When you listen to a song called 'Jolie Blon'

Hey, sure
Hey, definitely