The 5 Jones Boys were occasionally part of a syndicated radio program called "The Laff Parade", hosted by Ken Niles. One reviewer of a 1934 performance thought that they were actually the Mills Brothers. They made several appearances from 1934 through 1937.
Some Los Angeles appearances: In late June 1936, they opened at the Famous Door, replacing Louis Prima. In December, they were with Duke Ellington, Ivie Anderson, and the 5 Hot Shots at the Paramount Theater. February 1937 found them at Frank Sebastian's Cotton Club (the blurb in the February 26, 1937 California Eagle said that they came from the "coal mines of Illinois"). By May, they'd been added to the cast of "Shuffle Along" at the Lincoln Theater.
They were in several films (those from 1936 were all released within three days of each other) and had a couple of records on Variety. In Ali Baba Comes To Town (an uncredited performance) they're part of a black cast that included the Plantation Boys, Richard Davis, David Patillo, guitarist Oscar Moore, Ormonde Wilson (a member of the Plantation Boys, whom we'll meet later on), and two future Delta Rhythm Boys: Clifford Holland, and Carl Jones. The chorus was directed by Leon René and Earl Dancer.
Mr. Ghost Goes to Town
The 5 Jones Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up there on the stairs
Beware, beware
I hear somebody coming
Up on his toes
Oh look, there he goes
Mr. Ghost is going to town
He takes his cane
His gloves and his hat
And like a cat
He hurries down the alley
The moon is bright
And this is the night
When Mr. Ghost is going to town
He's feeling great
And he can't be late
He's got a date
To do a little stepping
He'll shake his bones
To hot saxophones
'Cause Mr. Ghost is going to town
Ha ha ha ha
I'm Mr. Ghost
Tonight I'm gonna shake my bones
To the tune of them hot saxophones
Ha ha
Mr. Ghost goes to town
Ha ha
He's feeling great
And he can't be late
He's got a date
To do a little stepping
He'll shake his bones
To hot saxophones
'Cause Mr. Ghost is going to town
The lyrics to The 5 Jones Boys's song "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town" tell the story of a ghost who comes to life late at night and heads out on the town. The first few lines create a suspenseful atmosphere as the listener wonders who is coming up the stairs. The arrival of Mr. Ghost is then announced and the lyrics describe how he takes great care in getting ready for his night out, taking his cane, gloves, and hat. The lyric "Up on his toes, oh look, there he goes" paints a visual image of the ghost tiptoeing down the stairs.
As the song progresses, we learn that Mr. Ghost has a date and is on his way to go dance to the sound of hot saxophones. The lyric "He'll shake his bones to hot saxophones" is a reference to the idea of dancing so hard that one's bones rattle. The final lines of the song are Mr. Ghost expressing his excitement for the night ahead and promising to dance to the music with a ha-ha-ha.
Overall, the song is a fun and upbeat tune that uses vivid imagery to bring the story of Mr. Ghost to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's there, who's there?
Mr. Ghost is alerting us that someone or something is approaching him.
Up there on the stairs
Mr. Ghost hears the footsteps of the approaching entity on the staircase.
Beware, beware
He wants to warn us to be cautious because danger may be present.
I hear somebody coming
He confirms the presence of the entity and insists that it is approaching closer.
Up on his toes
Mr. Ghost is light on his feet, trying to be quiet and avoid detection.
Oh look, there he goes
Mr. Ghost has spotted the entity and is now keeping an eye on it.
Mr. Ghost is going to town
Mr. Ghost is leaving the current place and going somewhere else.
He takes his cane
Mr. Ghost is preparing to use his cane as a tool for support while walking.
His gloves and his hat
Mr. Ghost is getting dressed to go out.
And like a cat
Like a cat, Mr. Ghost is silently sneaking away from his current location.
He hurries down the alley
Mr. Ghost walks quickly down the alley to reach his destination.
The moon is bright
The moon is providing enough light for Mr. Ghost to see his way.
And this is the night
Mr. Ghost is excited because this is the perfect time for him to go out and enjoy himself.
He's feeling great
Mr. Ghost is in a state of euphoria.
And he can't be late
He knows he has to arrive on time, so he doesn't want to be late.
He's got a date
Mr. Ghost has a plan to do something at a specific time.
To do a little stepping
Mr. Ghost wants to dance a little.
He'll shake his bones
Mr. Ghost is so excited to dance that he'll let his bones move in rhythm with the music.
To hot saxophones
Mr. Ghost will be dancing to jazz music played by saxophones.
'Cause Mr. Ghost is going to town
Mr. Ghost is going out to have some fun and enjoy his life.
Ha ha ha ha
Mr. Ghost is laughing in amazement at how much he's going to enjoy himself.
I'm Mr. Ghost
Mr. Ghost is reintroducing himself.
Tonight I'm gonna shake my bones
Mr. Ghost is excited to dance and move his body in rhythm with the music.
To the tune of them hot saxophones
Mr. Ghost is ready to dance to the music played by the saxophones.
Ha ha
Mr. Ghost continues to laugh because he knows he'll have a good time.
Mr. Ghost goes to town
Once again, Mr. Ghost is leaving his current location to find somewhere to dance and have fun.
Contributed by Elijah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@aroyn7
Woah. Just Found Out William Bartley was my great grandfather. I'm a gutarist myself but never knew music was in my familys history. I dig the music too
@PRR5406
How cool is that? Congratulations! This was pure talent in the day.
@marywade2739
I am sitting here with the biggest grin after reading your comment. My dad often sang this to us and we loved it. And here you are! It was a big song in those years.
@Collectologist
This is definitely one of my favorite oldies! Have to listen to it every Halloween. Sometimes it'll pop in my head from nowhere and just stick there. I love the "Mr. Ghost" laughing part in the middle.
@allaboutrecords
Amazing group!
had the pleasure of meeting original member JImmy Springs several times.
One of the all time greatest
@Amfunee
My all-time favorite Halloween record. Its atmosphere (all done a capella), its playful lyrics, and its melody with just the right combination of fun and spooky pretty much sum up what I've loved about Halloween since I was a little boy.
@pex_the_unalivedrunk6785
I love that guy's laugh...
One of my favorite A Cappella songs of all time.
@jubalcalif9100
Karie Bible (film historian, Hollywood Kitchen host, author & the tour guide at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles) brought me here. What a great song ! Perfect for this Halloween season ! Thank you VERY much for sharing this "bodacious blast from the past" with us ! 👍❤🤓
@ContinuousRiot
I heard this song last night on the radio and went insane!! SO GREAT!
@Lanocheselvatica
Which radio station were you listening? I wish I knew radio stations that play this kind of music!