Satin Doll
The Duke Ellington Orchestra Lyrics
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Over her shoulder she digs me
Out cattin' that satin doll
Baby, shall we go out skippin'?
Careful, amigo, you're flippin'
Speaks Latin that satin doll
She's nobody's fool so I'm playing it cool as can be
Swich-e-rooney
Telephone numbers well you know
Doing my rhumbas with uno
And that's my satin doll
The lyrics to The Duke Ellington Orchestra's song Satin Doll describe the infatuation of the singer with a woman dressed in a satin dress. The initial line "Cigarette holder which wigs me" suggests that the singer is intrigued by the woman's accessories, as well as her attire. The line "Over her shoulder she digs me" illustrates that the singer is also interested in the woman's attention towards him. The phrase "out cattin' that satin doll" could be interpreted as the woman being out and about, perhaps to social events and the singer wanting to join her.
The singer then asks the woman if she wants to go out dancing, but is wary of coming on too strong, hence the line "Careful, amigo, you're flippin'". The woman is portrayed as sophisticated as she "speaks Latin". The singer knows that he needs to play it cool to impress her "She's nobody's fool so I'm playing it cool as can be", but is also aware that he could become vulnerable to her charms "I'll give it a whirl but I ain't for no girl catching me". They then proceed to dance and exchange numbers as the singer boasts about his dancing "Doing my rhumbas with uno" to his "satin doll".
Line by Line Meaning
Cigarette holder which wigs me
Her stylish cigarette holder impresses me
Over her shoulder she digs me
She's interested in me, glancing over her shoulder
Out cattin' that satin doll
She's out on the prowl, being admired by others
Baby, shall we go out skippin'?
Let's go out dancing together
Careful, amigo, you're flippin'
Don't get too excited, buddy
Speaks Latin that satin doll
She's sophisticated and educated
She's nobody's fool so I'm playing it cool as can be
She's not easily tricked, so I'm trying to act unfazed
I'll give it a whirl but I ain't for no girl catching me
I'll take my chances, but I won't be easily captured by a woman
Swich-e-rooney
A slang expression of excitement
Telephone numbers well you know
I have many options for women to pursue
Doing my rhumbas with uno
Dancing my rhumbas with one particular woman
And that's my satin doll
She's the one I'm interested in pursuing romantically
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, JOHNNY MERCER, BILLY STRAYHORN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Jabbarjohnson
For a video to be almost 60 years old the quality is amazing!
@wowanothercookie
Agreed!!
@jwguitar
You know I was thinking the exact same thing while I was watching this!
@wertj3977
If you read the descrption, it's because the film had been remastered.
@Jabbarjohnson
@Tee Well they did a pretty darn good job of remastering. Kudos to those who did it.
@caricatureparty
Wow. I thought it was 1980.
@bundolo48
“If it sounds good, it IS good.”
― Duke Ellington
@earlrobicheaux2632
Most people will never understand. It is what is behind the notes. RIP Duke.
@coolb1droid640
indeed indeed.
@lxuaes6915
@Cool B1 Droid can you explain the above comment to me? behind the notes?