Fats Waller - Genius Man

Betty Lou was thinking of Fats Waller today. Sometimes, the funniest things just pop into my head. Only this time, Mr. Waller stayed there and sang to me some of his glorious songs. Equal parts music, equal parts lyrics, the music of Fats Waller is music forever and ever. Honeysuckle Rose, Handful of Keys, Ain't Misbehavin', Keepin' Out of Mischief Now and T'Ain't Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do ... Brilliant! Even the titles are spectacular because they were written in the vernacular! (There, a little poem for Thomas Wright Waller). But, my very favorite song because it's so seductive and so soothing and so sexy and so so good is

The Jitterbug Waltz ...

The night is getting on

The band is getting slow

The crowd is almost gone

But here we are still dancing

Nothing to do, but waltz

Our feet can barely move

My legs are yelling "Whoa"

But we're in such a groove

And love is still advancing

Nothing to do, but waltz

You can't suggest that we could go on jitterbugging

No bugging

We've nothing left for moves more strenuous than hugging

Just hugging

But we don't need much room to gently cut-a-rug in, we two

We're dead on our feet

And the sauce is repeatin'

But what can you do?

I tried another juice

And get from head to toe

My body's feeling loose

And warm and kind of supple

Nothing to do, but waltz

My man would slip away

My arms just won't let go

I think I'd like to stay,

Till we're the only couple

Nothing to do, but waltz

You never know how far this sort of thing can get you

One never knows, one never, never knows

We're not as tired as we would like to think,

I bet youYou stay up half the night with me, if I would let you

Yes

So come, let the waltz play again.