The Manhattan Transfer Album

(Alan Paul & Edwin Morris)

Verse 1
Folks are stompin' at Mahogany Hall tonight
So let me tell you 'bout this house of shame
That the folks they talk and hush about
Yeah.. little old hang where folks they muss all about
I'm sayin it's a place of ill repute
I would just stay away, if I were you

Stay away, stay away, keep a stayin' away

Verse 2
Yeah man, if you feel that lovin' is what you're all about
Go find a wife that you can love, truly love
Then the lord above will bless and watch over you
Hear what I'm sayin' 'cause it's the truth
So don't you meddlin' around

Yeh yeh yeh...yeh, yeh yeh yeh yeh
Ooh...yeh yeh yeh yeh
Ooh...

Chorus 1
When that urge to stomp, and romp in hay
Hits you like a bull in a shop with the fire and a flame and a rage
That's when the devil, he comes to play
So you be wise and don't give in to his little lies that lead to sin
To be victorious, take the glorious jump
Far away from him

Verse 3
I don't believe this house right here
Is a place of sin that all you folks wanna gab about
Hear the music and the love that's spurrin' from a joy
We feel that we don't have to hide

Verse 4
Now I must concur with all this sister's been sayin'
Because I get back so much love, more than from prayin'
Never been akin to confessin' much
But Lord knows this house it moves and thrills me

Verse 5
That's right! How can you know what's missin' when you've never
Known the bliss that keeps a riding deep within my soul
Yeh, those babes they move me
There's stompin' and moves and turns all night
Rollin' till break of dawn

Now we know the Lord above in Heaven

We don't believe all the things you say
You gotta dig it another way

Can see all through you folks better than we can
A little rhythm will rock your soul
A little lovin' will make you whole
But the Good Book says roll your spirit up high...
Come on and give in to what we're sayin' Go...
rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin',
rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin',
goin', goin', goin', goin',
rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin',
goin', goin', goin', goin',
HIGH...

Heed these words and just

Stop that sinnin'
No!
Scratch is winnin'
No!
Don't be playin'
No!
Start your prayin'
No!
The Lord's waitin'
No!
For you so...

Shout chorus

Stop that stompin' change your story
(come on)
We're stompin' to rhythm
(roll on)
That's keepin' us livin'
Don't be messin' with the glory that's waiting for you
(go on)
No evil will find us
(roll on)
The Lord is behind us
(and on)
So roll with the music
then...
roll on, roll on, roll on, roll on,
Old scratch will never have his way again
(come on)
Don't bother us
(roll on)
let spirit just reach in
He will never bother you with all that sin...
(on and on)
Good lovin' will free you
(roll on)
And lighten what you do
RIP away the chains that confine you
(come on)
Come join in our party
Ther's nothing more I think we've said it
Ther's nothing more I think we've said it

That's the story of Mahogany Hall Tonight
That's the story of Mahogany Hall Tonight

(Eddie DeLange / Louis Alter)

When the moon's kinda dreamy
Starry eyed and dreamy
And nights are luscious and long
If you're kinda lonely
Then nothin' but the blues are brewin'
The blues are brewin'

When the wind through the window
Blows across your pillow
And tells you sleepin' is wrong
If love goes a thirsting
Till you feel like bursting
Then nothing but the blues are brewin'
The blues are brewin'

Suppose you want somebody
But you ain't got nobody
You only get a gleam in your eyes
Till somebody's found you
And put their lovin' arms around you
You got the feelin' you want to die

But when the Lord up above you
Send's someone to love you
The blues are something you loose
You're so busy doing
The things that you're doing
That love ain't got no time
For brewin' the blues

(M. Pinkard / S. Mitchell / F. Alexander)

Sugar, I call my baby my sugar
I never maybe my sugar
That sugar baby of mine
He's special ration
Funny, he never asks for my money
All I give him is honey
And that he can spend anytime

I'd make a million trips to lips
It I were a bee
Because he's sweeter than chocolate candy to me
He's confectionary

Sugar, I never cheat on my Sugar
Cause I'm too sweet on my Sugar
That sugar baby of mine

Give me a kiss to build a dream on
(and) my imagination will thrive upon that kiss
Sweetheart, I ask no more than this
A kiss to build a dream on.

Oh, give me a kiss before you leave me
And my imagination will feed my hungry heart.
Oh, leave me one thing before we part
A kiss to build a dream on.

When I'm alone with my fancies I'll be with you
Weaving romances making believe they're true.

Just give me your lips for just a moment
And my imagination will make that moment live.
Oh, give me what you alone can give
A kiss to build a dream on.

(Vocal and instrumental break)

When I'm alone with my fancies I'll be with you
Weaving romances making believe they're true.

Oh, give me your lips for just a moment
(And) my imagination will make that moment live.
Darling, give me what you alone can give
A kiss to build a dream on.

(Louis Armstrong / Zilner Randolph)

Now one time there lived an old man
With a very crooked nose
He lived inside a log hut
And they called him ol' man Mose
One dark and dreary morning I knocked upon his door
I didn't hear a single sound
So I ain't gonna do it no more.

'cos I believe ol' man, I believe ol' man
I believe ol' man, thatol' man Mose is dead.
I believe ol' man, I believe ol' man
I believe ol' man, that ol' man Mose is dead.

(Now you believe) Mose kicked the bucket
(You believe) Mose kicked the bucket
(You believe) Mose kicked the bucket
(You believe he's dead)

(You believe) Mose kicked the bucket
(You believe) Mose kicked the bucket
(You believe) Mose kicked the bucket
(You believe he's dead)

Now listen here,
I went round to the window
And I peeped in through the crack,
Inside there was an old man
Laying flat upon his back
I thought that he was sleeping
Head hung to the floor
He didn't make a single move
So I ain't gonna do it no more

'cos I found out ol' man, I found out ol' man
Yeah, I found out ol' man, ol' man Mose is dead

('cos you found out) ol' man
(you found out) ol' man
(you found out) ol' man
(you found out he's dead)

(you found out) Mose kicked the bucket
(you found out) Mose kicked the bucket
(you found out) Mose kicked the bucket
(you found out he's dead)


(you found out) Mose kicked the bucket
(you found out) Mose kicked the bucket
(you found out) Mose kickin' up daisies
(you found out he's dead)

Old Man Mose is dead.

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
And miss it each night and day
I know I'm not wrong... this feeling's gettin' stronger
The longer, I stay away
Miss them moss covered vines...the tall sugar pines
Where mockin' birds used to sing
And I'd like to see that lazy Mississippi...hurryin' into spring

The moonlight on the bayou.......a Creole tune.... that fills the air
I dream... about Magnolias in bloom......and I'm wishin' I was there

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
When that's where you left your heart
And there's one thing more...I miss the one I care for
More than I miss New Orleans

(instrumental break)

The moonlight on the bayou.......a Creole tune.... that fills the air
I dream... about Magnolias in bloom......and I'm wishin' I was there

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
When that's where you left your heart
And there's one thing more...I miss the one I care for
More.....more than I miss.......New Orleans

Manhattan Transfer
Gone Fishin'

(Nick Kenny / Charles Kenny)

I'll tell you why I can't find you
Every time I go out to your place.....

You gone fishin' (Well how you know?)
Well there's a sign upon your door (Uh-huh)
Gone fishin' (I'm real gone man)
You ain't workin' anymore (Could be)
There's your hoe out in the sun
Where you left a row half done
You claim that hoein' ain't no fun (But I can prove it)
You ain't got no ambition
Gone fishin' by a shady-wady pool (Shangri-la, really la)
I'm wishin' I could be that kind of fool (Should I twist your arm?)
I'd say no more work for mine (Welcome to the club)
On my door I'd hang a sign
Gone fishin' instead of just a-wishin'

I stopped by your place a time or two lately
And you aren't home either

Well, I'm a busy man, Louis
I got a lotta big deals cookin'
I was probably tied up at the studio

You weren't tied up, you dog
You was just plain old.....

Gone fishin' (Bah-boo-bah-boo-bah-boo-bah-boo-bah)
There's a sign upon your door (Pops, don't blab it around, will you)
Gone fishin' (Keep it shady, I got me a big one staked out)
Oohhh, you ain't workin' anymore (I don't have to work, I got me a piece of Gary)
Cows need milkin' in the barn (I got the twins on that detail, they each take a side)
But you just don't give a darn (Give 'em four bits a cow and hand lotion)
You just never seem to learn (Man, you taught me)
You ain't got no ambition (You're convincin' me)
Gone fishin' (Bah-boo-dah-do-dah-do-dah-do)
Got your hound dog by your side (That's old Cindy-Lou goin' with me)
Gone fishin' (Mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm)
Fleas are bitin' at his hide (Get away from me boy, you're botherin' me)

Folks won't find us now because
Mister Satch and Mister Cros
We gone fishin' instead of just a-wishin'
Bah-boo-baby-bah-boo-bah-bay-mmm-boo-bay
Oh yeah!

Adaptation from "Hotter Than That"
Written by Lillian Armstrong
Adapted lyric by Alan Paul


Intro
If you just tell me you'll be true
And say you love me too,
Then we'll hit the moon 'cause nothing else could be
Any hotter than that

Verse 1 (Janis)
When the Fahrenheit hits me it is like a wave in flight
I'm tellin' you man, it makes me boil to where I'm losin' my sight
But Babe compared to you, a tropical Bayou that I might discover
Is like the frozen night air from the Arctic Sea
Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . is the fire, the flame that I'm speaking of
You've cast that spell that voodoo that I want called love
So if you'll say you'll be true
And say you love me too
Then we will hit the moon
Breakin' the thermostat

Verse 2 (Cheryl)
Just wait a minute while I spin a little tale
It's story of . . . romance and mixed emotion
Far removed from that which most encounter
When they're lookin' for love.
It's all about a burnin' yearnin' that I have known too well.
This flame of fire it overtakes me each time I get movin' to a crazy
Grindin' little rhythm when the music is up
Syncopatin' wild music is the aphrodisiac that I adore
Some folks think I'm a bit spicy but they really don't offend me at all
A bit carefree like Anais Nin am I in all the little matters
That pertain to love
Thanks for the listen don't be missin' all the sizzlin' out of love

Chorus
It's hotter than a hundred-and-ten in mid-July
We're sayin' it's
Hotter than Tabasco or Jamaican fry
When you say you'll be true
And tell me you love me too
The yen for you won't hesitate
(scat)
So . . . if you were to say to me babe
That you find me, oh so fine dear
When you say . . . you just can not live without me
Than nothin' baby, could be hotter than that

Sax solo

Chorus 2
It's hotter than a hundred-and-ten in mid-July
We're sayin' it's
Hotter than Tabasco or Jamaican fry
When you say you'll be true
And tell me you love me too
The yen for you won't hesitate
(scat)
So . . . if you were to say to me babe
That you find me oh so fine dear
When you say you just can not live without me then
Laddy, look out Gabe

(Sax solo and scat)

So if you just say you'll be true
And you cannot live without me
Then nothing, baby, could be hotter than that

(scat)

Blue again, blue again
And you darn well it's you again
You said last night we were through again
And now I'm blue again
I'm alone again, alone again
I'm out around on my own again
There's a mocking bird that's flown again
And I'm alone again

Now baby, though I said I hate you
I love you more everyday, babe
Though I aggravate you
All that I'm dyin' to say that it's new again

You again and we'll meet today
At half past two again
And tonight we'll fight again
And I'll be blue again

When you wish upon a star, makes no dfference who you are, anything your heart
desires will come to you. If your heart is in your dreams, no request is too
extreme, when you wish upon a star as dreamers do. Fate is kind, she brings to
those who love, the sweet fullfilment of their secret longing. Like a bolt out
of the blue, fate steps in and sees you through, when you wish upon a star,
your drreams come true.