Ain’t you heard about that music Chicago style. The kind of music that drives you wild Ain’t you heard about the way we dance it out Then lemme tell you what it’s all about First you grab you gal like a cat, Jack And jitterbug her lightly then you throw her back Let her hips swing loos when your moving Swing most any way long’s you groovin’ You take it slow while get’s way down You’re feelin’ acrobatic then you throw her ’round Then you separate and take a solo That’s the way we dance in Chicago Jump back and boogie Aw boogie woogie Pack a little Truck a little Now if any one here is still in doubt, As to what this jitterbuggin’s all about I’ll expostulate all that I know ‘Bout the way we dance in Chicago.
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Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Margaret Bonds (1913 - 1972), "The way we dance in Chicago/Harlem" [ voice and piano ], from Tropics After Dark, no. [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-10-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 139