The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #126099 Message #2798679
Posted By: MikeL2
29-Dec-09 - 02:43 PM
Thread Name: Origins: What a Jimmy-john is? (from Green Corn)
Subject: ADD: The Gandy Dancers Ball
hi
Thanks for this question. My Dad had a stack of old shellac 78's and sometimes we used to play them on his gramophone even though by this time this kind of set-up was obsolete.
I remember one record was by Frankie Laine and we never did really know what the "Jimmy John" was that he was singing in The Gandy Dancers Ball.
I just googled the full lyric in case anyone here is interested. someone here will
Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John
The Gandy Dancer is a railroad man And his work is never done With his pick and his shovel and his willing hands He makes the railroad run There's Macanaw Mack and Toledo Jack And the boys from Idaho And the Frisco kid and Saginaw Sid And good old Cotton-eyed Joe
Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John
The boys will gather at the great affair The Gandy Dancer's ball A-kissin' their ladies with perfumed hair And prancin' round the hall They got the biggest band in all the land And the rhythm rocks the room And they holler out with a mighty shout When the big bass drum goes boom
Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John
The railroads bring `em to the great affair The Gandy Dancer's ball An' every line is represented there The big ones and the small There's the MKT and the old SP And the Lee High Valley too The C and J and the Santa Fe The Southern and the Sioux
Oh they danced on the ceiling And they danced on the wall At the Gandy Dancer's ball Hey! Swing around, Swing around, Swing around the Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around The Jimmy, Jimmy John Swing around, Swing around Swing around the Jimmy John Swing the pretty girl round The Jimmy, Jimmy John
They danced all day And they danced all night They all danced till the broad daylight At the Gandy Dancer's ball
(Swing around, swing around Swing around, swing around The Jimmy John)