Saturday Night Fish Fry Songtext
von Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five

Now if you′ve ever been down to New Orleans Then you can understand just what I mean

All through the week, it's quiet as a mouse But on Saturday night, they go from house to house

You don′t have to pay the usual admission If you're a cook, a waiter or a good musician

So if you happen to be just passin' by
Stop in at the Saturday Night Fish Fry

It was rockin′, it was rockin′ You never seen such scufflin' And shufflin′ 'til the break of dawn

It was rockin′, it was rockin' You never seen such scufflin′ And shufflin' 'til the break of dawn

Now my buddy and me was on the main stem Foolin′ around just me and him
We decided we could use a little something to eat So we went to a house on Rampart Street

We knocked on the door and it opened up with ease And a lush little miss said, "Come in, please"
And before we could even bat an eye
We were right in the middle of a big fish fry

It was rockin′, it was rockin'
You never seen such scufflin′
And shufflin' ′til the break of dawn
It was rockin', it was rockin′
You never seen such scufflin'
And shufflin' ′til the break of dawn


Now the folks was havin′ the time of their life
And Sam was jivin' Jimmie′s wife
Over in the corner was a beat up grand
Being played by a big fat piano man

Some of the chicks wore expensive frocks
Some of them had on bobbie socks
But everybody was nice and high
At this particular Saturday Night Fish Fry

It was rockin', it was rockin′
You never seen such scufflin'
And shufflin′ 'til the break of dawn
It was rockin', it was rockin′
You never seen such scufflin′
And shufflin' ′til the break of dawn

Now the women were screamin' and jumpin′ and yellin'
The bottles was flyin′ and the fish was smellin'
And way up above all the noise they made
Somebody hollered, "Better get out of here, this is a raid"

Now I didn't know we was breakin′ the law
But somebody reached up and hit me on the jaw
They had us blocked off from the front to the back
And they was puttin′ 'em in the wagon like potato sacks


It was rockin′, it was rockin'
You never seen such scufflin′
And shufflin' ′til the break of dawn
It was rockin', it was rockin'
You never seen such scufflin′
And shufflin′ 'til the break of dawn

I knew I could get away if I had a chance
But I was shakin′ like I had the St. Vitus dance
Now I tried to crawl under a bathtub
When the policeman said, "Where you goin' there, bub?"

Now they got us out of there like a house afire
Put us all in that Black Maria
Now, they might have missed a pitiful few
But they got poor me and my buddy too

It was rockin′, it was rockin'
You never seen such scufflin′
And shufflin' 'til the break of dawn
It was rockin′, it was rockin′
You never seen such scufflin'
And shufflin′ 'til the break of dawn

We headed for jail in a dazed condition
They booked each one of us on suspicion
Now my chick came down and went for my bail
And finally got me out of that rotten jail

Now if you ever want to get a fist in your eye
Just mention a Saturday night fish fry
I don′t care how many fish in the sea
But don't ever mention a fish to me

It was rockin′, it was rockin'
You never seen such scufflin'
And shufflin′ ′til the break of dawn
It was rockin', it was rockin′
You never seen such scufflin'
And shufflin′ 'til the break of dawn

Give me one of them, their fish sandwiches
Get away from there, boy, yowza