Songtext At the new jump steady ball Ethel Waters

At the new jump steady ball

[*** Note: We are very unsure of many of these words, but the song is too good to leave out!***]

(Delaney - Easton)

Now the Jump Steady Club,
They gave a ball,
And it was held down at the New Hope Hall;
All the bootleggers in the town,
Why, they brought that stuff steady along; [?]
People came from far and near,
To taste the different mixtures that they handled there;
When the jazz band struck up,
You'd be surprised;
Everybody in the hall was google-eyed;

They started serving me gin and wine,
And everything in wood alcohol line,
Chicago pop and all, I declare,
All kinds of hair tonic went around with the dance;
You make a tincture mixed with turpentine,
With black molasses made it stupifying;
Extract of lemon and ginger ale,
Mixes great with shoe polish
And you're bound for jail;
Copasetic was the password for one and all,
At the New Jump Steady Ball!

About twelve o'clock I was feeling fine,
To tell the truth, I was out of my mind;
But just before I lost my head,
I saw them carry six men out dead!
They walked out the window, in the air,
They called for music, but no jazz band was there;
Yet everybody there was pleasure bent;
You could get paralyzed for fifteen cents.

They started serving me gin and wine
And everything in wood alcohol line,
Chicago pop and all, I declare,
All kinds of hair tonic went around with the dance;
You make a tincture mixed with turpentine,
With black molasses made it stupifying
Extract of lemon and ginger ale,
Mixes great with shoe polish
And you're bound for jail;
Copasetic was the password for one and all,
At the New Jump Steady Ball!