It was down in Chinatown,
All the cokies laid around,
Some were high and some were mighty low;
There were millions on the floor
When a knock came on the door,
And there stood old Smoky Joe.
He was sweatin', cold and pale,
He was lookin' for his frail,
He was broke and all his junk ran out;
Nobody made a sound,
As he stood and looked around,
And then you hear old Smoky shout:
Saying, "Tell me where is Minnie?
My poor Minnie!
Has she been here,
Kicking the gong around?"
"If you don't know Minnie,
She's tall and skinny,
She gets her pleasure
Kicking the gong around!"
[Scat chorus]
"Just tell her Smoky Joe
Was here and had to go."
And as he departed,
The curtains parted,
And there stood Minnie
Kicking the gong around!
Another version
----------------------
It was down in Chinatown,
All the cokies laid around,
Some were high and some were mighty low;
Count millions on the floor
When a knock came on the door,
And there stood old Smoky Joe.
He was sweatin', cold and pale,
He was lookin' for his frail,
He was broke and all his junk ran out;
As he stood and looked around,
Nobody made a sound,
And then you hear old Smoky shout:
"Tell me where is Minnie?
Oh, I want my little Minnie!
Has she been here,
Kicking the gong around?"
"If you don't know Minnie,
Oh, she's tall and skinny,
She gets her pleasure
Kicking the gong around!"
[Scat chorus]
"You just tell her Smoky Joe
Was here and had to go."
And as he departed,
The curtains parted,
And there was Minnie
Kickin' the gong around!
All the cokies laid around,
Some were high and some were mighty low;
There were millions on the floor
When a knock came on the door,
And there stood old Smoky Joe.
He was sweatin', cold and pale,
He was lookin' for his frail,
He was broke and all his junk ran out;
Nobody made a sound,
As he stood and looked around,
And then you hear old Smoky shout:
Saying, "Tell me where is Minnie?
My poor Minnie!
Has she been here,
Kicking the gong around?"
"If you don't know Minnie,
She's tall and skinny,
She gets her pleasure
Kicking the gong around!"
[Scat chorus]
"Just tell her Smoky Joe
Was here and had to go."
And as he departed,
The curtains parted,
And there stood Minnie
Kicking the gong around!
Another version
----------------------
It was down in Chinatown,
All the cokies laid around,
Some were high and some were mighty low;
Count millions on the floor
When a knock came on the door,
And there stood old Smoky Joe.
He was sweatin', cold and pale,
He was lookin' for his frail,
He was broke and all his junk ran out;
As he stood and looked around,
Nobody made a sound,
And then you hear old Smoky shout:
"Tell me where is Minnie?
Oh, I want my little Minnie!
Has she been here,
Kicking the gong around?"
"If you don't know Minnie,
Oh, she's tall and skinny,
She gets her pleasure
Kicking the gong around!"
[Scat chorus]
"You just tell her Smoky Joe
Was here and had to go."
And as he departed,
The curtains parted,
And there was Minnie
Kickin' the gong around!
Other albums by the artist
Are You Hep To The Jive?
1994 · album
Cab Calloway Featuring Chu Berry
1993 · album
Best Of The Big Bands
1989 · compilation
We The Cats Shall Hep You
2023 · album
That Old Black Magic (Live)
2023 · single
We The Cats Shall Hep You (Live)
2023 · single
Similar artists
Fats Waller
Artist
Ella Mae Morse
Artist
Benny Goodman
Artist
The Boswell Sisters
Artist
Louis Jordan
Artist
Fletcher Henderson
Artist
Lionel Hampton
Artist
Bix Beiderbecke
Artist
Slim Gaillard
Artist
Charlie Barnet
Artist
Lucky Millinder
Artist
Tommy Dorsey
Artist
Erskine Hawkins
Artist
Harry James
Artist
The Mills Brothers
Artist
Artie Shaw
Artist
Jimmie Lunceford
Artist
Cab Calloway & His Orchestra
Artist
Andy Kirk
Artist
Chick Webb
Artist