In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Who's that whisperin' in the trees?
It's two sailors and they're on leave
Pipes and chains and swingin' hands
Who's your daddy? Yes I am
Fat cat came to play
Now he can't move fast enough
You'd best stay away
When the pushers come to shove
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair
A whipped up jitterbuggin' brown-eyed man
A stray cat frontin' up an eight piece band
Cut me Sammy and you'll understand
In my veins hot music ran
You got me in a sway
And I want to swing you dove
Now you sailors know
Where your women came for love
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair
You're in a Zoot Suit Riot!
It's two sailors and they're on leave
Pipes and chains and swingin' hands
Who's your daddy? Yes I am
Fat cat came to play
Now he can't move fast enough
You'd best stay away
When the pushers come to shove
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair
A whipped up jitterbuggin' brown-eyed man
A stray cat frontin' up an eight piece band
Cut me Sammy and you'll understand
In my veins hot music ran
You got me in a sway
And I want to swing you dove
Now you sailors know
Where your women came for love
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot Suit Riot (RIOT!)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair
You're in a Zoot Suit Riot!
Lyrics submitted by asutbone
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did anyone know what the zoot suit riots were about? probably not, so ill tell you. during world war II, there was lots of dicrimination based on race. Hispanics who lived in southern cali who wore suits called "zoot suits" much like the hip harlem people. they had greased hair combed back into a ducktail and long waisted suit coats with baggy pants pegged at the ankles. youknwo what im talking about right? so then LA passed a law making it a crime to wear these outfits. people still wore them as a so called sign of rebellion. then some sailors from the local navy base invaded a hispanic neighborhood because allegedly they had attcked some servicemen. these sailors beat the zoot suiters up, tore their clothes and cut their hair. then when the hispanics fought back, they got arrested and all the newspapers lied about what happened.
so thats what the song is about. and i guess its like a funny get back because theyre saying that all the while they were screwing the sailors wives hehehe so there sailor suckers!!!!
cherry poppin' daddies is a dirty name.... think about it ; D
I remember I used to love this song. The music video was great. It was when everyone was listening to swing music for some reason.
zoot suits were outlawed because, since the world was in the middle of a war, good fabric was scarce and hard to come by. zoot suits required a lot of fabric, and were therefore considered a waste of fabric. some people believed that those who continued to wear the suits were being unpatriotic and used that as an excuse to beat them up.
Yeah, RoxyFemme84, why do you hate America?
Anyway this is just a song to dance to, that references the zoot suit riots of 1943.
(if you folk happen to be interested in another swing song that was popular when swing got popular again, that one week, have a listen to "Hey Pachuco" by Royal Crown Revue)
Uh, actually, RoxyFemme84 is right. The zoot suit riot in California had absolutely nothing to do with supposed patriotism; it was completely about racial discrimination. I'm glad, also, that someone else caught on that Zoot Suit Riot actually references that unfortunate incident.
Zoot Suit style started before WW2 coming out of the prohibition Era. Yes, LA Zoot Suit Riot was a race riot: But it was a racially charged situation in the country and the world. ie: 'Japping' was to sneak up on someone instead of a 'fair' gang fight. Think 'West Side Story' or even MJ's 'Beat It'. My Uncle who was Mexican played in a band in CO. They wore Zoot Suits to replicate what was going on in Chicago 'Gangstas' style in the 'Speak Easy night clubs'. This was early to mid 30's.
I agree that it was definitely racial discrimination at the heart of the Zoot Suit Riots, but it would be inaccurate to say it had nothing to do with patriotism. The reason that the zoot suits were made illegal and the white servicemen were so upset with those that wore them was because this was during the era when there were shortages of practically everything in the country and everything was going to help the servicemen defending it. Everyone was called upon to do their duty and do whatever they personally could to help the war effort, mostly by not wasting anything. The Zoot Suits were made illegal because they used about twice as much material as a normal suit in a time when there was a shortage of material. Many of the youth, because it was part of their new culture to wear them, ignored the law and got their suits illegally. Thus, just wearing a zoot suit during this time was considered unpatriotic and uncaring about the plight of the country. This was a large part of what sparked the riots, thus why they were called the Zoot Suit Riots. All the stuff about only the hispanic youth getting arrested for fighting back and the newspapers praising the sailor's activities is unfortunately true though.
So, uh. When I said "why do you hate America?" I was joking.
So, uh, I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to mourningthebestofme. I realized you were joking.
This song is a fun song, we always play it in pep band. We used to have a sax player and he would shout out "Riot!" in a really high pitched voice at that part of the song. It was really funny.
if you can't imagine what a zoot suit looks like, just imagine jim carrey as "the mask", except that they were almost always black, not yellow.. lol or you could look it up