Transcribed from vocals by Ethel Waters, recorded
7/1922.
From Ethel
Waters 1921 - 1923, The Chronogical Classics, vol. 796.
I've got the sweetest man
Who plays the trombone in a band;
Lordy, lordy, lordy he's the nicest
man what am.
I get so giddy when he starts to
play,
Feel like I could just throw myself
away.
When he makes that trombone go
wow, wow, wow,
I feel myself a-slippin',
And I holler out:
Oh, Joe!
Play that trombone, Joe!
Play that trombone,
It makes me crazy when you throw
it up high,
And when you bring it down it really
starts to sigh.
You know,
It makes me happy, Joe,
Now make it snappy.
'Cause when you start to jazz I
get a feeling from the start,
It gives me such an itching and
a twitching
Round my heart.
I never knew I loved you till you
made it moan,
Now, Joe! Joe! Play the trombone!
Oh, Joe,
Play that trombone, Joe!
Play that trombone,
It makes me crazy when you throw
it up high,
And when you bring it down it really
starts to sigh.
You know,
It makes me happy, Joe,
So make it snappy.
'Cause when you start to jazz
I get a feeling from the start,
It gives me such an itching and
a twitching
Round my heart.
I never knew I loved you till you
made it moan,
Now, Joe, Joe, Joe!
Play the trombone!
Return to the Jazz and Blues Lyrics Page.
Published 5/12/99.
Ethel Waters starred in both the stage and film version of Cabin in the Sky. The movie also starred Lena Horne and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington had minor roles. Waters commented in her remarkable autobiography, His Eye is on the Sparrow, that she didn't enjoy making the movie -- too much behind-the-scenes back-biting.
Visit the rest of our pages!