Saturday Night Fish Fry
by E. Walsh / 
Louis Jordan 
recording of 1999 
from 
Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan (MCA 12042) 
Now if you've ever been down to New Orleans 
Then you can understand just what I mean 
All thru 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' 'till the break of dawn 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till 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' 'till the break of dawn 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till 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' 'till the break of dawn 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till the break of dawn 
Now the women were screamin' and jumpin' and yellin' 
The bottles was flyin', and the fish was smellin' 
And way above all the noise we made 
Somebody hollered, "You better get outta here, this is a raid!" 
I didn't know we was breaking the law but 
Somebody reached over and hit me on the jaw 
Now they had us blocked off from front to back 
And they was puttin' 'em in the wagon like potatoes in a sack 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till the break of dawn 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till 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 
So I tried to crawl in under a bath tab 
When a policeman said, "Where are you goin' there, bub?" 
Now they got us out of there like a house on fire 
And put us all in the black Maria 
Now they might have missed a pitiful few 
But they got both me and my buddy too 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till the break of dawn 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till the break of dawn 
Well we headed for jail in a dazed condition 
They booked each one of us on suspicion 
Now my chick came down and paid my bail 
And finally got me outta 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' 'till the break of dawn 
It was rockin', it was rockin' 
You never seen such scufflin' 
And shufflin' 'till the break of dawn