Ballin' the Jack (song)

Template:Infobox Standard "Ballin' the Jack" is a popular song written by Jim Burris with music by Chris Smith. It introduced a popular dance of the same name with "Folks in Georgia's 'bout to go insane." It became a ragtime, pop, and trad jazz standard, and has been recorded hundreds of times by many prominent artists.

Film usage

The song and dance were performed in For Me and My Gal, the 1942 movie starring Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. It was also performed by Danny Kaye in the 1951 movie On the Riviera, and Dean Martin in the 1951 movie That's My Boy. It also featured as the After Dinner song sung in the mock-horror 1986 movie Haunted Honeymoon performed by Gilda Radner and Dom DeLuise. Jimmy Jewel playing Cannonball Lee performed the song in the 1990 film The Krays.

Lyrics and dance

The lyrics describe the dance:

First you put your two knees close up tight,

Then you sway 'em to the left, then you sway 'em to the right,

Step around the floor kind of nice and light,

Then you twis' around and twis' around with all your might,

Stretch your lovin' arms straight out in space

Then do the Eagle Rock with style and grace

Swing your foot way 'round then bring it back,

Now that's what I call "Ballin' the Jack."

See also

• List of pre-1920 jazz standards

Bibliography

• Burris, Jim (w.); Smith, Chris (m.). "Ballin' the Jack" (Sheet Music). New York: Jos. W. Stern & Co. (1913).

External links

• "Ballin' the Jack", National Promenade Band (Edison Blue Amberol 2480, 1914)—Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project.
• "Ballin' the Jack" (Sheet music)—The E. Azalia Hackley Collection, Detroit Public Library.