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Little Egypt

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Rating: 3.8 Stars3.8 Stars3.8 Stars3.8 Stars
Words & Music: Jerry Leiber/ Mike Stoller
I went and bought myself a ticket and I sat down in the very first row
They pulled the curtain but then when they turned the spotlight way down low
Little Egypt came out a-struttin' wearin' nothin' but a button and a bow
Singing, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying

She had a ruby on her tummy and a diamond big as Texas on her toe
She let her hair down and she did the hoochie-coochie real slow
When she did her special number on the zebra skin I thought she'd stop the show
Singing, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying

She did her triple somersault and when she hit the ground
She winked at the audience and then she turned around
She had a picture of a cowboy tatooed on her spine
Said, Phoenix, Arizona 1949

Yeh, let me tell you people Little Egypt doesn't dance there anymore
She's too busy mopping and a-takin' care of shopping at the store
'Cos we've got seven kids and all day long they crawl around the floor
Singing ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying, ying-ying
Recorded: 1964/03/02, first released on Routabout

Reactions

bajo (profilecontact) wrote on Nov 11, 2011report abuse
What a smash this would have been as a single c/w I'm A Roustabout. If only.......!
GEORGE (GK) (profilecontact) wrote on Nov 11, 2011report abuse
I was never crazy about this one. I liked the songs "Big Love, Big Heartache" and "Wheels on my heels" much more so. What a shame the harder edged "I'm a Roustabout" which first appeared on the album "Second to None" didn't make it, onto the "Roustabout Soundtrack album and movie".
Steve V (profilecontact) wrote on Nov 11, 2011report abuse
Good , cool song, & solid performance, best on the LP in my opinion.
derekd (profilecontact) wrote on Nov 11, 2011report abuse
Cool song recorded in 1964. I remember buying the Roustabout Lp and wondered which track would be used as a single.In the end Rca decided not to release any of the track. But i often wonder how Little Egypt would have done chart wise. Elvis must have liked it using it again in the '68 Tv special.
TCB1974 (profilecontact) wrote on Nov 11, 2011report abuse
She walks, she talks, she crawls on her belly like... Little Egypt was a Syrian lady dancing in the late 19th century and you can actually find some original footage of her on YouTube, it is absolutely fascinating and very exotic. She popularized the 'hoochee-coochee' in the United States and Leiber and Stoller used this dance actually in the song Saved as some kind of a sin! Very entertaining song and other great performances exist thereof, such as from the Coasters. Four stars from me.
Deano1 (profilecontact) wrote on Mar 5, 2010report abuse
I am not as big of a fan of this one as most people seem to be (over four stars when this review was written), but it is good. I give it three stars, but it is really just a novelty song. On par with most of the "Roustabout" soundtrack material. A solid soundtrack LP that hit #1 and is a very easy listen (except for "Carny Town").
Bart van Katwijk (profilecontact) wrote on Feb 4, 2010report abuse
I'm not really sure what to think about this one. Let's leave it at that.

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